Liposuction - What It Is and What It Can Do

    PHOENIX, AZ, November 02, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Liposuction is a body contouring procedure that helps men and women get rid of stubborn fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise. Liposuction is exactly what is sounds like. Fat ("lipo") is removed by suction. This is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures in the US, second in the number of procedures performed every year, after breast augmentation. It has the potential to give great results, but also carries significant risk.

What Liposuction Corrects

Liposuction can remove stubborn fat deposits from nearly any area of the body. Commonly treated areas include:

- Neck
- Male breasts (gynecomastia)
- Arms
- Upper back (bra rolls)
- Abdomen (beer gut)
- Flanks (love handles, spare tire)
- Thighs
- Knees
- Calves
- Ankles

However, liposuction is not a reliable treatment for cellulite reduction. Nor is it capable of removing skin. To get good liposuction results, you must have elastic skin that will contract after the fat is removed.

Who Is a Liposuction Candidate?

The ideal liposuction candidate is:

- At or near their ideal weight
- In good general health
- A non-smoker
- A person with good skin
- A healthy dieter
- A regular exerciser
- A person with realistic expectations for the procedure

Even if you do not meet all the above characteristics exactly, you may be a reasonable liposuction candidate. The best way to learn whether you are truly a liposuction candidate is to schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Liposuction Risks

Although liposuction gives great results for many candidates, with the majority of candidates experiencing a high level of satisfaction with the procedure, liposuction also has a number of surgical risks. These include:

- Poor scarring
- Asymmetry
- Lumpiness
- Excess skin
- Lasting numbness or pain in treated area
- Hematoma or seroma
- Infection
- Blood clots and deep vein thrombosis
- Cardiovascular side effects
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Death

Serious complications are rare, but they do occur. To decrease your risk, work with a board-certified plastic surgeon and try your best to become an ideal liposuction candidate before seeking the procedure.

Who Provides Liposuction?

Ideally, you should work with a board-certified plastic surgeon for your liposuction procedure. Board certified plastic surgeons have extensive training and experience in performing the procedure. Unfortunately, up to 40% of liposuction providers are not board-certified plastic surgeons, according to a recent study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In fact, many of them are not even doctors of any kind. During your consultation, make sure you are working with a board-certified plastic surgeon, who you know has years of training, as opposed to another doctor who may have only a one-day seminar or no formal training whatsoever.

To learn more about liposuction from a board-certified plastic surgeon, please visit the website of Dr. Bryan Gawley in Phoenix, Arizona at www.gawleyplasticsurgery.com.

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