Liposuction - Frequently Asked Questions

Orange County, California

Will liposuction help me lose weight?

No, it’s not a weight loss surgery. It’s for removing pockets of fat. If you’ve been working at losing weight and have arrived at something close to your ideal weight, but find that certain areas just won’t lose the fat, then you could benefit from liposuction. It’s a procedure that will help with distribution of fat, but not with overall loss of fat.

Is liposuction permanent?

Yes, in the sense that those particular fat cells are gone for good. But if you revert to poor eating habits, or live a sedentary lifestyle, you could again gain weight. The liposuction causes some scarring which will inhibit fat cells from forming in that same area again. But they can form somewhere else. We gain weight both by forming new fat cells and by enlarging the ones we have. So though liposuction removes fat cells the neighboring fat cells in that area can enlarge.

Is liposuction safe?

All surgeries bring some risk because whenever the skin is punctured or incised, bacteria can invade and cause infection. That’s why surgical protocol is so strict in regard to sterilizing all instruments, wearing masks and gloves etc. And once in a great while, somebody turns out to be allergic to the anesthetic used, or some unusual complications develops. These things are rare.

Liposuction is safest when done in an outpatient facility rather than in a hospital. And when the surgeon chooses only good candidates for the procedure, and when you follow the post-op instructions he or she gives you, risk is very low. Serious complications are very rare indeed.

Can liposuction be done anywhere on the body?

Yes, theoretically. But it’s done mostly in certain areas:

Is a laser used in liposuction?

Yes, lasers are used sometimes to tighten the skin after fat is removed from underneath it. To some extent, especially in younger people, the skin will tighten itself. But a laser can be used to shrink the skin from its underside, through the incisions made for the liposuction cannula. This is often done on the neck or chin area.

What sort of anesthesia is used for liposuction?

For the most part, general anesthetic is used rather than local anesthesia. If you choose, you can have a calming medication such as Valium.

 

Pacifica Cosmetic Surgery Center
Douglas Hendricks, MD, FACS
280 Newport Center Drive, Suite 120
Newport Beach, CA 92660

Email Us or call us at 949.640.9570 to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Hendricks.

Newport Beach plastic surgeon Douglas L. Hendricks, MD, FACS. Centrally located to provide cosmetic surgery for patients in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine and all of Orange County.

Orange County Liposuction - Image of Model

Patient Comments

A thousand thank-yous would not be enough to thank you for all your kindness and support.

Katie B