Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty:
Abdominoplasty also has another name “tummy tuck”. It is a cosmetic
surgery procedure to reshape and firm the abdomen. It involves the
removal of excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen in
order to tighten the muscle of the abdominal wall. This surgery is
performed mostly on or usually asked for by women. Most women are
finished with having children when considering this surgery. This
procedure is also used following a large volume weight loss, either
from diet, exercise or gastric bypass, in which the remaining excess
skin is removed.

There are two types of abdominoplasty:

• One which requires two to five hours called
complete.

• One which requires one to two hours called partial.

Procedure on how the complete abdominoplasty is done
can be discussed in the form of simple steps.

1. An incision is made from hip to hip just above the
pubic area.

2. Another incision is made to free the navel from
the surrounding skin.

3. The skin is detached from the abdominal wall to
reveal the muscles to be tightened. These muscles are tightened with
sutures.

4. The skin flap is reattached with an extra skin
being removed. A new hole for the navel is created and stitched into
place.

5. All stitches are dressed and any excess fluid from
the site is drained.

Partial abdominoplasty involves three steps:

1. A shorter incision is made.

2. The skin is removed between the incision and the
navel. The skin stretched down and excess skin is removed.

3. The flap is stitched back into place.

An abdominoplasty can be combined with a liposuction treatment.
Recovery from a complete abdominoplasty can take four to six weeks and
patients are advised to take a least three weeks rest. Heavy weights
must be avoided during this time. For the first ten days, a patient may
experience bruising and discomfort. A supportive abdominal binder is
normally worn to control swelling and support the muscular repair.
Patients are advised not to smoke for several months before the surgery
is scheduled and after when they are recovering.

Cost:
The cost of an abdominoplasty varies from country to country.
In the United States on an average, this procedure can cost from US $ 6,000 to as much as $12000.
Thus in the state and the city in which you choose a surgeon to perform the
procedure will play a role in determining a final cost. Surgeons in
urban areas such as Los Angeles, Boston, or Beverly Hills tend to have
a higher cost than their colleagues in rural and suburban areas where
these cosmetic procedures are not as common.

No surgeries guarantee success and therefore a second procedure or
touch-up may be required to achieve the desired appearance. These costs
are typically not included in the original cost paid by the consumer.

Author Profile:
Website: http://sadriancosmeticsurgery.com/
The author Tasha Haskell is with Sadrian Cosmetic Surgery and is an
expert on cosmetic surgery procedures.

Liposuction

Liposuction has many names such as liposculpture, lipoplasty and suction lipectomy
Liposuction means removing fat at different places through cosmetic surgery. For an
example you can target areas such as the abdomen, thighs, buttocks,
neck, and back of the arms. A hollow tube called a cannula, and a
suction device called an aspirator is used.

As we all know some fat deposits may not reduce because of dieting and
exercising. For such areas liposuction is the best option.

You may have negative aspects to removing fat in any area. There are
many factors which limit the fat removal from the body in one session.
Both the doctor and the patient should discuss this matter. If too much
is removed, you may see lumpiness and/or indentations on the skin. The
surgical risk becomes higher when more fat is being removed. We can say
that the more fat that is removed the more the risk rises.

Popularity:

In USA 68 % of the population is over weight. This makes it predictable
that liposuction is very frequently performed there. Normally it is
used to remove only 10 to 15 pounds off the body. Removing more fat
than that can be life threatening and impossible too. The American
society of plastic surgeons defines large as 5 liters.

Frequent areas performed are:

1. The abdomen and thighs in women.

2. The abdomen and flanks in men.

Candidacy required for liposuction:

Not every person is eligible for liposuction. It’s not a good
alternative for dieting and exercising.

A person needs to be

1. over 18

2. healthy surgical candidate

3. A person who has already tried the diet and
exercise regime and still found the 10 or 15 pounds remaining on the
body.

Different techniques of liposuction:

These can be categorized by the amount of fluid injected and by the
mechanism in which the cannula works

The amount of fluid injection:

1. dry liposuction

This
method is rarely used these days.

2. wet liposuction

A
technique in which a medicated solution is injected into fatty areas
before the fat is removed. The liquid contains

• Lidocaine: as a local anesthetic

• Epinephrine: to contract the blood vessels and thus
minimize bleeding

• a salt solution.

3. superwet
liposuction

This technique is preferred for high volume liposuction. This technique
is similar to the tumescent , except that lesser amounts of fluid are
used. Usually the amount of fluid injected is equal to the amount of
fat to be removed.

4. tumescent
liposuction

In the tumescent technique, the fluid is a mixture of intravenous salt
solution, lidocaine and epinephrine helps the fat to be removed more
easily, reduces blood loss and provides anesthesia during and after
surgery. Bruising and swelling are reduced with fluid injection.

