Liposuction Denver

Liposuction Surgery, Denver Liposuction Surgeon

Perhaps more than any other cosmetic operation, liposuction is truly a form of creating a living sculpture.

Liposuction vs. the Vaser® liposelection technique/Grossman Liposculpture & Maximum Definition/Max-Def™

Very simply, liposuction is a technique where zones of fat concentration are reduced and shaped. In a sterile operating room, hollow metal tubes of varying diameters, called “cannulas” (most of them varying from the size of spaghetti to the size of a pencil), are attached to a suction device and then are moved repetitively in-and-out of areas of fat accumulation. In this manner, cores of fat are removed and with this, the size and shape of the fat collection changes until the desired shape is achieved. Liposuction is not intended to be a weight loss technique; it doesn’t replace dietary restraint and regular exercise.

But obviously when fat is removed there will be some loss of weight. One cubic centimeter (c.c.) of fat weighs approximately 1 gram (gm.); about 453 grams is equal to 1 pound.

However, our goal in liposuction is not the volume of fat removed but the new shape and contour achieved. Weight loss is just a byproduct.

Often just a small amount of fat removal makes a sizable change in the appearance of the area.

Often just a small amount of fat removal makes a sizable change in the appearance of the area. These changes are basically permanent, particularly as long as the patient maintains their post-liposuction weight. While weight gain usually won’t cause the liposuctioned area to expand, it will affect other untreated areas. That is to say, you may find that body areas that previously weren’t “fat” change and become so. To understand this, you need to understand a bit about fat metabolism. We are born with essentially a fixed number of fat cells.

When we gain weight, individual fat cells increase in size and when we lose weight individual cells shrink. We do not make new or destroy old fat cells. In the same way, the pattern in which we gain or lose weight has been pre-determined by our genes. What this means is that when a person gains 5 pounds, for example, a tiny bit of that 5 pounds is not distributed to every fat cell in the body. Instead, in accordance with our individual genetic pattern, certain cells increase in size while others stay unchanged. Most people can, tell you where they gain weight first and the next couple of areas after that. And losing weight is in a similar pattern. Therefore, when liposuction is performed for the problem areas of fat deposit, generally if weight is maintained, that sculpting should be permanent. If however, following liposuction one gains weight, the area that expands may be an unexpected one. You may have your saddlebags reshaped, gain weight and find that your knees or ankles become larger – a very unpleasant turn of events!

In Brief: The basic scientific concepts of fat metabolism that make liposuction successful surgeries are:

We are essentially born with a "fixed" number of fat cells and don't make new fat cells over the course of our lives.
When we gain weight cells increase in size and when we lose weight they shrink.
The pattern in which fat cells expand and shrink is unique in each of us; in simple terms, while some people put on weight in their buttocks, others put it on in the hips or abdomen.
If collections of fat cells that make a particular area of the body unattractive are reduced and reshaped, that new shape is basically permanent.
Removed fat doesn't "grow back". But this doesn't prevent post-liposuction patients from gaining weight. Fatty deposits can begin to expand in other areas of the body. Patients wishing to get and maintain the best results from liposuction continue to sustain a healthy lifestyle including dietary discretion and regular exercise.

Several other factors to keep in mind about metabolism, weight gain and loss, and maintenance of the improvements from liposuction are related to each individual’s resting metabolic rate (RMR) or basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is defined as: the number of calories that you need to simply maintain normal body functions at rest, without exercise. Factors that affect the RMR include: exercise, physique (height, weight, muscle mass), gender (men burn more calories at rest than women), and age (RMR declines with age by about 2% per decade). You can calculate your RMR at http://www.shapeup.org/interactive/rmr1.php Cigarette smoking increases the metabolic rate about 15% and therefore cessation of smoking is usually followed by weight gain.

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Surgical Procedure- When the volume of liposuction is very small and/or the number of areas few, the procedure is usually performed as a day-patient (that is coming in on the day of surgery and returning home that same day). Under some circumstances, however – even with these criteria – we will recommend an overnight stay. For larger volume liposuctions, where many areas are involved, or when other surgical procedures are performed simultaneously, we usually advise staying overnight or even several nights.

liposuction

For patients having surgery in Denver, Dr. Grossman and Dr. Capraro perform surgery either at our facility in the Rose Medical Center Ambulatory Surgery (http://www.rosemed.com/Map.asp) or, where more limited areas are involved, in our office minor procedure setting in the Melvin & Elaine Wolf Office Building & Surgery. Overnight stays are either in the Suites at Rose (luxurious private suites which include accommodations for both the patient and a guest and hotel-quality amenities including a private chef), or at the Monarch Retreat (www.monarchretreat.com) surgical aftercare facility, a luxurious surgical retreat in a residential setting. Where appropriate, arrangements can be made in a number of hotels and motels. For this information, please click on “Out of Town Patients/Where to Stay”.

