Liposuction, Lymphatic Drainage and Areas of the Body

When patients seek liposuction, the vast array of techniques available and varying prices charged tend to cause great confusion. That confusion in cost and techniques will often lead a patient to make decisions that affect the results they receive from liposuction.

That’s why it is so important to compare and understand what you are receiving for the cost for invariably, your goal is being happy with the results.

Atlanta Liposuction is one of the few cosmetic surgical facilities in Atlanta that offer the extremely important lymphatic drainage post operative care.

Lymphatic drainage is a massage type technique that detoxifies and helps rid the body of excess fluid retained after surgery. This process begins a week and a half to two weeks after liposuction and optimally occurs over a minimum of 10 visits.

While this is an extra cost, the results a patient will receive of smoother, firmer and tighter skin justifies the cost for the patient. If you’re going to undergo liposuction hopefully just one time, then it makes economic sense to maximize the benefits you’ll receive.

Areas of the Body – How Many for Liposuction?

Perhaps this is the most misunderstood aspect that will affect a patient’s results.

We have patients state they only need 1 or 2 areas of liposuction OR, that’s all they can afford. If a patient’s body type is such that 3 areas need liposuction, the patient will not receive the results they desired by limiting to 2 areas.

As a surgeon, my desire is producing the results you want. To shape and artfully contour the body, it may require liposuction of the abdomen, love handles, sides and back. If one area was excluded, the results will leave you very unhappy.

I see patients on a regular basis who have undergone liposuction at other facilities. Often they are prompted to request a consultation after viewing before and after photos on Atlanta Liposuctions website.

They are dissatisfied with their results and invariably we’ll find they limited their previous procedure to 1 or 2 areas for liposuction. The correction of this problem is quite simple. We contour the areas omitted in the previous liposuction resulting in the silhouette they attempted to achieve.

As a general rule, we request that patients experiencing economic constraints take the time to save money for all areas needed – not just 1 or 2 they can afford right now. The reason is simple – extreme satisfaction with their results in one liposuction procedure.

Liposuction is not just about removing large amounts of fat; it is also the artful sculpting of your body that produces results. Patients weighing as little as 110 pounds see astounding results in contouring and curving.

Size of the Patient

The size of the patient determines which technique can be used. Most of the newer techniques such as Smart Lipo or similar laser devices and Vaser which is an ultrasound device, only allow for the safe removal of smaller volumes of fat – 1 to 2 liters. These devices are heat sourced and burns can occur when used aggressively.

The more traditional and gentler syringe suction technique that I use allows for larger volumes of fat to be removed safely – 3 to 5 liters without risk of burning. This translates to a smaller “you” sooner and in one session. For larger women, this brings a more curvaceous figure.

Smaller patients of 140 lbs or less are candidates for Smart Lipo or Vaser but the risk still remains of burning. If you are above 150 lbs., it becomes much more of a challenge to remove significant volumes of fat in one session due to the heat buildup.

Liposuction surgery can be, in most cases a, one-time event especially in patients who are less than 200 lbs. Having said that, I caution patients that it depends upon what your ultimate expectations are in terms of loss of dress sizes and inches.

Dropping in dress size from 22 to 8 will more than likely be accomplished in two full torso liposuction surgeries spaced 6 to 8 months apart intertwined with a great exercise, diet and nutritional plan. Going from a size 22 to 16 is more than feasible using my technique in one session.

Ultimately, it is important that postoperative care such as with lymphatic drainage is added to achieve the best enhanced results from liposuction surgery. Yes, there is an additional cost but again, when possible, you want a one-time event of liposuction. Limiting areas of liposuction because of a cost factor is certain to produce dissatisfaction.

Plan your surgery carefully and be informed of the choices available to you. Rushing into 1 or 2 area surgery when more is necessary means you’ll undergo another procedure unnecessarily.

Michael Carter, MD
http://Atlanta-Liposuction.com