If you’re thinking about liposuction, you’re not alone. Nearly 500,000 people had a liposuction procedure in 2021, making it the top aesthetic surgical procedure. That’s not a surprise considering it’s safe, your recovery is fast, and it’s a great way to contour your body.
You can have confidence in your results when skilled plastic surgeon Rafael C. Cabrera, MD, FACS, performs your procedure at Plastic Surgery Specialists of Boca Raton. Schedule a consultation anytime you want to learn more about liposuction.
Here, we debunk the six most common myths about liposuction so you can learn more about whether it’s a good option for you.
Fact: The liposuction procedure we use allows you to get back to work in a few days, as long as your job doesn’t require physical labor. You need to avoid strenuous activities for about a week following your surgery.
Why is your recovery so easy? Because we perform tumescent liposuction. Before we start liposuction, we inject a mixture containing water, a local anesthetic, and a medication that tightens blood vessels.
The solution goes into the targeted area of fat, where it eliminates pain and stops bleeding. The fluid also expands the area and firms fat cells, making the fat easier to remove. In addition to making your procedure less traumatic, tumescent liposuction makes your recovery a breeze.
The local anesthetic keeps the pain away for about 24 hours after your procedure. This reduces your postoperative pain. By the time the anesthesia wears off, most patients only need acetaminophen.
Fact: Liposuction removes more fat than noninvasive body contouring, but it’s not a weight loss procedure. Liposuction typically eliminates 2-5 pounds of fat. That’s enough to smooth away your problem areas and dramatically improve your appearance, but it doesn’t support ongoing weight loss.
Fact: We suction out the fat cells, permanently removing them from your body. But there’s a catch: You can still gain weight.
Other fat cells remain in your body, and they can store more fat, expanding to create a new bulge. Your body also produces new fat cells to replace fat cells that naturally die.
Even if new cells replace the ones removed during liposuction, you can retain your slim shape — but only if you don’t overeat and give your body the chance to store more fat.
Fact: Two variables determine the quality of your results: the technique used and the skill of your plastic surgeon.
In the early days of liposuction (decades ago), the results were inconsistent and often caused lumpy areas or dimpled skin. Since then, instruments and techniques have advanced, allowing us to precisely and artistically create the body contours you envision.
The skill of your physician is incredibly important. If your liposuction is done by an inexperienced physician, you may not get symmetric, smooth results that meet your expectations. You can count on Dr. Cabrera’s years of experience creating exceptional results.
Fact: Every invasive procedure carries certain risks, but liposuction rarely causes complications. Liposuction is a safe procedure, especially when you don’t need general anesthesia. In most cases, complications like lumpiness, dimpling, and scarring are caused by inexperienced physicians.
It’s natural to have some bruising and slight swelling after your procedure. These side effects last just a few days.
Fact: You may be able to tell the bulge of fat is gone and you will see some improvement in 1-2 weeks. However, you won’t see the full results until your body finishes healing, a process that takes 3-6 months.
If you’re close to your healthy body weight but still have annoying bulges of fat, liposuction may be the procedure you need. To schedule a consultation, call Plastic Surgery Specialists of Boca Raton today.
