Do you have excess fat on certain areas of the body? Liposuction or liposuction is a surgical intervention which allows the permanent removal of localized excess fat. Find out in which cases it is performed, how this intervention takes place and what are its post-operative consequences. 

Liposuction refers to the technique of suctioning excess skin fat. It consists of removing excess fat by suction through cannulas entered into the skin via small incisions. These cannulas are made of foam, perforated at their end with small orifices and connected to a closed circuit in which negative pressure is created. 

Many areas of the body can be the subject of liposuction: the traditional “saddlebags” (back of the thighs and buttocks) of course, the hips, calves, abdomen, thighs, knees, legs. arms, breasts, but also face and neck. 

This intervention can be performed alone or be done in addition to another operation, such as a facelift or tummy tuck. 

Liposuction is contraindicated in a number of people: heavy smokers, women who take a contraceptive pill, people at high risk of phlebitis or embolism or in a state of obesity. 

Note: liposuction is not covered by Health Insurance. It takes 2500 to 6000 euros for a liposuction. This procedure is not performed in people under the age of 18. 

Before liposuction

Before the operation, you will carry out a preoperative assessment and have a consultation with an anesthesiologist two weeks before the liposuction.

It is strongly recommended to stop smoking at least one month before liposuction, as smoking has a detrimental effect on wound healing. If you are taking the pill, you should stop taking it one month before the operation to decrease the risk of pulmonary embolism and phlebitis. 

You should not take any medicine containing aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs within 10 days of the procedure.

Liposuction in stages 

Liposuction can be performed under general anesthesia, loco-regional (spinal anesthesia, epidural), local, local called vigil, that is to say with injection of tranquilizers by venous route. 

 The choice of anesthesia depends on the number of areas to be treated, the medical profile of the person but also your choice in agreement with the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. 

Small incisions are made in the areas to be treated, as much as possible in the fold areas, so that the scars are not visible. Foam cannulas are introduced at the incisions to suck the fat. The incisions are sutured. 

The duration of the intervention is 30 3 hours. On average, it takes 1 to 2 hours for a liposuction. 

Compression is then performed with a compression garment made of elastic fabric or elastic bands. They aim to compress the detached areas and limit hematomas. You will keep it for 48 hours.

Depending on the amount of fat removed and the type of anesthesia, your hospital stay will be a few hours (on an outpatient basis) or one or two days.

Liposuction permanently eliminates excess fat in a localized way that you cannot get rid of even while playing sports or dieting. You can do liposuction to see your saddlebags disappear, your thighs to reshape or a slightly round abdomen.

However, this operation is not made for people who are significantly overweight or obese. It is not a weight loss method. 

Operative suites

After liposuction, the pain is bearable and relieved by sedatives. Areas of the body that have undergone liposuction are swollen (edema) and bruising (bruising). You therefore do not see the result of liposuction on your figure because the tissues are swollen.

You can be tired especially if a lot of fat has been extracted. The bruises will subside between 10 to 20 days after the operation. 

You are advised to wear an elastic compression garment for 3 to 6 weeks. You can resume a professional activity within 2 to 10 days depending on the size of the operation and your type of work. Usually it takes a week’s rest. 

The sport can be started again after 3 weeks. 

Liposuction: what results? 

After 2 to 3 weeks, it is possible to see the results of a liposuction, the tissues no longer being edematous. But you have to wait 3 to 6 months to have a definitive result. This is the time it takes for the skin to retract. 

The results are most often satisfactory. Your figure has changed. However, you should know that the result depends on the quality of the skin. If you have firm, toned skin, the results are better. In addition, some areas respond better than others to liposuction: “saddlebags” for example. 

Be aware that these removed fats cannot appear again. To further improve the result, it is advisable to lose weight. The skin retracts even more. 

Remember to protect the scars from liposuction from the sun. 

Your surgeon sees you for a follow-up consultation after 3, 6 and 12 months.