DEFINITION
Liposculpture is a surgical technique which consists of removing fatty tissue from the body through liposuction with the aim of sculpturing the patient’s body, removing fat deposits from certain areas such as the abdomen, flanks, back, hips, arms, knees and others, on the fatty tissue, with the intention of obtaining a finer and more attractive silhouette.
INDICATIONS
Not all patients are suitable for this surgery. They must have a BMI less than 30, since it is not a surgery to lose weight, but to model the figure of the patient. In addition, you must have a flaccid skin, as well as have healthy lifestyle habits, because after surgery it is very important to maintain a stable weight and exercise in order to optimize the results of the intervention. If the patient has a lot of sagging skin, he usually needs another type of intervention to remove excess skin.
PROCESS
The fatty tissue is extracted through suction that originate a device called a liposuctor, which produces a negative pressure that will suck the fat out of the patient’s body. To do this, fine cannulas are inserted through tiny holes in the skin, which are very hidden, and that will be the instrument with which the surgeon models and extracts the fat in the desired amount and depth. Once the liposculpture is finished, these holes close, leaving a scar that is barely noticeable. Hardly any marks of the surgery will be noticed in the future.
With liposculpture, different areas of the body can be treated, and it is usual to treat several during the same procedure. The following areas can be treated:
- Double chin liposuction: it is about extracting the fat under the chin, generating a thinner and more elegant neck.
- Arm liposuction: in a patient whose arms appear thick when they extend, the procedure generates a thin, even athletic, arm.
- Armpit liposuction: improves the contour of the breast and prevents the accumulation of fat in the area when the patient has her arms at rest.
- Liposuction of the back and flanks: allows the patient to look much thinner, reducing the perimeter of her waist.
- Liposuction of the abdomen: generates the desired flat stomach. In certain patients, subtle abdominal marking can be performed, creating an abdomen with an athletic and sporty appearance.
- Liposuction of thighs: it is possible to improve the anterior face and the well-known “saddle bag”.
- Liposuction of the knees: the entire area around the kneecap can be improved, but especially the inner side, which is where the most fat accumulates.
- Liposuction of legs: in a patient who, due to her genetics, accumulates fat in this area, it is a good option to obtain thinner legs.
Since the concept of Dr. Ospina is to comprehensively treat the patient’s body, several areas of the patient’s body are usually treated during a liposculpture, which makes it necessary to use general anesthesia, so that the patient can be comfortable during surgery. On very rare occasions, small liposuctions are performed under local anesthesia, being relegated to small touch-ups of areas that may be left with a little volume after surgery.
In recent years, body contouring surgical techniques have evolved, as well as the appliances. More refined techniques have been developed that allow not only to generate slimmer and more beautiful figures, but also athletic ones with the birth of soft or high-definition liposculpture, in which the shapes of the patient’s muscle groups are defined, providing the result of a more athletic and gym look. But it is important to know that not all patients are suitable for this type of techniques.
PROFESSIONALS
This type of intervention must be carried out by a plastic surgeon with experience in body contouring surgery. Dr. Ospina had an extensive training in his native country Colombia in this type of intervention, where it is carried out very regularly. That allows him to obtain results that are above average.
This type of intervention requires significant physical effort and maintaining a high level of concentration for several hours, which is why Dr. Ospina does a regular exercise to be fit so he could be able to deliver this technique. He is also using new technologies that reduce fatigue and allow you to improve your results even more.
FACILITIES
This type of intervention must be performed in a hospital that meets all health requirements and has an intensive care unit. Cosmetic surgery is a very regulated surgery with fewer complications, but in case they appear, it is essential to have the support of a good hospital. Hence, low-cost surgeries try to save money on this, and the procedures are performed in small clinics where these safety conditions are not covered.
Dr. Ospina is fully aware of this and that is why he performs all his surgeries in the operating rooms of Hospitals San Roque, as it gives him that extra security that he wants for his patients.
CARE
After the intervention, it is usual and completely normal for the patient to feel a sensation of stiffness in all the intervened areas. This usually returns to normal after 3 days. On the other hand, it is common for inflammatory fluid to leak through the small holes used to extract the fat, this can last for several days and is completely normal and desirable.
The patient should simply keep the small wounds clean and take the prescribed medication at the time of hospital discharge.
RECOVERY
It is necessary only about 7 days to return to your regular life. However, you should continue using compression garments throughout the first months as appropriate. On the other hand, after surgery the patient must start a protocol of therapies that will be explained and delivered to the patient before the intervention. It also requires the readaptation of their nutritional and sports habits, which will be gradually reintroduced from the first weeks.
RESULTS
Although the difference is already noticeable after surgery on the patient’s body, in the first days an inflammatory process occurs in the skin and tissues that causes fluid to accumulate within the operated area. For this reason, during the first two months, a progressive process of elimination of inflammation occurs, which makes the result appear little by little. After two months, there is already a big difference, but it will continue to evolve in the next 6 months.
COMPLICATIONS
Liposculpture is not a surgery in which there are large sweepings or scars, so its recovery is faster than other cosmetic surgeries. However, despite being reputed to be a “less aggressive” surgery, it can carry risks that can be serious if the surgeon does not have the proper training and experience. In order to avoid them, the surgeon must be highly qualified, operate in approved centers and use the appropriate and properly sterilized material and instruments.
Another type of complication, mild but more common, is usually the asymmetries or irregularities in the skin, produced by the misapplication of the technique, which has been performed very superficially, very traumatically, or improperly. This causes the skin to be flabby and undulating, which is usually very difficult to correct. There cannot be serious reverses on the health of the patient, but it affects very negatively to the aesthetic outcome of surgery.
In Dr. Ospina’s office it is usual to receive patients who were already operated some time ago in other liposuction centers. They present these irregularities on the skin and want to correct them. For this, it is necessary to carry out a new surgery in which the sunken areas must be filled with fat and more tissue must be removed from the areas where there are still leftovers. It is usually an arduous task in which sometimes great results are not obtained, so the most important thing is to prevent it and perform a good liposculpture technique from the beginning.
“Liposculpture reminds me of the image of a sculptor with his chisel and in front of a statue. This technique allows us to create authentic works of art and must be done expertly and by a surgeon who is really passionate about it, as it is very hard both physically and mentally.”
