Power liposuction enables the surgeon to concentrate on the technique of liposuction, minimizing the amount of effort and difficulty of the procedure. As in any other type of procedure, the most important factor is the practitioner, and his/her experience in this modality. Other liposuctions can give good results, and the final determinant of success in the procedure is the experience of the surgeon and quality of the result.

2. What are some of the risks involved in power liposuction surgery?

As in all liposuctions, uneven contour certainly can occur, although it is infrequent. The surgeon must concentrate on the amount of fat to be removed, and the proper administration of local tumescent anesthesia and intravenous sedation. Other risks include pulmonary embolus, infection, and bleeding. These are relatively rare but certainly must be considered.

3. What are the common complications associated with liposuction surgery and how can I avoid them?

Common complications associated with liposuction include contour abnormalities, which occur in less than ten percent of patients; requiring revision and touch-ups. Other complications include infection (less than one percent) , and bleeding.

4. How long does the liposuction surgery take?

The length of liposuction surgery depends on the amount of fat to be removed, the amount sites to be performed. In general, surgery takes approximately 90 minutes, and may take as long as two and one half hours.

5. Where does the liposuction surgery take place/ will it require an overnight stay in a hospital?

Most of our liposuction surgeries are performed in our fully accredited operating room facility. The patient will also have the choice of choosing a hospital facility where we work. An overnight stay is not required, but rarely, the patient may elect this possibility.

6. Is there anything I should do prior to or after liposuction surgery?

As in all surgeries, patients should carefully monitor their diet prior to surgery. It is best to avoid any compounds containing aspirin, and any over the counter remedies and herbal preparations that may increase bleeding possibilities. During your consultation, we will give you a list of all medications that you should avoid two weeks prior to surgery.

7. How long is the healing process after liposuction procedure?

The convalescence after liposuction usually is approximately three to five days, and can be as long as nine days. Most patients return to work in three to five days. During the first week following surgery you will notice an increase in size, after which, the water is reabsorbed and you will lose the initial postoperative swelling. Final results will appear anywhere from two to three months after surgery. You should see a definitive change, if weight is maintained, approximately three weeks after surgery.

8. How much does the liposuction procedure generally cost?

Liposuction procedure fees are based on the amounts of sites removed and the relative size of the patient. The surgeon's fees start at approximately forty-five hundred dollars; additional fees include anesthesia and the cost of the operating facility.

9. Will the fat come back to the area that was liposuctioned? If not, will fat develop in other areas of my body?

Once fat is removed, it cannot return. However, if a patient gains weight the relative balance of percentages of each area are changed. Fat does not develop in other parts of the body, but if these fat cells are given the increased stimulus of weight gain, they will enlarge accordingly.

10. Will I lose sensation in the area that was liposuctioned?

Most patients who undergo some type of ultrasound liposuction notice a diminishment in sensation temporally. It may take as long as two months to return to normal.