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One of the most common of all cosmetic procedures, liposuction is a technique for recontouring the body by permanently removing fat deposits from the abdomen. The tendency to accumulate fat may be inherited, and this fat is often especially resistant to diet and exercise.
Many patients become discouraged at having lost unwanted pounds without seeing a flatter abdomen. The overall proportions of the body may be unbalanced, or the abdomen may simply have retained areas of fatty tissue that cause it to protrude. In these cases, liposuction can successfully trim excess fat in the abdomen for a flatter abdomen and more slender, balanced shape.
This cosmetic surgical procedure is typically performed under (tumescent) local anesthesia. Using the recently developed procedure tumescent liposuction, local anesthesia provides both a numbing effect and a means to help remove fat. Time in surgery varies depending on the size of the area being treated, and can range from 30 minutes to 4 hours.
Fat deposits adhere to the underside of the skin and can be removed if they can be dislodged. A local anesthetic is applied to the area where the fat deposits are to be removed. An incision is made and a cannula (a long hollow needle) is inserted under the skin and scraped along the underside skin surface, loosening the fat deposits. The cannula is hollow with holes at the end to allow suction. The fat deposits are then sucked into the vacuum through a tube connected to the cannula.
Body liposuction is most frequently performed on the tummy, thighs, waist, back and knees. Facial and neck liposuction can produce very dramatic effects in the aging face or in younger patients with fat deposits. The most effective areas for facial liposuction are the areas under the chin and the jowls, which are the droopy areas that form on the sides of the jaws as we age.
Liposuction is not a substitute for weight loss. Suctioning fat deposits on an over-weight person will create a deformity because the removal of fat will result in baggy skin. Although excess fat removal is a positive change, taking away too much fat can leave unpleasant cosmetic deformities. Fat is not always the enemy and leaving the proper amount of fat under the skin is extremely important.
Aside from the visual effects of removing excess, unwanted fat via liposuction, most liposuction patients find that their clothes tend to fit better. Moreover, a trim, firm abdomen may provide a psychological lift to liposuction patients. In fact, some liposuction patients find that shedding extra fat results in making physical exercise more pleasurable, thus providing an incentive to exercise regularly to enhancing one's fitness level.
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