Anesthesia –There are various anesthetic techniques that are used in liposuction surgery. However, for the majority, which are performed in the hospital ambulatory surgery center, Dr. Grossman and Dr. Capraro use general anesthesia (complete sleep). The anesthesia is administered by a board-certified physician anesthesiologist in order to provide the safest, most controlled form of anesthesia. For more limited areas of liposculpture and MaximumDefinition/Max-DefÔ, including those performed in the office setting, very effective local anesthesia is used.

Surgery Techniques – For patients having general anesthesia, once you are asleep, the first step in the process of liposuction – as our doctors normally performs it – is the injection of fluid into the fat. In this "tumescent" or superwet technique, the fluid contains a combination of dilute local anesthetic drug as well as adrenalin. The adrenalin in the solution reduces the amount of bleeding and the local anesthetic agent provides some anesthesia to the areas. The fluid also separates the compartments of fat and makes their extraction easier. When a more limited liposculpture is being performed under local anesthesia, a more concentrated form of this solution is used.

Then, Dr. Grossman and Dr. Capraro use both "tumescent" liposuction [Suction Assisted Lipoplasty or SAL] and a unique, low power ultrasonic liposuction called VASER® LipoSelection ®.

Dr. Grossman, who has a vast experience in performing liposuction, having begun shortly after its introduction into the United States, has used and tested virtually all of the liposuction techniques and devices while looking for the technology that can help produce the best outcome for his patients. Among the technologies that he has used are: earlier ultrasonic devices (Lysonix ® and Contour Genesis ® from Mentor Corporation), Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL) devices, and liposuction using variously designed multi-hole cannulas.

In fact, Dr. Grossman was instrumental in the introduction of the VASER ® in Denver and the Colorado area, working with its inventor, Dr. William Cimino, on the device’s use for his patients. Dr. Grossman concluded that the VASER ® was in fact the evolution necessary to make ultrasonic-assisted liposuction safe and effective. Dr. Grossman and Dr. Capraro have used the VASER ® ever since.

In the VASER ® technique, special slender solid metal probes are attached to ultrasonic wave generator that emits sonic energy which ruptures the connective tissue attachments of fat cells emulsifying the fat allowing it to be more easily suctioned away. We believe that this method results in less trauma, bleeding, and bruising and post-operative pain and creates a degree of skin shrinkage. It also allows Dr. Grossman and Dr. Capraro to sculpt with a lot more finesse than with any other liposuction method.

As mentioned, Dr. Grossman has been performing liposuction since it was first introduced in the United States in the early 1980’s. As mentioned, Dr. Grossman has been performing liposuction since it was first introduced in the United States in the early 1980’s. Since then, he has refined and modified his techniques to the point that Grossman Liposculpture is a method of defined shaping that can be executed from “mild sculpting” to a level of “maximum definition” which we call VASER ® “Max-Def/Maximum-Definition ®”

While the degree of definition that we find in men and women bodybuilders may be too extreme for some, a milder form of these physiques suit lots of people who work-out regularly but are unable to obtain definition without a little help.

In our routine technique, a number of tiny incisions (so small that when they heal, they are barely perceptible) are made, through which hollow metal tubes (cannulas) attached to suction can be inserted. But first, skin protectors are inserted, the area in question is treated with the VASER®, and then the liposuction cannulas are inserted for removal of the liquefied fat. These cannulas vary in size with the largest being about the diameter of a pencil and the smaller ones the diameter of spaghetti. As the cannula is moved in-and-out of the fat, it removes cores of fat and previously VASER®-liquified fat until the desired shape has been attained. While many companies manufacture extensive lines of liposuction cannulas, the same company that developed the VASER® also designed a superior line of cannulas called the VentX® cannulae which we use.

