Liposuction Expectations

Liposuction, sometimes referred to as just "lipo," is strictly a contour procedure. This means that it is not meant to be used for weight loss purposes, although the outcome can result in the shedding of about ten pounds. A good candidate is a person who is dedicated to physical health who sticks to a healthy diet and exercise regime but because of plain genetics cannot seem to shed certain fat deposits. Thighs, tummies, chins, and arms are common places on the body that surgeons most often consult with patients about.

Those who fit the physical description of ideal candidates for a liposuction need to take some further steps to safely ensure candidacy. It is imperative that someone seeking this or any other aesthetic operation know his or her own medical history. Heart conditions, blood conditions, and several other medical issues can interfere with a person’s ability to heal, and because a plastic surgeon is not likely a candidate’s primary physician, as thorough as he or she may try to be, communication with a candidate’s prior doctors in an attempt to learn a solid history of the health may fall short. It is very important that the potential patient be open, honest, and forward about medical histories and conditions; a plastic surgeon cannot be responsible for complications and or difficulties attributed to health conditions that were not disclosed prior to the patient undergoing the surgery.

One of the most important things a prospective candidate for liposuction can do is to consult with a physician in order to be deemed as having realistic expectations. As previously mentioned, this is not a weight loss surgery, and if the patient has more than ten or so pounds to lose, this is probably not the procedure to seek. 

A patient must also consult with a doctor concerning skin elasticity. It is not detrimental to the procedure if a patient has poor skin elasticity, but he or she needs to have a realistic expectation of how his or her skin will react to the surgery. Since a liposuction is wholly aesthetic it is probable that a candidate will be concerned that saggy skin that will negate the positive effects of the procedure. It should also be noted that the operation focused in one place will not take ten pounds off of a person. If a patient is having liposuction performed in various places (i.e. chin, thighs, and buttocks) during one or over the course of several procedures, all the weight loss together can be expected to be up to ten pounds. One area alone will not result in a drastic weight loss at all, and this should not be looked at or relied upon in any way as a weight loss attempt.