Liposuction
Located in Kirkland, WA to serve the Eastside Seattle area
What Is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that uses suction and a hollow, metal tube (cannula) to remove fat cells from the body. This is a powerful technique that can be performed through small access incisions. Commonly treated areas include the abdomen, torso/flanks, back, chest, neck, upper arms, and thighs. Various technologies exist, including power-assisted liposuction (which uses mechanical movement of the cannula) and ultrasound-assisted liposuction (which uses heat energy to facilitate the process), but the principle is the same – deeper fat is eliminated and the remaining tissue is sculpted into a more contoured, proportional shape.
Am I a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
In the realm of body contouring procedures, liposuction can be an excellent choice. Many patients are looking to improve stubborn areas of fat that have not decreased with diet and exercise. Liposuction should not be considered a solution if you are overweight, rather, one should be at a stable weight and looking to treat localized areas of fat accumulation. Surgeons rely on your skin to contract after liposuction, so having good skin quality is important. Liposuction is frequently combined with other procedures (such as breast reduction, abdominoplasty, and thigh lift) – your surgeon should be able to advise you about if liposuction alone can meet your goals.
Surgical Details
Liposuction can be performed under different forms of anesthesia, including local anesthesia, sedation, and general anesthesia. The areas are first injected with tumescent (also known as “wetting”) solution, which provides local anesthesia and epinephrine to decrease bleeding/bruising. Small access incisions (usually about two per site) are made to be as hidden possible. The cannula is then introduced to treat the deep fat. The surgeon is continually assessing the thickness of the tissue for symmetry and to prevent over-resection. A single, absorbable suture is used to close each access site and a compression garment is applied.
Consultation Process
When you meet Dr. Austin Remington and Dr. Brad Remington, your medical history will be reviewed and a physical examination will be done. Seeing the quality of the tissue and referencing years of experience will allow him to give you an accurate assessment about if this procedure can meet your goals. Liposuction is an increasingly common procedure. It is very safe, however, it is important to choose a qualified plastic surgery to minimize the risk of contour deformity, asymmetry, or damage to deeper structures.
Recovery and Results
Patients usually report being sore and bruised for one to two weeks after surgery. While the access sites can be small, the surgical site area can be large. Regardless, most patients are comfortable and need a minimal amount of prescription pain medication. Wearing compression is the most critical part of the recovery, and this may be recommended for four weeks, perhaps even longer. The purpose is to reduce swelling and promote skin contraction. Liposuction reduces the number of fat cells in the treated areas, but it is still possible to gain weight if a healthy lifestyle is not maintained.
– by P.B.