5 things you need to know about LIPOSUCTION

1. It is a body contouring or sculpting procedure, not a weight losing or weight reduction treatment. Depending on the area or the number of areas to be liposuctioned, only 500cc to 2000cc of fat can be safely removed. 2. If you are obese, you may be considered as a high risk candidate and may not qualify to undergo liposuction. The reason for this is that chronic medical conditions like diabetes, heart or coronary diseases, metabolic problems, etc. may be present. Effects of liposuction in obese may also not be appreciable. How to compute your Body Mass Index: BMI = (weight in pounds x 703)/(height in inches x height in inches) Example: Height – 5’8″ Weight – 175 pounds BMI = (175×703)/(68×68) = 123025/4624 = 26.60 Underweight <18.5 Normal 18.5 to 24.9 Overweight 25 to 29.9 Obese >30 3. Overzealous removal of fats by the surgeon may result to skin “rippling”. This is caused by excess fat removal making the skin very thin (having less fat) and thus cannula tracks under it become visible (the rippling or multiple wave effect). This may be corrected (not completely) by RF (radio frequency) treatments post-surgery. Being conservative is more prudent than being too aggressive. 4. Several laboratory (blood exams) and ancillary procedures (X-ray and ECG) are usually requested by the cosmetic surgeon prior to liposuction. A cardio-pulmonary clearance from a cardiologist or pulmunologist is requested for those over 30 or 35 years of age. Those younger patients may undergo the same steps if the doctor find it necessary. 5. It will be more safe if your Cosmetic Surgeon is board certified and has a background in General Surgery as he may in good position to handle intra-operative complications especially in abdominal liposuction. The pioneer organization of cosmetic surgeons in the country is the Philippine Society for Cosmetic Surgery (PSCS) founded in 1972. Visit http://www.PhilippineSocietyforCosmeticSurgery.org to find members. Posted by Dr. Al Jaafar Board certified, Philippine Society for Cosmetic Surgery Head surgeon, The Asian Tropics Center for Aesthetics and Wellness Quezon City, Philippines +63 918 985 3668