Liposuction FAQs

DECIDING ON LIPOSUCTION

Are there any risks with liposuction?

Liposuction carries some risks, as with any surgery. Fortunately liposuction complications are quite rare. Complications can include infection, but this is uncommon. It is believed that the tumescent fluid is anti-bacterial, which is why infection rates are extremely low. (The tumescence fluid is the cocktail of liquid that is injected into the fat before liposuction that helps facilitate fat removal.) It is essential that your liposuction procedure is performed in a registered sterile theatre by an experienced and qualified medical doctor. In addition to infection, there are other significant and fatal risks associated with liposuction, despite being rare. Dr Feldman will discuss these with you in person.

Who should perform liposuction on me?

It is strongly recommended that you seek the opinion of at least two professional surgeons before you decide on the best doctor for you. It’s imperative that you choose a cosmetic surgeon with extensive experience and a sound track record in the area of liposuction.

How much does liposuction in Melbourne cost?

The cost of liposuction or liposculpture depends on the number and size of areas being treated. For an approximate price, you may wish to contact Dr Feldman via email and send in photographs of the areas you would like to be treated. For a more accurate price indication, you will have to make an appointment to come in and see Dr Feldman personally, at her South Yarra clinic.

What are the most common areas for liposuction in women?

For women, the most popular areas for liposculpture are the upper and lower abdomen, hips, waist, mons pubis, inner and outer thighs, bottom, inner knees, arms and chin.

What are the most common areas for liposuction in men?

The most popular areas for liposuction with men are the waist, abdomen and neck.

Am I suitable for liposuction?

The ideal patient for liposuction has good skin tone, is fit and healthy and has discrete pockets of fat that require removal or reshaping. Liposuction is not recommended for people that are simply overweight. It is a body reshaping procedure, not a weight loss procedure.

Liposuction or abdominoplasty: what’s the better option?

The degree of wrinkling, stretch marks, sagging skin and body fat are some of the considerations that need to be weighed up by your doctor to determine if liposuction or abdominoplasty is the best option for you. Both procedures have their place. Here is a summary of the pros and cons of both:

Choosing liposuction over abdominoplasty:

Pros

for some individuals, lipo provides positive results without the added expense.

• • • It is less expensive
    • There are fewer risks
    • There is less downtime
    • The skin often contracts back

Cons

• • • Liposuction will not remove stretch marks or excessively sagging skin (e.g. after severe weight loss or several pregnancies)

Choosing abdominoplasty over liposuction

Pros

• • • A good option for those with excessively stretched and sagging skin with a lot of stretch marks
    • The procedure surgically removes stretched, scarred skin that cannot be cosmetically improved by simply removing fat cells
    • Tightens tummy muscles – excellent for those with excessively stretched abdominal muscles after pregnancies

Cons

• • • Can be quite an involved procedure, always requiring general anaesthetic
    • Large scars may be permanently visible without clothing
    • When the largest segment of lower abdominal skin is removed, the bellybutton requires surgical repositioning and reconstruction
    • Quite often surgically altered naval does not have a natural look
    • Abdominoplasty is far more dangerous with potential complications, such as blood clots or pulmonary embolism
    • Abdominoplasty cost roughly 2 to 3 times more expensive than liposuction of the tummy area
    • Recovery time is typically 2 to 4 weeks longer than liposculpture

Why choose Dr Feldman for liposuction?

Dr Feldman has been performing liposuction for over 17 year, and on over 1000 clients in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Why not just have mesotherapy?

Dr Feldman does not recommend mesotherapy. This treatment sounds attractive in that no surgery is required; instead a series of chemicals are injected below the skin that allegedly melt the fat. Mesotherapy is painful, traumatic, commonly bruises the skin and can give very uneven and lumpy results. Currently, this treatment is not FDA approved, is unregulated and is an under standardised technique. No studies show its actual efficacy. Furthermore, there are several studies that suggest considerable risk.

WHAT TO EXPECT WITH LIPOSUCTION

Will I have any noticeable scarring from the procedure?

Incisions are only 3 to 4 mm long. Within a few months, the scars are usually not visible.

Will liposuction eliminate all of my cellulite?

Liposuction alters the shape of the body but cannot entirely remove all of the dimples, puckering effects of the skin, commonly referred to as cellulite. While liposuction will eliminate some of the cellulite, it will not entirely eliminate it.

Will having  liposuction prevent me from putting on weight?

