Liposuction

The Pre-Operative Period
It is imperative that patients refrain from ingesting any medications or other substances which could potentially be the cause of surgical complications. A list of medications should be reviewed and discontinued at least 2 weeks prior to the operation. Patients are seen just prior to their surgery date for a general physical examination to ensure that no underlying medical problems exist, which may interfere with the safety of their surgery. Specifically, any infections which arise prior to operation, however seemingly trivial, should be reported to our office.

Prophylactic antibiotics are prescribed for a few days after surgery to reduce the risk of surgical wound infection. A prescription for pain medication is also written, so that you have your pain pills when you return home from the operation.

Pre-operative photographs are taken so that you can see the improvement from your surgery afterwards. We generally take post-operative photographs 3 months after your procedure.

You will be asked to sign a surgical consent, which enumerates the risks of the procedure in detail. These risks will also be explained at the consultation.

You will be asked to pay your surgical fee at your pre-operative visit. The fee is determined at the time of the consultation, and is different for every scenario or combination of areas treated, and so cannot be specifically provided here.

You will need to arrange for an escort to drive you to and from the surgery center. Patients cannot operate motor vehicles after surgery, and we will not place recently sedated patients into taxis for transport home. It is mandatory to have someone stay with you for at least 24 hours after surgery for your comfort and safety.

The Day of Surgery
Most liposuction procedures are performed under a combination of local and general anesthesia, with some small volume procedures being done under local anesthesia with sedation. Dr. Parson will discuss the anesthesia requirements for your procedure with you at the time of your consultation.

Skin markings are made to outline the sites to be treated. The anesthesia is then administered, and in every instance the fat is infused with a very dilute local anesthetic to distend the fat cells, which makes it easier to extract them and improves the ability to contour the areas smoothly. At the conclusion of the procedure, an elastic compression garment is placed to control swelling and to reduce the risk of fluid build up beneath the skin.

After a period of at least an hour to monitor you in our recovery room, you will be discharged into the company of an adult escort.

The Post-Operative Period
You will almost certainly experience some fluid drainage from the incisions, which can be dramatic and needs to be anticipated in terms of protecting clothing, car seats, and mattresses. It is wise to obtain an impermeable or rubber sheet for aftercare for this reason. This drainage usually stops within 48 hours. At that point, you will be seen in the office and the initial dressings removed and all incisions checked. You will then be able to shower, but you will be asked to wear your compressive garment for approximately a month. This helps to control swelling and to assist in contouring the skin back down to the underlying muscle. The garment can be laundered after the first follow-up visit.

Certain side effects of liposuction include pain, burning, swelling, bruising, oozing (blood-tinged fluid), and temporary numbness. The pain is usually well-controlled with the prescribed medication, but a feeling of soreness persists for several days to several weeks. It takes at least 6 weeks to begin to feel normal again. The skin is usually quite numb and feels very hard to the touch. It may even take as long as 6 months for the tissues to feel absolutely normal, depending on the extent of the procedure.

Most patients return to sedentary type work in a few days to a week, to physical work in 1 to 2 weeks. Though moderate exercise (e.g. walking) is encouraged in the early post-operative period, vigorous exercise such as swimming, jogging, aerobics, and weight training should generally be avoided for about a month. Dr. Parson will be following you on a regular basis to give you specific feedback about your activity level.

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