Liposuction

Why opt for liposuction

Liposuction is a procedure that is performed under local anesthesia and does not require hospitalization. It can be applied to any area you wish, such as the abdomen, the “love handles”, the knees, the calves, the arms, etc. It is also worth noting that the fat that is removed can be transferred to the chest or buttocks.

Liposuction in short

Liposuction involves the removal of excess fat from the area or areas of interest. Then in these areas passive thinning of the skin is achieved, in order to improve the contour of the body. Liposuction involves the opening of at least two incisions in the skin, about 3 millimeters in size, from which drainage of the unwanted fat is achieved with the help of a liposuction device. The incisions when healed are indistinguishable and are hidden in “key” points. The fat is removed using the PAL – Power-Assisted Liposuction method from any area of the body you want and can be re-injected into the breasts or the buttocks. The PAL method achieves the reception of multiple amounts of fat while increasing its survival rates and achieving smoothness in the breasts or buttocks respectively without the risk of inhomogeneity on the skin surface. It should be noted, however, that in some cases, especially in older ages, the skin does not have the required elasticity and therefore cannot be fully restored, resulting in the liposuction area not appearing completely flat. In this case the J-Plasma device can be used as a supplementary treatment; you can read more here.

Incisions

The incisions are about 3 mm in size and we make sure that they are hidden in parts of the body from where they will be indistinguishable (for instance along the underwear line).

Medication

In our clinic, a complete medical history is always taken before each surgery. As a precaution, over-the-counter medicines or herbal products should not be taken before and for 3 days after surgery. It is also considered necessary to avoid taking non-steroid, anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin (salospir), ibuprofen (Nurofen), diclofenac, and any other anticoagulant or antiplatelet drug.

Smoking

If you are a smoker you should try to stop smoking for at least 1 week before and 1 week after the surgery as this will dramatically reduce the incidence of postoperative complications and help achieve the best possible result.

Recovery from liposuction

Duration of the procedure

The duration of the surgery depends on the number of areas you will choose for liposuction and usually ranges from 45 minutes to 2 hours. It can be performed under a combination of local anesthesia and anesthetic gas or only under local anesthesia.

Duration of hospitalization

No hospitalization is required. You can leave the hospital immediately after the procedure.

Wound dressing and suture removal

The incisions are sutured with very small and thin sutures and are then dressed using waterproof gauze. Immediately after the operation, a corset-type garment (compression garment) is applied based on the area, which the patient should ideally wear for two weeks.

Absence from work

You can ideally return to work after two days as long as your work does not involve weight lifting. Although recovery time varies from patient to patient, patients should be given a recovery period of at least one to two weeks. Most patients feel quite well and comfortable after a few days, and the only reason to abstain from work is probably the swelling and bruising that occurs postoperatively. These naturally subside completely by the second week.

Refraining from exercising

Patients are usually able to go brisk walking within three to five days and swimming in 3 weeks (if they have fully recovered). However, strenuous exercise should be avoided for at least four weeks.

Post-op instructions and recovery

On day one you should ideally avoid any activity. You should not take care of small children or do household chores without help.

From day 2 to day 5 although you will be able to get up and move, you will experience some discomfort. By the end of this period, you will feel minimal pain. On day 7 stitches will be removed. From that point on, you will start to feel much better and after ten days, you will be able to start a mild exercise gradually picking up the pace. You should only resume your activities if you feel healthy.

From the third week onwards you will be able to fully return to your normal pace of life and do whatever you want.

Driving

Patients who have undergone liposuction should ideally avoid driving until they are completely free of any discomfort or restriction, in order to be able to make a sudden movement, such as braking, freely and without any pain. This parameter is proposed so that patients can secure coverage from their insurance company in case of an accident. Thus, it may take up to two weeks for them to fully recover. There are of course patients who feel able to drive after 4-5 days, but always at their own risk.

Final outcome

The results of the operation are immediate, however, the result will continuously improve for up to six months, as the swelling subsides and the excess skin shrinks.

Postoperative follow-up

The incisions and the result will be checked and dressings will be changed on the second day post-surgery, while the sutures will be removed on the seventh day post-surgery. However, if you need any clarification or there is something that worries you, doctors are always at your disposal. Your next appointments will be after one, three, and six months respectively and during said appointments, postoperative photos will be taken. For these visits, there will of course be no extra charge for any follow-up related to your surgery.

Possible complications of liposuction

Liposuction is a routine operation and is completely successful for the vast majority of our patients, which is a result of the large number of cases that doctors have in their belt. However, as with any surgery, it is very important to understand that there is a possibility of complications. Possible complications are listed below:

Relapse

It is not really a relapse, but it should be clear that if you do not follow a balanced diet the fat in the area can be overfed and come back. However, this is very rare, as during liposuction the local fat cells are destroyed.

Minor asymmetry

Even though the same method is applied on both sides, a minor asymmetry in the two sides may occur.

Scars

The quality of scars differs between patients (see here incisions).

Skin anomaly

A mild degree of skin anomaly may be observed in small areas.

Alteration of the sensation of the area

You may experience some paraesthesia or tenderness in the area but these usually subside during the first week.

Bruising – Bleeding

They usually appear in a mild degree and subside within ten days.

If you experience any symptoms that may worry you, please do not hesitate to contact us.