Liposuction

The word LIPO means FAT and Liposuction (AKA Lipo-plasty or Suction Assisted Lipectomy) is the most common cosmetic surgical procedure throughout the world. This is for two main reasons:

1.  There are many people with excess fat,
2. Liposuction really works.

It is a great procedure if done on the right patient by an experienced surgeon. It is not usually done for weight loss but for body contouring. Since diet and exercise are not only very difficult, time consuming and you cannot always target the area you want to reduce liposuction has become the solution.

It is both safe and effective if done right. Liposuction was invented by the Italians in the mid 1970’s and popularized in France shortly thereafter. American surgeons have been doing it since the early to mid 1980’s.
I have been doing liposuction since 1984!

Many advances such as smaller instruments, injecting the fat with special solutions to make removal easier, called the Tumescent technique, using Ultrasound and Laser are now standard.

The principle is to enter the layer of fat with a long thin hollow tube called a cannula and remove the fat by suction thereby creating tunnels that then collapse and heal. It is like squeezing down a sponge. A compression garment is worn to allow these tunnels to heal and prevent swelling and bruising.

Since after puberty, as a rule, you have all the fat cells you will have, the volume increase is due to your fat cells getting bigger in size when you gain weight. Fat cells don’t increase or multiply in number.

For example, if you have fat cells the size of 100 grapes and gain 10 lbs, you now have fat cells the size of 100 plums. If you gain weight after liposuction your size will return even though the fat has been removed permanently because the fat cells that are left can balloon up and you will have lost any improvement.

You may notice a shift to areas where you are genetically programmed to store fat. Some women have noted an increase in breast size after liposuction because of this shifting.

With modern techniques (and if not overdone) about 80% of liposuction healing is within the first month and final healing is within 2-3 months.

Normal activity can generally resume one to two weeks after the procedure, depending on individual circumstances.

To see before and after pictures of lipoplasty patients, please click here.

To speak with Dr. Giunta for a free telephone consultation, call 703.845.7400 or  click here to send us an email with an inquiry.