3 Things To Consider Before Getting Liposuction

Health News
Written by Ariana Smith
October 29, 2021

Weight loss is hard, and not everyone has the time or discipline for natural weight loss. You may want to lose weight for your self-esteem or for your health but find that it is challenging to stick to a challenging workout routine and strict meal schedule.

Even after changing your diet and working out, you may feel disappointed by your results. A lot of the way we look and carry fat is based on genetics. If you find yourself at a stump regarding your body, there is still one last option. A great alternative to regular dieting for those that struggle with losing the last twenty pounds is liposuction. It is a common form of plastic surgery that many people use to achieve a slimmer figure.

The procedure is invasive and removes fat cells from the patient’s body. It can have several side effects, which is why you should consider these factors before getting liposuction:

Contents

Cost

Nothing in life is free, and this holds true for liposuction as well. Liposuction cost can vary depending on how many areas you are looking to treat, but like most plastic surgery procedures, it is very expensive. In 2020, the average cost for one area of liposuction was nearly $4,000.

Like every major surgery, liposuction is going to be a pricy procedure. If patients are looking to treat more than one area, the cost will also be exponentially higher. Remember that this is just the fee for the surgery and does not include other fees for the surgeon, lab, and medications. The total for the procedure will likely be much higher with all the fees included. Liposuction is not an inexpensive procedure, and this should be a factor when considering the procedure.

Recovery

Liposuction is an extremely invasive and major surgery that requires a lot of recovery time. The time spent recovering is related to the size and number of areas that were operated on. You can be working within a week, and it may take up to six weeks to resume exercise.

Generally, long-term recovery lasts around three months. If you have major life events that require you to be active, receiving liposuction will put you in a difficult spot. After-care surgery can be demanding and if you believe supportive care is something you will need for your recovery from surgery, consider a recovery care center. They are dedicated to providing patient care, regardless of the nature of the surgery received.

Following your surgery, you will have to wear compression garments to ensure your body is adequately pressurized. Most doctors recommended staying the night for observation. Your incisions will be checked within the first several days.

Patients will also experience moderate to severe swelling following their procedure and will have to have regular massages to move the fluids around their bodies. Compression garments will have to also be worn for the next 4 to 6 weeks to ensure the new body contour is kept.

Side Effects

Liposuction carries risks because it is major surgery. It is possible to not receive the results you were after. Some post-lipo patients report bumps and irregular skin due to unusual healing. It is possible that these changes will last for the rest of their life. In addition, it is a major open surgery which means skin infections are a large possibility. A severe skin infection can be deadly.

Liposuction requires a lot of blood which leads to shifts in fluid levels. This can cause kidney and heart failure in certain individuals. During liposuction, the patient’s fat is removed from their body, and pieces of loose fat can become trapped in the body, which will lead to a fat embolism.

Numbness with most large surgeries is expected. Many patients can feel temporary numbness in the area they had treated, but some patients will have permanent numbness from nerve damage. Severe cases can lead to chronic pain in limbs that will last years or a lifetime.

This condition is not curable but can be managed. Reaching out to a pain management doctor that specializes in the treatment of surgical patients may be your best chance at alleviation. Generally, pain management doctors see patients for chronic diseases, but special cases such as this can also be treated.

Takeaway

Liposuction is a major procedure and should be something that is used as a last resort. Sticking to a healthy diet and keeping a consistent workout schedule may yield favorable results. You can also consider talking to a psychologist about possible body image dysmorphia. If, after careful consideration, you believe that liposuction is the right choice for you, that is great. Liposuction can be a life-changing procedure for many patients, and it can give them the confidence they were looking for their entire life. Your body is always your choice.

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