Liposuction

Let’s be honest, we all have small areas of fat on our body that we either put up with, or try and shift through diet and exercise. Sometimes, even with a good diet and exercise regime, some areas of fat just won’t go away. In these cases, surgery may be your answer. Liposuction, is a really effective way of removing stubborn areas of fat on your tummy, thighs, hips and upper arms as well as your chin, neck, calves and ankles.  There are different types of liposuction techniques that Mr Ghattaura will discuss with you, choosing the most suitable for your needs. His patients often choose to have more than one area treated at the same time, or sometimes have liposuction alongside other cosmetic surgery procedures, such as tummy-tuck surgery or arm/thigh lifts. Liposuction is not the answer to obesity and should only be considered if you have a small-moderate excess of fat.

What is involved in the procedure? 

Once you have decided that surgery is the right path for you, you can choose a date that suits you best. Depending on how many areas you will have treated and how much liposuction is required, Mr Ghattaura will either recommend a general anaesthetic or a local anaesthetic.  If you have a general anaesthetic, you will sleep throughout the whole procedure and probably stay in hospital for 1 night.  If you only need a small area treated, you may have a local anaesthetic and probably go home the same day.  Surgery can last between 1 and 3 hours. 

The surgery is performed though multiple, very small ‘keyhole’ incisions and often a solution of local anaesthetic is injected into the area first.  A hollow tube, called a cannula is then passed through these incisions into the fatty area.  Using a vacuum device, the tube is gently moved backwards and forwards, to remove the fat. After surgery, compression garments are applied and these should be worn for 4-6 weeks to maximise the results.  These garments will help reduce the swelling and ease the pain.  The treated areas can feel rather sore and bruised following surgery, but this should resolve in 2-4 weeks. 

Time to Recover 

Your healing time will depend on how many areas you had treated and how much fat was removed.  For the first couple of days at home, you will need to rest to allow your body to fully heal.  Any pain and discomfort will be treated with normal painkillers.  If you had more than one area treated at the same time, your rest time may be 2 weeks and you will need to take this time off work (or from your normal busy routine).  Depending on the intensity of your procedure, you can return to exercise at 4-6 weeks. Mr Ghattaura will advise you, prior to surgery, exactly how much time you will need for recovery.  

Liposuction, or body sculpting is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures in the world. This surgery has been carried out for more than 40 years, so it’s well tested and has high satisfaction rates. Ultimately, liposuction can have a really positive impact on your body confidence.  With a sensible diet and exercise regime after surgery, the outcome of liposuction should be permanent, leaving you confident and happy!