Mechanism of liposuction

1. Suction-assisted liposuction (SAL)

2. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL)

3. Power-assisted liposuction (PAL)

4. External ultrasound-assisted liposuction (XUAL or
EUAL)

Things to do before the surgery
[liposuction]:

There are some important things to be noted like

1. Antinflammatory & anticoagulants should not be
taken for two weeks before the surgery.

2. Fasting from midnight the night before is required
if the surgery will be done in the morning, and if you are given
general anesthesia.

3. If local anesthesia is given then you need not go
through the fasting.

4. Smoking is to be avioded for 2 weeks
pre-operatively.

Procedure of the liposuction surgery:

1. Before the surgery starts the surgeon should
discuss the areas where the fat will be removed and also discuss the
realistic outcome. The patient should be in agreement with the surgical
plan.

2. Then as per the procedure the consent form is to
be signed i.e. on the pre-op appointment.

3. There is a photo session at the pre-opertive
appointment.

4. The area where the fat is to be removed is marked
in the standing position.

5. IV will be started.

6. A prep solution such as Betadine is applied on the
area where the fat is to be removed.

7. Local anesthetic is injected (and the person may
also be given a sedative orally or through injection).

8. As the person will be losing fat and fluid
therefore there would be a fluid line.

9. The rest would be like any other surgery.
Monitoring includes blood pressure check, heart rate check, and blood
oxygen level.

10. If general anesthesia is given then the
patient can go home the same day as the operation.

Recovery

1. Ace bandage or a compression garnment will be worn
for 3 weeks.

2. Bandages should be changed as directed.

3. Sutures will be removed after five to ten days.

4. Pain killers can be taken as per the prescription.

5. Numbness may last for several weeks

6. Swelling and bruising will subside after a few
days.

7. Normal work can be resumed according to the
Doctors recommendation.

Side effects

1. Bruising

2. Swelling

3. Scars

4. Discomfort

5. Numbness

6. Limited mobility

Things to do to recover quickly:

1. Drinking plenty of water.

2. Avoiding alcohol

3. Avoiding the ice packs and heating packs

4. Working less and following the instructions given
by the doctor.

Author Profile:
Website: http://sadriancosmeticsurgery.com/
The author Tasha Haskell is with Sadrian Cosmetic Surgery and is an
expert on cosmetic surgery procedures.

Liposuction As A Weight Loss Substitute

by Katrin Rogers
One of the problems that causes serious weight gain is the lack of desire to maintain a healthy diet. Many obese people want an easy way to lose weight making procedures such as liposuction an attractive alternative to diet and exercise. Lack of education concerning the procedure makes liposuction appear to be an easy alternative for those unwilling to control their weight with diet and exercise. For those patients it’s essential for the medical doctor to provide detailed information on liposuction before referring any patient to a cosmetic surgeon.
Depending on the surgeon and the procedure he uses, very few patients experience more than ten pounds of weight loss after having fat removed. They listen to exaggerated reports of people who claim they lost 50 pounds after having liposuction, but in reality what is happening is that when the fat is suctioned from the various areas of the body, it can give the appearance that the patient lost more weight than they really did. Only diet and exercise can promote healthy weight loss with liposuction being a tool that you can utilize to rid yourself of any fat the diet and exercise programs were unable to remove.
Liposuction has never been promoted as a substitute for weight loss and exercise nor would any good cosmetic surgeon attempt to provide information that might make it appear to exist for that purpose. Liposuction is a surgical procedure designed to remove excess fat from various parts of the body including the legs, arms, abdomen, buttocks and other regions—this will neither promote a substantial weight loss nor will it tone and firm any areas where the patient has lost fat cells through diet. Liposuction is a supplement to diet and exercise not a replacement.
If you are looking into liposuction as a way to remove fat from your body, you first need to engage in a healthy diet and exercise program. This is not only because you need to lose weight but also because you need to be as fit as possible before you undergo liposuction. If you are a smoker, you should plan to quit smoking several months prior to having a liposuction procedure. Your health is one of the most important aspects of your procedure, and it can be dangerous if you are in poor health. If you already have heart and lung problems, the procedure may cause more complications than your excess weight, but your surgeon will advise on you on whether you qualify for liposuction.
One of the best things you can do for your health is to research liposuction before you consider having the procedure. You want to make sure you know what to expect and what you should do to prepare for it. Any cosmetic procedure requires a great deal of thought in addition to education. The more you can learn prior to the procedure, the more comfortable you will be and the less likely you to experience complications from the liposuction procedure.