Frequently Asked Questions

BACK TO TOP

How much bruising or swelling will I have?
Because our micro-liposculpture technique causes less tissue trauma and less inflammation, bruising and swelling are minimized. Liposculpture uses only small punctures and does not use stitches, so patients experience less bruising and swelling than with the traditional liposuction technique used by other surgeons. The amount of bruising depends not only on individual healing tendencies and the amount of fat removed, but also on the areas treated. For example, outer thighs rarely bruise, while inner thighs almost always bruise. Similarly, the amount of swelling a patient might experience is difficult to predict. Some patients experience almost no swelling, while others experience weeks of swelling. A consultation can help you guage how much swelling or bruising you might expect after your procedure..
BACK TO TOP

How long will it be until I see results?
Final results vary from patient to patient and depend on patient age, areas treated, the amount of fat removed, and individual healing speeds. Some patients see immediate results that improve steadily while others have weeks of swelling that keep them at about the same size as they were pre-procedure, even though large amounts of fat have been removed. Young patients tend to heal much quicker and have less discomfort, but final results often take longer because young patients retain fluid longer than older patients. There is no way to accurately predict your healing speed or how quickly you will see final results. Most patients will see 80% of their ultimate liposuction results within one to three months after their procedure. Some areas, like the chin, show almost immediate improvement while other areas, such as the abdomen, take longer for final results. For the first few weeks after surgery there is postoperative swelling in most treated areas and women typically have more swelling than men. Our liposculpture technique uses adits (tiny round holes) that are left open, instead of linear incisions closed with stitches, so patients can expect to recover within a few days and as the painless swelling subsides patients see 80% of the ultimate results within one to three months.
BACK TO TOP

Will liposuction help cellulite (cottage-cheese like dimpling) or sagging skin? Maybe. Our liposculpture technique can improve the appearance of cellulite and can help promote skin tightening, however the degree to which each patient will see improvement is uncertain. Some patients see remarkable changes in their cellulite and others will see no change. Because the amount of cellulite improvement you may (or may not) see cannot be predicted, liposculpture is not considered a treatment for cellulite. If you are over age 60 and have very little skin elasticity or have undergone a massive weight loss, your skin my have permanent wrinkling that looks somewhat like cellulite.
BACK TO TOP

Can liposuction still work if I am older or don't have much skin elasticity?
Yes. Our technique helps promote skin tightening. Many patients with poor skin elasticity have excellent results with liposculpture and are very pleased with the amount of skin retraction. Some areas of the body such as the inner thighs naturally have thinner skin and may show some degree of skin wrinkling even in patients with good skin elasticity. The degree of wrinkling after liposuction is approximately the same as one might expect if the patient had lost the same amount of fat from the area by dieting. Even with poor skin elasticity, the cosmetic benefits of liposuction often outweigh any noticeable increase in skin wrinkling.
BACK TO TOP

How long after liposuction will the soreness or tenderness persist?
Our technique is gentle and because only local anesthesia is used, you should recover quickly. Some patients go back to work or activities the same day. The recovery period after liposuction is similar to a strenuous workout. You will feel very good the day of the procedure, but will likely wake up sore the second day. You should expect to feel sore, but not in pain. Almost all patients are able to manage discomfort with ibuprophen or Tylenol. Recovery is aided by light exercise, like walking, so do not plan to stay in bed. The compression garment helps minimize discomfort and should be worn for the first three to four days. Some patients find that they wear the compression garment during exercise or strenuous activities (when skin is likely to jiggle) for up to four weeks after the procedure.
BACK TO TOP
Why is tumescent liposuction totally by local anesthesia typically less painful than liposuction under general anesthesia?
Pain associated with liposuction can occur at three different stages: during the infiltration of the tumescent solution, during liposuction, and postoperatively. We are very experienced with the infiltration process and he uses very small instruments, which cause little tissue damage and little pain. We are trained in minimally invasive surgeries and his technique for infiltrating the solution of tumescent anesthesia is comfortable and effective. After the tumescent local anesthesia has been thoroughly infiltrated into the fat, the subsequent liposuction should be painless.

The postoperative pain after liposuction is much worse for liposuction under general anesthesia compared to liposuction by local anesthesia. After tumescent liposuction, the local anesthesia persists for many hours after surgery and patients need only take Tylenol for discomfort. In contrast, with general anesthesia, patients typically require narcotic analgesics to control post operative pain.

Finally, general anesthesia, and the use of intravenous sedatives and narcotics are associated with high incidence of nausea, vomiting and postoperative chills. We have never had a problem with patients recovering from local anesthesia and in fact, most patients drive themselves home from the procedure and return immediately back to activities.

How long before I can go back to work?
Patients should be able to return to normal desk-type work within 1 to 3 days and some patients are able to return to work the same day, depending on the areas treated. Although soreness and tenderness will limit the speed with which a patient can move about, patients should be reasonably comfortable while sitting at a desk or working at a computer.
BACK TO TOP