Where the fatty area is very tough and fibrous – such as in the back, flanks, breasts, and hips (especially in men) – or where there are very large volumes to be removed, the VASER® ultrasonic-assisted liposuction (UAL) may be used even more intensively. The VASER® system, like any surgical technology, has its own set of risks. We believe that this method results in less bleeding and bruising, creates some degree of skin shrinkage, reduces post-operative discomfort associated with traditional liposuction, and may accelerate healing. Following the surgery, the tiny incisions are closed with dissolving stitches, sealed with a drop of medical grade superglue, and covered with a water-proof dressing. Then your placed in a compressive garment (http://www.designveronique.com), really a type of girdle, appropriate to the areas that have been liposuctioned. Drains, or drainage tubes, though favored by some surgeons, are not routinely used by Dr. Grossman and Dr. Capraro.

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After Surgery-Following surgery and after discharge from the recovery area, you will either be sent home or else spend the night in our Suites and be released the next day. There are numerous reasons for staying overnight including: personal preference, number of areas and amount of fat removed, other surgeries performed simultaneously, and so on.

Everyone has some degree of pain after any surgery. Most patients describe the discomfort after liposuction as being stiffness and soreness. The amount and the way you deal with it are very individual. In any case, you will receive medication to control the pain.

Drs. Grossman and Capraro encourage their patients to be physically active as soon after surgery as is practical. This is particularly true of liposuction. You will be wearing various elastic garments and girdles for 3-6 weeks. These both control the amount of post-operative swelling and help to shape the new contours. You will be able to change these daily (or more often, if necessary).

Most people recover sufficiently to return to work in about 1 week or less. You will be encouraged to get back to normal physical activities and exercise immediately. Your new shape should be a motivator to resume or begin a regimen of exercise, shaping, and toning.

Suture removal is generally not required.The sutures are usually all buried, absorbable ones and the incisions are covered with a waterproof dressing so that you can shower immediately.

No baths please until full healing has occurred and bruising and swelling have resolved. The small scars will take months to soften and decolorize from red-to-pink-to-white. However, the results of the liposuction will be evident immediately and will improve over several weeks. Still, where the fat has been removed, the tissues will be firm and even somewhat swollen for weeks to months. Our staff will instruct you in the appropriate method of massaging these areas to speed the softening.

Initially, there will be enough swelling and fluid retention that you might temporarily weigh more than where you started. It’s important to keep track of your weight over the first few weeks after surgery both to gauge that the fluid dissipates and to be sure that you don’t allow yourself to gain weight while recovering by being too sedentary.

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Liposuction Abuse - Liposuction is a very valuable surgical technique. However, since it appears on the surface to be the fulfillment of wishes for a slender, fat-free body, it is open to abuses

Some of these abuses have resulted in spectacular complications and have generated lurid exposés in the media. This adverse publicity, unfortunately, places blame on the operation as opposed to the person performing it. This is regrettable, since liposuction is such a valuable cosmetic tool.

Anyone considering liposuction surgery needs to give serious thought to his or her motives and expectations. What do you really hope to gain through liposuction surgery? Can it actually be accomplished by a combination of moderate weight loss and toning through exercise? Should you invest in a meeting with a nutritionist and a trainer instead of a plastic surgeon? Are your expectations for what surgery can do realistic? If your answers to these questions still lead you to want liposuction, you should prepare for your consultation carefully, armed with further questions.

Currently, and for a number of years, liposuction, one of the most commonly performed aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery procedures, has produced almost instant gratification and fulfillment of dreamlike wishes. Although intended as a method of sculpting and shaping areas of the body, its use as a weight loss alternative has opened it to potential abuse.

These abuses may take the form of massive liposuctions in unsuitable candidates:

Expectations that aren’t realistic
Doctors who aren’t board-certified plastic surgeons performing cosmetic surgery
Using the procedure for "quick-fix" weight loss

Among those questions are:

Are you a board-certified plastic surgeon?
You shouldn’t accept anything less!
(you can confirm this at https://www.abplsurg.org)
Are you a member of the recognized plastic surgery organizations?
(confirm this at www.plasticsurgery.org )
Membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and/or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is an important indication of the training and practice of the physician.