After undergoing liposuction you will have less fat cells in your body. If you start to gain weight in the future, the fat will distribute into the remaining fat cells throughout your body. This will result in a more even distribution of fat cells, rather than the fat accumulating in the (previously genetically predisposed) fat pockets. At the end of puberty, the majority of individuals have produced a fixed number of fat cells which stays fairly static for the rest of their lives. When they go through a period of weight gain the fat cells simply enlarge rather than increase. By eliminating fat cells in particular problem areas, you inhibit the potential for any notable fat increase in that area. Many women notice that if they do gain weight after liposuction they tend to put weight on their breasts.

PREPARING FOR SURGERY

Will I need to organise an anaesthetist?

Anaesthetists are only required when a patient is in need of a general anaesthetic. As Dr Feldman performs the liposuction with only “conscious sedation”, there is no need for an anaesthetist.

Do I need to follow any specific diet before or after liposuction?

Adhere to your regular diet before the operation. Ten days prior to the surgery, it’s imperative that you do not take any anti-inflammatory or aspirin. Do not drink any alcohol 24 hours prior to surgery.

TECHNICAL INFO

Tumescent Liposuction, SmartLipo, Vaser Liposuction, Powered Liposuction, CoolLipo, LipoLite: what’s the difference?

It’s important to understand that “tumescent liposuction” is the name of the medical procedure for removing fat under local anaesthesia. Many of these other names are simply particular companies’ trademarked names of devices or instruments, for example, lasers, vibratory devices, and ultrasound machines. Any of these devices simply aid in the removal of fat under local anaesthesia. They all fall under the umbrella of ‘tumescent liposuction’; they are not an alternative to this.

ABOUT THE PROCEDURE

What medications will I receive during the liposuction procedure?

Before the procedure, you will receive a sedative to relax you. You will also be given oral antibiotics to minimise the chance of any infection. A short-acting powerful analgesic may be administered at any time during the procedure if the patient requires or requests this.

ABOUT POST PROCEDURE

How soon can I expect to see results?

You will be able to see some of your results almost immediately, however, the majority of the results will not be visible until swelling has settled. Allow several weeks. For this to happen. As a guide, after the first 10 days a fairly good indication of the results of the procedure will be visible, and after six months the full effect of the liposuction will be evident.

Is there anything I can do to ensure the best result?

Straight after the procedure you will be given a compression garment to wear. It’s imperative that this is worn at all times, as its not only alleviates pain, but also prevents swelling. Compression garments also aid in the healing process and ensure that the skin contract evenly. Dr Feldman will tell you exactly how long the garment should be worn.

When can I start to move and exercise?

Two days after the surgery, Dr Feldman recommends you do some form of extremely low impact exercise, e.g. walking, for 30 minutes a day to encourage blood circulation. She will also show you some particular massage techniques to assist lymphatic drainage and healing. You may return to non-strenuous work within just two days of the procedure, but should not take any strenuous activities exercise the first two weeks after surgery.

How will my body feel after liposuction?

Fortunately, most people feel very little pain or discomfort after liposuction. You may be more relaxed than usual due to the sedatives given to relax you during the procedure. It’s imperative that you organise someone else to drive you home after the procedure and that you rest that first evening. For the first week, you may feel a little discomfort and stiffness, but this will soon disappear. Some swelling and tenderness or for a few, some bruising may be evident for up to 2 weeks. In this time, you may wish to take a mild analgesic such as Panadol.

When can I go back to work?

Most people can go back to work within a few days, providing it does not involve strenuous exercise.

How long will the effects of my liposuction last?

The effects of removing particular fatty pockets from a body are more or less permanent. An individual can, of course, put on weight afterwards, however, the fact tends to distribute to other areas initially. Many of those that have undergone liposuction claim a highly beneficial psychological advantage. After the procedure, having experienced the delights of their newer, slimmer body shape, many people report that they have much more incentive to keep their body in shape. Some report that weight loss feels easier to achieve, post liposuction.

Will the fat appear in other fatty pockets, post liposuction?

If an individual gains weight after liposuction, the fat must go somewhere. However, it is usually deposited more evenly throughout the body. For example, if a woman has had liposuction to her inner thighs, if she puts on several kilos of weight in the future, it is likely to go to other parts of the body – not straight back to her thighs.

LOCATION

Where is the tumescent liposuction performed?

Dr Feldman performs liposuction at her registered day surgery in South Yarra, Melbourne.