Liposuction
Brief Summary
- Duration of the procedure: varies according to the extent of the operation (from 1 to 5 hours)
- Type of anaesthesia: general anaesthetic or local anaesthetic
- Outpatient treatment, possibly with medical supervision during the first night
Indication:
Isolated deposits of fat which do not disappear even after strict dieting or targeted physical exercise
Irregular contours after lifting procedures
Fat distribution disorders that can be treated by liposuction: This applies to all parts of the body – especially the hips (e.g. ‘love handles’) the buttocks, thighs, knees, abdomen, breast/chest (e.g. gynaecomastia in men), upper arms, face and neck
Operation:
For liposuction of the face/neck area the incision runs the same way as for a lower facelift: hidden along the edge of the cartilage at the front of the ears, around the earlobes, along the back of the ears and into the hair at the back of the head. After the thin plate-like muscle directly under the skin of the neck (platysma) has been tightened, the skin is lightly stretched.
Especially patients who are overweight and who have lost the contours between chin and neck are advised to have liposuction as well.
After the operation:
- Wear a special support bandage for 2 weeks
- Wear a support garment for 3 months
- Sutures are removed after 10 – 14 days
- Post-surgical wound care (with scar massage) begins after suture removal or after removal of the support bandage
- Avoid strenuous activities for 2 weeks
- Avoid sports for 4 – 6 weeks
- Avoid sunburns or tanning beds for 6 months (or protect the scars with sunscreen lotion)
- Post-surgical diet: The fatty cells that have been removed do not grow back, but improper food intake could cause the remaining fat cells to enlarge