Do you have privileges to perform this liposuction surgery in a hospital? What hospital? (You should confirm this if you have any question about the doctor’s credentials.)
Hospital credentials committees check the qualifications of a doctor to perform various procedures before privileges to do so are granted. Not having such privileges would indicate lack of qualification.
How often do you perform this surgery and approximately how many have you done?
You want your surgeon to perform this surgery frequently and have done it many times.
May I speak with one or more of your liposuction patients?
Your doctor should be willing to assist you in speaking with one or more satisfied patients. Such patients should not exclusively be the doctor’s employees. You want to speak with someone who can relate their own personal experience.
Where is it performed? Hospital? Licensed, certified ambulatory surgery facility? Doctor’s office?
You should accept nothing less than a licensed or accredited ambulatory surgery facility. See the following websites to understand the accreditation or licensing criteria. http://www.aaaasf.org/consumers.php and
http://www.castleconnolly.com/choiceguides/index.cfm?choice=16
What type of anesthesia is used and who administers it?
Dr. Grossman and Dr. Capraro prefer general anesthesia –complete sleep. Other plastic surgeons may use a combination of local anesthesia and sedation. In any case, it should be administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist or a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist under the supervision of an anesthesiologist.
What liposuction technique is used?
Drs. Grossman and Capraro use “tumescent” and “super-wet” techniques (as well as general anesthesia) where anesthetic and bleeding-limiting fluid is injected into the fat prior to liposuction. This technique reduces the blood loss and makes the surgery easier for the surgeon. In addition,they use a form of low-power ultrasonic liposuction (VASER® LipoSelection) and standard liposuction.

Risks & Complications
All surgeries are associated with some risks. These relate to the potential for complications and untoward events during or after a surgical procedure. Our doctors will discuss these with you at your consultation. We can think of these in two groups:

General Risks- Risks that are common to all operations.

Specific Risks- Those that are unique to a particular surgery.

General Risks Include:

Bleeding
Infection
Scarring
Swelling
Bruising
Anesthetic risks

Specific Risks Include:

Unfavorable scarring
Skin loss/slough
Asymmetry
Alterations in skin sensitivity
Lumpiness
Waviness
Irregularities
Loose skin
Areas of hard scar tissue
Discoloration (permanent or temporary)
Injury to deeper structures (very rare)

Facial Liposuction - Isolated fatty deposits in the cheeks, jaw line and neck are sometimes an inherited trait and often do not respond to diet and exercise.

Liposuction can effectively remove excess fat from a number of areas of the face resulting in a more refined and permanent facial contour. Under the chin and along the jawline, as an independent procedure especially in someone young, liposuction can eliminate the “double chin”. But liposuction is also very effective as an integral part of a complete facelift in shaping the neck and jaw.

When used to shape jowls and other facial contours, we refer to facial liposuction as “microsuction or microliposuction” since it is done using very fine cannulas and removing very small volumes. The tiny cannulas Dr. John Grossman and Dr. Philippe Capraro use allow them to make small incisions that heal quickly and are almost imperceptible after healing.

At Grossman Plastic Surgery ®, in facial liposuction, we not only employ very small cannulas, but also rely on the skin-shrinking capabilities of VASER® LipoSelection® which uses low power ultrasound to both liquefy the fat for easy removal and stimulate the dermis layer of the skin to produce new collagen fibers to create shrinkage. Patients are frequently able to return to work in a couple of days after a facial liposuction procedure.

In the face as well as the body, additional aesthetic surgical procedures may be combined with microsuction/microliposuction when the skin has lost its elasticity due to the natural process of aging and excess skin remains.

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Liposuction FAQs

Will I have bandages?
There will be little adhesive clear plastic dressings over each incision. And the general areas of liposuction will be covered with a girdle or compressive garment. Other than these, there will probably not be any dressings.

When can I bathe and shower?
You can shower immediately. When you do shower, you will need to keep in mind the following:
• No hot water on the liposuctioned areas- they will burn very easily!
• No rubbing the liposuctioned areas
• Blot or pat the areas dry
• Reapply your girdle or garment as soon as you are dry after completing your shower

Does someone have to be with me at home after surgery?
Unless you have had only a small area liposuctioned under a local anesthetic, you should plan to have someone with you for the remainder of the day and night of surgery.

Could I get the same results if I just dieted and exercised?
If it's becoming thinner and more toned that you're after, yes, diet and exercise is the answer, not liposuction. On the other hand, if there are shapes, bulges, and contours that don't seem to change much regardless of your weight or level of fitness, liposuction is the solution. We cannot diet in order to "spot weight reduce"; we can't change the unattractive shapes that we have inherited, like full "saddlebags" or love handles and so forth by diet and exercise. Only liposuction can sculpt away these unpleasant shapes that dieting won't remove.

