Liposuction Melbourne Clinic

What Should I Know About Liposuction at Dr Lanzer’s Melbourne Clinic?

Dr Lanzer’s Liposuction Melbourne Clinic is a popular choice for patients who require a liposuction treatment. Even though most patients are on or around their target weight, some persistent fats can be quite difficult to remove and may require liposuction contouring to correct. To learn more about liposuction in our Melbourne Clinic and the benefits of the liposuction procedure, please read the information below.

When Is Liposuction a Viable Treatment?

Liposuction in our Melbourne Clinic is executed to remove small areas of persistent fat deposits. In most cases, the patient has been following a healthy diet and has done a considerable amount of exercise with little result. If there is mention of an uneven distribution of fat in the body, liposuction in our Melbourne Clinic could be a suitable treatment.

Which Treatment Areas Can Have Liposuction?

Considering the fact that stubborn fat can appear in many places in the body, liposuction can be executed on many treatment areas with an uneven distribution of fat. Dr Lanzer’s liposuction procedure and fat removal method is usually executed in areas of the body such as the buttocks, hips, inner thighs, outer thighs, and abdomen. There are also other treatment areas that can have liposuction, although the procedure must be adjusted by the cosmetic surgeon for that specific treatment area.

What Is the Treatment Goal of Liposuction at Dr Lanzer’s Liposuction Melbourne Clinic?

Liposuction is intended to alter the shape of the body and give you the chance to maintain a healthy weight. Of course, liposuction is most effective in patients who are on a normal weight; this includes patients who are looking for a change in body shape with body contouring. There are certain surgical procedures that can provide a reduction in weight and start the weight loss journey of the patient, for example the mega liposuction. However, to keep enjoying the benefits from a liposuction procedure, the patient needs to maintain a healthy diet and a good exercise routine.

In addition to areas such as the abdomen and the thighs, liposuction can tackle problem areas such as man boobs too. By removing excess fat from the chest area, men can enjoy a more masculine chest. In some rare cases, the patient may require excision of glandular tissue too. The recovery time for this procedure is also subject to its scope.

What Happens During a Liposuction Procedure?

A liposuction procedure can be executed under local or general anaesthetic. The type of anaesthetic used heavily depends on the liposuction technique used by the surgeon and the amount of fat that needs to be removed.

The first thing the surgeon will do before the liposculpture procedure takes place is mark the treatment area, more specifically the places where the surgeon will remove excess fat. Once the body has been marked, the surgeon can inject a special tumescent solution; this solution is meant to sedate the treatment area, but also reduce blood loss during the procedure and bruising and swelling after the procedure.

Tumescent solution used during liposuction procedures has an additional function, more specifically breaking down the fat that needs to be removed. The surgeon will also use high-frequency vibrations, laser pulses or a high-pressure water jet to break the fat down further and make removal easier. The technique used for the further breakdown of fats depends highly on the techniques and equipment available at the cosmetic surgery facility.

When the fat has been broken down, the surgeon can make an incision and insert the suction tube that has been attached to a vacuum machine. For each area of liposuction, the surgeon usually only needs to make two incision. However, if the treatment area is quite large or if a considerable amount of fat needs to be removed, the surgeon may need to make more than that per area. Please note, most liposuction procedures only need small incisions. However, there are cases when larger incisions are required; this includes a procedure such as the tummy tuck.

Even though the tumescent solution and vibrations break down the fat considerably, the surgeon must make a back and forth movement when removing the fat cells from the treatment area. In some cosmetic surgery facilities, the surgeon will use mechanised equipment that will make the back and forth movement for him.

When the excess fat has been removed from the treatment area, excess fluid will be removed before the treatment is finalised. Even though surgeons aim to remove all fluid present, there can be some fluid left that comes out during the recovery process.

Shortly after the completion of the liposuction procedure, the medical team at the liposuction Melbourne clinic will provide the patient with a compression garment. The nature of this compression garment will depend on the treatment area.

What Should I Consider After My Liposuction Procedure at Dr Lanzer’s Liposuction Melbourne Clinic?

Patients need to consider downtime after a liposuction procedure, because the body will need some time to heal. Shortly after the procedure, patients should not drive home by themselves upon leaving our day surgery. It is advised to have someone pick you up from the liposuction Melbourne clinic and drive you home, because the anaesthetic can still have an influence on the patient for the next 24 hours. This applies for general anaesthetic as well as local anaesthetic.

To ensure a good recovery process, it is advised to take some time off work to recover properly. If you have a physically demanding job, the patient in question will need to take more time off than a patient who does not have a job that demands a lot of physical activity.

Patients who had tumescent liposuction should avoid strenuous exercise until the treatment area has healed properly. Doing strenuous exercise could cause complications and affect the healing process in a negative manner. However, the patient can do some light walking and general movements during their recovery.

We must also mention that it is not a good idea to lay down for long periods during your recovery. Long period of inactivity after surgery increase the chances of blood clots and complications overall, so Dr Lanzer always recommends doing some light walking when possible.

The results of a liposuction procedure are usually not visible until the recovery process has ended. Patients can experience side-effects such as bruising, swelling and numbness after the procedure, so the actual results of liposuction cannot be seen in full until that swelling has gone down.

Some patients choose to store the harvested fat in our fat bank after their liposuction procedure. This harvested fat can later be used during a fat transfer for rejuvenation purposes. The fat transfer can be done on an area of the body that needs rejuvenation, such as the hands or the face. This is something that can be discussed during your initial consultation with Dr Lanzer.

Please note that the result of your liposuction procedure is subject to your diet and exercise routine after the procedure. If you experience significant weight gain after your treatment, results can be influenced negatively.

Can Liposuction Cause Complications?

There is always some degree of risk involved with a cosmetic surgery procedure and fat reduction specifically. Severe complications that could arise from such a procedure are excessive bleeding, blood clots, allergic reactions to anaesthesia and bleeding underneath the skin. To reduce the chance of complications during and after the procedure, the medical team will always have a thorough look at your medical history and the medications you are taking. However, there is no absolute guarantee that complications can be prevented. Therefore, always keep an eye on unusual symptoms after a cosmetic procedure and contact your cosmetic surgeon if you suspect you may be suffering from a complication caused by the liposuction procedure.

The type of complications you can expect from liposuction are also subject to the treatment area or the procedure executed. For example, breast reduction through liposuction or gynaecomastia  surgery can have different complications than an abdominoplasty, body sculpting or Vaser liposuction. It is therefore important to talk to your cosmetic surgeon about your recovery period and the possible complications to look out for.