Liposuction Surgery – The Patient Journey

Struggling to lose fat in problem areas like your flanks, love handles, bingo wings, tummy, or thighs can be disheart­ening! That’s when liposuc­tion surgery can help.

Liposuction is a trans­form­ative procedure that can help you achieve the body you’ve always wanted. By using a cannula to remove stub­born fat deposits from targeted areas of the body, liposuc­tion can give you the confid­ence boost you deserve. Best of all, it can be done under general anaes­thesia, so you can rest assured that the procedure will be comfort­able and stress-free Imagine being able to wear that swim­suit on holiday with pride or those fitted outfits that you couldn’t bear to wear before.

We under­stand that liposuc­tion surgery is a signi­ficant decision, which is why we offer two consulta­tions before the surgery. During these consulta­tions, you will be provided with all the neces­sary inform­a­tion so you can make an informed decision.

At Reforme Medical, we keep things simple, so you’ll feel comfort­able and informed throughout the process. Trust us to help you achieve the body you’ve always wanted.

What Should I Expect From A Liposuction Consultation?

You’ll come with your medical history in hand, and clear real­istic goals in your mind’s eye. If you bring pictures of the goal in mind this really helps us to make sure that it’s real­istic and achievable.

The first consulta­tion is an important step in your journey. Not only do we show you what the procedure entails and give you an idea of the results, but it’s also the point at which the doctor will make sure YOU are the right candidate for this treat­ment. You will be given a clear guide on the risks and bene­fits of the procedure and taken through some former patients before and after. We want to make sure you’re aware of both the poten­tial and the limitations.

The doctor will then eval­uate the anatomy and func­tion of the area to be treated and advise you on the treat­ment options based on your anatomy and physiology. For example, if you have loose skin in the area you want treating, we may suggest Bodytite along­side liposuc­tion surgery to tighten that skin at the same time. You may also be provided with altern­ative options such as Morpheus 8, which does a great job of remod­el­ling and tight­ening for a lower price.

You’ll be given an inform­a­tion pack, consent form and pre-care and after-care forms to read through.

Why Do We Have A Second Consultation For Liposuction?

We offer many treat­ments that only require one consulta­tion, but for liposuc­tion, you must be given time to decide whether it’s the right thing for you. Having a second consulta­tion ensures that you have given the idea enough thought and have processed all the inform­a­tion given in the first consultation.

This also lets you ask ques­tions about the inform­a­tion you were given. You can then decide to book the date of treat­ment or take more time to consider things.

What Happens On The Day Of Liposuction Surgery?

Before you arrive, you’ll need to have had a shower, a light break­fast and a sports drink. You’ll also need to have your trans­port home pre-arranged, as well as a friend or partner to help you out for the first couple of days after surgery. You’ll heal better the less you move around in that time.

Once in the clinic you’ll be given an anti­bi­otic and will sign the consent form. You’ll be provided with a dressing gown and dispos­able under­gar­ments, depending on the area being treated.

The doctor will then mark up the areas that need to be concen­trated on and will take some initial photos for your medical records.

Some relaxing music is put on and you’ll be asked to lie a certain way on the clinic bed so the doctor can access the treat­ment area and you are comfort­able enough to stay fairly still during the procedure. Then, the area will be cleaned with an anti­septic cleansing solution.

You’ll be admin­istered a special­ised form of local anes­thesia, called Tumescent Anesthesia. This involves soaking the under­sur­face of the skin and the under­lying fatty tissue in the treat­ment area with a mix of saline solu­tion, ligno­caine, tranex­amic acid and adren­aline to reduce bleeding. There can also be other addit­ives like sodium bicar­bonate, to make the injec­tion more comfort­able, or triam­cino­lone acetate (a steroid), to reduce inflam­ma­tion. This infilt­ra­tion solu­tion is intro­duced into the treat­ment areas using very fine metal tubes (22G – 2 mm) called infilt­ra­tion cannula, these are placed into the treat­ment areas through tiny cuts in the skin.

This is also so that once the doctor is happy, you can stand in front of a mirror to see the results before you have dress­ings to make sure you are satis­fied with how it looks.

What Happens During The Liposuction Procedure?

We then wait for 10 – 15 minutes for the effect of the anaes­thesia to be estab­lished. Following this, the tiny cuts that were used for injecting the infilt­ra­tion solu­tion are then used to intro­duce the blunt liposuc­tion cannula (2 – 4 mm diameter, much thinner than a Starbucks straw (7 mm))

The liposuc­tion cannula is attached to a suction syringe or a suction machine tubing. The cannula is moved back and forth loosening and grabbing the fat cells that need to be removed. Once the desired amount of fat has been sucked out the treat­ment ends. Then we put dissolv­able stitches on the entry points for the cannula and cover the areas with bulky absorbent dressing. The absorbent dressing is needed to soak up the leakage of the infilt­ra­tion solu­tion that remains in the tissue.

The linked video explains how liposuc­tion works, and why it can look quite vigorous.

What Happens Straight After Liposuction Surgery?

We will help you into a very tight compres­sion garment or dressing on top of the treat­ment area to help with the shaping and recovery. The oper­a­tion usually takes between 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on how many areas need to be treated, so we’ll give your lift home a call to pick you up.

We’ll make you a cuppa with some biscuits, and you can relax in the recovery room until you’re ready to be released, and any further medic­a­tion will be prescribed to you. We’ll take your vitals to make sure you’re in ship shape, and we’ll give you some time to make sure you’re feeling ok and there are no signs of

You leave the dressing and garment on for 3 days after which you can take them off to have a quick shower, you will have to wear the pres­sure garment after the shower and keep it on all day every day for the first 4 – 6 weeks (unless other­wise instructed).

When Will I See The Results Of Liposuction?

You may notice oozing for a few days, and bruising for a few weeks, but this is nothing to worry about. You will see the results around 1 month post-op, maybe sooner, and will continue to stabilise over the next 3–6 months.

Liposuction surgery offers a safe and effective solu­tion for achieving your desired body contour. By choosing a double board-certified plastic surgeon and following post-operative instruc­tions dili­gently, you can enjoy long-lasting results and a newfound confid­ence in your appearance.