Tumescent Liposuction
What Is Liposuction?
The concept of liposuction is surprisingly simple. Liposuction surgically improves the body's contour by removing excess fat located between the skin and muscle.
What is Micro-Cannula Liposuction?
Liposuction involves the use of small stainless steel tubes, called cannulas. The cannula is connected to a suction pump and inserted through very small incisions. These incisions are so small they do not require any stitches. The removal of fat is accomplished as the suction cannula creates tiny tunnels through the fatty layers. After surgery, these tiny tunnels collapse creating an improved body silhouette.
Areas Treated
The treated areas are the abdomen, arms, love handles, hips, thighs, knees, calves, chin reduction.
Permanence of Results
Fat that is removed by liposuction NEVER comes back. As long as the individual does not gain excessive amounts of weight, the new silhouette is permanent. When a patient who has undergone liposuction gains weight, the areas originally treated by liposuction maintain their new desirable silhouette, whereas areas not treated by liposuction show new deposits of fat.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
The best candidates are those who are in good health and have realistic expectations of liposuction. There is no specific age limit, nor weight limit for patients who are good candidates. Most patients have localized accumulations of fat, therefore, it is important to emphasize that liposuction is not a treatment for generalized obesity. Liposuction is not effective for people who are unable to maintain a reasonable weight by dieting. However, an overweight person whose weight has remained stable for many years and has specific problem areas may be an excellent candidate.
Liposuction Totally by Local Anesthesia
The word tumescent means swollen and firm. The tumescent technique uses large volumes of a dilute solution of lidocaine, a local anesthetic, in combination with epinephrine, which temporarily shrinks capillaries, the tiniest of blood vessels. The local anesthetic used for liposuction is so effective that patients no longer need intravenous (IV) sedation, narcotic analgesics, or general anesthesia.
© 2004 AAO-HNS/AAO-HNSF