Can I drive myself home after surgery?
No. Even if you have had a very limited liposuction under local anesthesia, the surgical experience may make you weak, shaky, or distracted enough that it is dangerous to drive. You should have someone bring you to surgery and take you back home. If you have had a general anesthetic, driving is out of the question.

Will Endermologie help?
Don’t waste your time or money. Endermologie has not been demonstrated to produce any long-term change or improvement, in spite of what the advertisements say.

Will the fat come back?
You are born essentially with a fixed number of fat cells that increase or decrease in size based upon weight gain or loss. When cells are removed, they do not grow back. However, that does not mean that you can’t gain weight! You can and will, if you overindulge. But the excess fat will be deposited predominantly in areas other than those that have been liposuctioned. That means other areas will get fat. And you may not be pleased with which areas they are! Think fat ankles, knees, or arms!

How long does it take to heal?
We encourage all of our patients to be physically active as soon after surgery as is practical. This is particularly true of liposuction. You will be wearing various elastic garments and girdles for between 3-6 weeks. These both control the amount of post-operative swelling and help to shape the new contours. You will be able to change these daily (or more often if necessary). The timing of normal showering and bathing will depend on a number of factors, but for most patients, showering starting the day after surgery (or even the night of surgery) is fine. There usually are no stitches that require removal.

Most people recover sufficiently to return to work in about 1 week. And you will be encouraged to quickly resume full, normal physical activities and exercise. The new shape should be a motivator the resume or begin a regimen of exercise, shaping, and toning.

The small scars will take months to soften and decolorize from re-to-pink-to-white. The results will be evident within several weeks. Still, where the fat has been removed, the tissues will be firm and even somewhat swollen for weeks to months. Massaging these areas will help to soften them more rapidly. You can combine professional massage (as long as it is gentle) and lymphatic drainage techniques in these areas with your own self-massage. Our staff will instruct you in the appropriate method of massaging these areas to speed the softening.

Should I apply heat or ice to the areas?
Absolutely not! Both cold and heat can severely injure the skin in the liposuctioned areas. The skin will not tolerate these.

How long will the results last?
The results are permanent. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t gain weight! It just means that the fat cells that were removed will not grow back. If you gain weight, very little of it will be deposited in remaining cells in the liposuctioned areas. It will tend to find its way to other areas which will them enlarge in size and become unattractive.

Is this surgery covered by my insurance?
Generally no. This is a cosmetic operation and is not covered by health insurance. Very infrequently, when there is a functional problem such as a large fatty tumor, a lipoma for example, or when a breast reduction is being performed using lipoma, some insurances may cover this procedure.

When can I start jogging and lifting weights?
As soon as you are comfortable. Everyone’s pain tolerance is different. But you will probably find that within a few days, you are able to resume brisk walking and within a week or so, jogging. Weight lifting probably almost immediately.

Will liposuction lift my butt?
No. In fact, liposuctioning the buttocks under most circumstances has the opposite effect and makes the buttocks flap and sagging.

Will my skin be looser after surgery?
It depends on a number of factors including: your skin tone, elasticity, and the amount of fat removed. If the elasticity is fair- to- poor, you may have some degree of looser skin after liposuction. It’s not always possible to be sure about the amount of laxity that will be present after surgery. To a extent, the surgery will cause the skin to shrink a bit, even where skin tone is only fair. In making your decision to have liposuction surgery, this may be one of the considerations. We will try to inform you to the best of our ability how much skin laxity, if any, to expect.

Should I lose weight before the surgery?
I don’t recommend losing weight specifically for the liposuction surgery. If you were to go on a major short-term diet and lose weight, it might give an unrealistic picture of the locations and amounts of surgical sculpting that are needed. Then, after surgery, you might gain back the weight and create new problems. It is preferable to save the weight loss and toning exercise for after the surgery.

How many scars will I have?
We won’t know for sure in advance. The number of scars will be determined at surgery by the number of access incisions necessary to get to the fat that needs to be sculpted. In any case, they will likely heal well with minimal visibility. Generally, these incisions (and therefore the scars) are about ¼- ½ inch in length.

When will the results be complete?
It will probably take up to 6 months for all of the normal scar tissue to soften and for all swelling to be completely gone, though much is gone in 3 months. A lot depends on location. Calves and ankles can be slow to soften. And the abdomen can feel lumpy for many months. Nevertheless, your new shape will be clearly present and enjoyable in about one month with continued improvement over succeeding months.

When can I resume my vitamins and supplements?
By 2 weeks after surgery you can resume these med’s and supplements. But you should still speak with the staff to be sure.

