Liposuction for the Waist

Liposuction, also called "suction-assisted lipectomy" and "liposculpture" is a form of cosmetic surgery in which the doctor removes fat from a specific area of your body using suction. Common areas in which people get liposuction include the hips, tummy, neck and thighs. The waist is a popular location for liposuction, often "worked on" in conjuction with parts of the back or abdomen.

Surgery

• In waist liposuction, the doctor inserts a metal tube, which is connected to a vacuum pump, into your skin near your waist. He moves the tube back and forth, sucking out fat while leaving your blood vessels and nerves where they are. Some doctors vary the technique somewhat, using injections or ultrasound to make the vacuuming easier.

Is Waist Liposuction for You?

• Doctors emphasize that liposuction is not a treatment for obesity. Rather, if you are satisfied with your overall body weight but are bothered by the shape of your waist, you are a good candidate for waist liposuction. In other words, if your goal is not to lose pounds but rather to remove a specific bulge, liposuction might be helpful.

Risks

• Some of the biggest risks related to liposuction of the waist have to do with the anesthesia. Waist liposuction is generally done under general anesthesia, which can lead to infections or blood clots in the veins; the chances of either of those things happening are extremely small, but if they do, they can be very dangerous. If your surgeon is inexperienced, you may find after the swelling has gone down that your fat was removed unevenly, so be sure to choose a board-certified, experienced surgeon. Other risks associated with liposuction are burns, nerve compression, abnormal heartbeat and abnormal swelling. If your doctor uses ultrasound techniques, you may experience an oozing of body fluid under or from the surgical site. Usually your skin will retract after liposuction to conform to your new shape, but there is a chance that this will not happen, in which case you might need further surgery to remove extra skin.

Aftermath

• In the short term, liposuction causes bruising. The more area you have treated, the more bruising you will have. Your skin should return to its natural color in a few weeks, but it may take up to six months for all the swelling to dissipate; your doctor might suggest you wear pressure garments for two to three weeks to reduce swelling and bruising. The area might also be numb for a few months. The length of recovery time depends on how large an area you have treated. Small areas require a few days of recuperation at home, whereas large areas might require up to 10 days.You will also have a scar of 1 to 2 cm where the suction tube was inserted, but doctors are usually careful to make the incision in a relatively unnoticeable place.

Results

• When your fat cells are removed through liposuction, they do not come back. The ones you still have can grow, but you will not make new ones. Therefore, liposuction results in a permanent new body shape. If you gain weight, the new fat will first build up in other areas of your body, not on your waist. Your satisfaction with the surgery depends on your expectations beforehand, the amount of fat you are having removed and the skill of your surgeon. If you are having only a small amount of fat trimmed, you may not notice the difference right away because of the swelling. If you have a very thick waist, be aware that liposuction may not make you automatically thin. There are limits to how much fat your doctor can safely remove at one time; three liters is the most that can be removed without immediate danger. Also, liposuction does not correct cellulite or other imperfections in the skin itself.