During Surgery
Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery procedure which can be performed using local or general anaesthesia depending on how many areas are being treated. With local anaesthesia, only the area that is being targeted will be numbed and you will actually be conscious during the procedure. General anaesthesia can be administered as a gas or injection and you will be unconscious during the procedure, although the targeted area will be numbed as well. Small areas of liposuction may be performed in a clinic room but larger areas would usually be done in a hospital or outpatient surgical facility.
Small incisions (around 5mm in length) will be made in the targeted area through which the fat deposits will be removed. A cannula will be inserted into the deep fat layer and moved back and forth to break up and remove the fat cells with the assistance of suction from an attached vacuum pump or syringe. A significant amount of blood and other fluids will be removed at the same time therefore you will receive replacement fluids intravenously during the procedure.
A small layer of fat is left under the skin to help prevent rippling or bumpy skin occurring after the procedure. The incisions will then be closed using a few stitches or may be left open to limit the amount of bruising and swelling after the procedure. A drainage tube may be inserted for a few days to prevent any fluid build-up.
To learn more about what happens during a liposuction procedure, watch some of our liposuction surgery videos by U.K cosmetic surgeons.
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