When can I begin having sex again?
As with exercise, in the case of liposuction, we encourage resuming sex when you are comfortable and as long as no pressure or trauma is applied to the areas that have been liposuctioned. So this can be a matter of days or in some cases, several weeks. You will find, however, that especially if the abdomen has been liposuctioned, the genital area may be very swollen and bruised for a while. Don’t be concerned. It will eventually disappear and look normal again.

Do I have to sleep in a special position?
No.

Do I have to stop smoking or should I use the nicotine patches or gum instead?
The nicotine in cigarettes as well as the nicotine replacement medications have a very bad effect on the skin following surgery and can result in poor healing and even areas of skin loss. Therefore, no smoking, nicotine replacements, or supplements following surgery for at least 1 week. Drugs that suppress the desire to smoke, such as Zyban® (www.quitsmoking.com) and Chantix® (www.chantix.com) can be used. Our staff will prescribe this for you if you wish.

Should I be on a special diet before surgery?
No. We suggest that you be on a well-balanced diet. Avoid radical or weight-reducing diets prior to surgery. You may take vitamin and mineral supplements, but avoid health-food supplements the ingredients of which are uncommon and may have drug effects.

Are there special medicines that I should take before surgery?
Our staff will provide you with preoperative instructions that include any medicines or supplements that we wish you to take. You should, of course, inform us of any medications that you are taking regularly or which your own doctor has prescribed. If those will not interfere with surgery or anesthesia, we will allow you to continue to take them.

Will I need any special tests before surgery?
Yes. You will be asked to have a complete pre-operative medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests before surgery. Especially as this is elective surgery, we need to be sure that you are in good health. These can be performed either by your own physician or our staff will recommend a physician or a Physician Assistant to complete these for you.

How soon can I lie in the sun or use a tanning bed?
You need to protect the areas that have been liposuctioned from the sun until all bruising has completely disappeared. Otherwise, you will find that the skin will take-on a pigmentation that looks as if the skin is "dirty". This is from iron pigment being deposited and fixed in the skin by the sun-tanning effect. In addition, early on in the healing course, when the skin doesn’t have normal feeling (is a little numb), you could get a sever burn from sun exposure without being aware of it. Otherwise, (disregarding the skin cancer risks) as long as you protect the liposuctioned skin zones, you can be in the sun or tan other areas to your heart’s content.

Will both sides of my body be completely even?
No. The body is not symmetrical to begin with. You are probably aware that your shoes don’t fit exactly the same on both feet, and gloves don’t fit exactly same as well. A woman will find that her breasts are not exactly the same either. This is normal human asymmetry. Liposuction will not be able to create perfect symmetry; you shouldn’t expect it.

What about touch-ups?
It’s not uncommon to need to perform a little adjustment to the final result. This probably wouldn’t be for many months or even a year after the original surgery. It should be a minor bit of "tailoring" but would not include any additional fat that you gained (obviously this should be avoided) in the interim.

Can you put the fat that you take out somewhere else?
Some small amounts of fat can be transplanted to areas such as the face or certain other small spots of divots and indentations. Such fat transplants, if done in a way that places small quantities layered in various places will have a good chance of "taking" and remaining for a prolonged period of time, though not permanently. Large volumes can also be transplanted to specific areas such as the buttocks (Brazilian butt lift) The ability of the fat to “take” and develop blood supply from the surrounding areas is somewhat problematic and requires strict patient cooperation. While transplanting fat to the breasts has become relatively popular among a minority of plastic surgeons, it still is controversial because it may mask or imitate breast cancer on mammograms.

Is there anything to be done if my skin is loose after the liposuction?
Yes. Depending on the area of loose skin, it may be possible to remove excess skin and tighten the location. This is true of the abdomen, upper-inner thighs, and back of thighs, and buttocks (lower bodylift and abdominoplasty) in particular.

Can I continue my vitamins and supplements up until surgery?
It depends on just what those are. Please give the staff a complete list of these well in advance of the surgery date (at least 2 weeks) so that ones that interfere with surgery or anesthesia can be discontinued in time. Vitamin E and supplements that are intended to assist in weight loss or contain stimulants must be discontinued by at least 2 weeks prior to surgery.

How much weight will I lose?
Remember, this is not a weight loss surgery. We have no idea as to how much weight will be lost. And this is not as important as contour changes. A small weight loss can produce a major contour change.

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