Many individuals are displeased with the fatty deposits around their stomach that are unresponsive to diet or exercise.
Today liposuction is the most popular form of cosmetic surgery in the United States. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that around 400,000 liposuction procedures were performed in the year 2015 alone.
Loose fat in the belly area may not disappear magically. However, liposuction does offer an excellent solution to eliminate love handles and other types of unwanted fat. Plastic surgeon Dr. Paul McCluskey provides liposuction of the abdomen or belly pooch to patients in Atlanta, Buckhead, Georgia, and surrounding locations.
What Stomach Liposuction Does
Aging causes a general redistribution of body fat, particularly around the mid-body region. Childbirth can cause the development of stubborn, unwanted body fat in females. Additionally, genetics also account for a lot. But all fat is not the same as far as liposuction is concerned.
The fat that is resistant to diet and exercise is usually subcutaneous fat. This type of fat is located beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscle wall.
How Abdominal Liposuction Is Performed
A technique called “tumescent liposuction” is often used to remove fat around the stomach, buttocks, thighs, and ankles. This procedure is thought to be the safest. “Tumescent” refers to the large quantities of buffered salt water that is injected into the fatty tissue beneath the skin.
The surgeon makes an incision in the fatty site to be treated and then inserts a narrow tube (cannula) underneath the flesh. The cannula is linked to a vacuum and has a rigid wand at the end.
The surgeon moves the cannula back and forth rapidly to disintegrate the fat. The procedure takes between 45 minutes to two hours to complete. The downtime associated with this procedure is usually up to two weeks.
The full effect of this procedure usually manifests in six to 12 weeks following the surgery. The surgeon will bandage the site after the procedure and will instruct the patient to wear a compression garment for one to two weeks. The patient may experience pain and bruising for up to two weeks while the swelling may prevail from two weeks to two months.
What Stomach Liposuction Cannot Do
Liposuction cosmetic surgery is designed to be a fat-loss procedure and is not meant to be a weight-loss solution. It is most effective on fatty pockets in particular areas. These fat deposits are resistant to exercise, specifically around the hips, thighs, stomach, and buttocks.
The patient may lose a slight amount of weight, but it will likely not be substantial weight loss. In addition, liposuction cannot correct a bulging stomach due to abdominal wall weakness.
It cannot tighten sagging skin. Sometimes liposuction is undertaken in combination with a tummy tuck to flatten and tone the abdominal region effectively.
Post-Operative Healing
Patients typically do not require any pain medications stronger acetaminophen (Tylenol) after tumescent liposuction. The pain is similar to the burning sensation experienced after a vigorous work-out session or akin to muscle soreness.
The intensity of pain is similar to that of sunburn. The intensity is most when the skin is flexed or touched, such as when getting in and out of a car, sitting still in a chair, or rolling over in bed. The patient will experience minimal discomfort when walking or sitting.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Paul McCluskey receives patients from Atlanta, Buckhead, Georgia, and nearby areas for liposuction of the abdomen or belly pooch.
For more information on procedures and treatments offered by Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Paul McCluskey and the Plastic Surgery Institute of Atlanta, visit:
Serving patients in and around Atlanta, Buckhead, Roswell, Marietta, Georgia and surrounding areas.