Liposculpture

Colombia has positioned itself in recent years as best country for liposuction. Liposuction is one of the most frequently performed procedures in plastic surgery and its objective is the removal of localized fat deposits in the body. It is very important to understand that liposuction cannot aim to make the patient lose weight, but rather improve their body contour.

In women, due to genetic or hormonal factors, fat generally accumulates in the hips and lower limbs, and in men in the abdomen.

Liposuction has been used for more than 40 years, and in that time liposuction cannulas and equipment have evolved considerably. Currently, the cannulas used to remove fat are thinner and more efficient, and the treatment includes other devices such as lasers and vasers. There is no best type of liposuction, but rather a technique that is most suitable for each patient. Liposuction is performed through several small incisions of less than 1 cm, which are located in areas of skin folds and covered by bikini or underwear. The ideal candidates for liposuction are those who have localized fat, even if they practice regular exercise and maintain a healthy diet.

The good surgical result depends on the perfection of the technique, the precise indication for the specific type of patient and mainly, the skin’s retraction capacity. The greater the sagging, the lower the chance of success with liposuction alone. In these cases it is necessary to perform skin resections and therefore there will be scars. Liposuction can be performed under local anesthesia, local anesthesia and sedation, epidural, spinal or general anesthesia. Regardless of the anesthesia, the procedure begins after infiltration of the affected area with a saline solution containing local anesthetic and adrenaline.

After making the incisions, a cannula connected to equipment that produces a vacuum is inserted and the fat is sucked out with back-and-forth movements. Devices such as laser or vaser can be used. In the postoperative period, the patient receives medications to control pain, it is recommended to use elastic bands to reduce swelling and it is advisable to perform a lymphatic drainage massage. The definitive result is generally achieved after six months, when there is a complete improvement of the residual swelling. The combination of Liposuction and fat transfer, in places that require this treatment, is what is known as liposculpture.