Liposuction can be an extremely effective way to reduce fat deposits in areas such as the sides of the hips, the abdomen, or other parts of your body that resist weight loss, but unfortunately, about 20% of people who have had liposuction request a redo.
That trend seems to be especially prominent with older patients who have poor skin elasticity that leads to uneven areas or lumps after liposuction, but it can also happen to patients of any age when they don’t work with a skilled plastic surgeon. Luckily, it is possible to avoid uneven areas.
Consider Laser-Assisted Liposuction
Traditional liposuction of the abdomen takes about 60 to 90 minutes Laser-assisted liposuction takes about double that time (120 to 180 minutes) but is less likely to result in uneven spots because the fat is loosened before it is removed. The lasers also stimulate collagen and elastin repair, resulting in less bruising and a smoother final effect. This approach is especially helpful for patients who may have lost elasticity in their skin.
Think About a Tummy Tuck
For some patients, liposuction is not the best solution for excess abdominal fat. In particular, women who have given birth may have very loose skin and muscle-wall weakness in the belly area. In those cases, a tummy tuck may be recommended. This skin tightening procedure actually does more than remove fat. It repositions muscles and skin and eliminates fat deposits and other irregularities.
Combine Liposuction and Fat Grafting
If the skin has been stretched over fat for a long time, it may not tighten up or shrink back when that fat is removed. This effect tends to be most common in the stomach and buttock areas, but it can occur all over the body. Areas with stretch marks are most likely to not tighten after liposuction. In cases where there is loose skin, dimpling, scarring, or irregular thickness prior to the procedure, a combination of judicious liposuction and fat grafting may be a viable solution. In this procedure fat is transferred from one part of your body to another part.
Wear a Compression Garment
Some surgeons have patients wear a compression garment for several weeks after the liposuction. After a few months, the skin begins to shrink to fit the new, thinner body, and the compression garment encourages the skin to conform to its new contours. Your cosmetic surgeon can let you know if this option is right for you.
Turn to Kybella
Even when treated by the best plastic surgeon who specializes in liposuction, unevenness and fat pockets can occur after surgery and is not an uncommon occurrence. Luckily there is a non-surgical treatment for this area of unwanted fat avoiding the need for another liposuction operation. Kybella can help to eliminate leftover fat cells in after your liposuction.
Use of Kybella in areas other than the fat under the chin is considered an “off label” use. Kybella, also known as deoxycholic acid, act as a detergent which breaks down the fat cell wall. Your body then takes up the released fat and metabolizes it in the liver. This process happens over the next one to three months after the treatment. Multiple treatment sessions may be required because not all the fat will be gone after one treatment on some patients. The result for each treatment session will depend on the amount that is present to begin with and each persons’ metabolism. Messaging the area after the injections will help expedite the results.
Because Kybella is administered by injections, the process is quick and easy, but most importantly, we are able to precisely target the troublesome uneven areas of leftover fat. The most common side effect is slight bruising. Some of our patients will go straight to Kybella injection for fat reduction in small areas and skip the surgery all together.
Liposuction gets safer and easier almost every day, however even when your work is done by an experienced professional, it is difficult to remove fat in a uniform and predictable way. For smooth, beautiful results after liposuction surgery, set up a consultation with us at the Elizabeth Roche, MD MedSpa. Contact us today for more information.