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At one week after liposuction, I am actually weighing 8 pounds more than before my surgery.

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Liposuction, Surgery Aftercare on October 5th

Question:

At one week after liposuction, I am actually weighing 8 pounds more than before my surgery. Is this normal?

Answer:

It is very normal for this to happen because during the liposuction procedure a lot of fluid is placed within the tissues before the fat is sucked out. Also, a lot of fluid is given to the patient by Anesthesia during the procedure. Depending on the length of the procedure, more fluid can be retained. The longer the procedure the more the fluid. Usually it takes a good two to four weeks for all of this fluid to go away and it is also related to the increased swelling after the surgery that also could take upwards of four to eight week depending on the amount of liposuction that was performed, but again it is very normal for this to occur.

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What is VASER liposuction and how effective is it?

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Laser Liposuction, Liposuction on October 5th

Question: What is VASER liposuction and how effective is it?

Answer: VASER liposuction is a type of liposuction that uses laser energy at the tip of the probe in order to blast the fat cells and make it easier to such them out. It is a very efficient form of liposuction if used by a board certified plastic surgeon but in the end does not afford better results than traditional liposuction.

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When and why are drains necessary after liposuction and how long are they used for?

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Liposuction, Surgery Aftercare on October 5th

Question: When and why are drains necessary after liposuction and how long are they used for?

Answer: After liposuction alone, it is not typical to place drainage tubes. Drainage tubes are usually used after an abdominoplasty with liposuction. After such a procedure, there is a lot of excess swelling and fluid and the drains are very important to remove all of this excess fluid so that it does not accumulate under the skin. Drains after a tummy tuck with lipo usually stay in for six to seven days.

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I hate the fat and the cellulite

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Liposuction on October 5th

Question: I hate the fat and the cellulite on my thighs and I am thinking of getting liposuction to reduce the fat in them but can liposuction also remove the cellulite or will I need an additional type of treatment to get rid of the cellulite?

Answer: Cellulite is very difficult to treat since it is basically caused by small fat irregularities that are directly beneath the skin. Liposuction involves removal of fat but at a much deeper layer than that. The liposuction would not be done at the superficial layer therefore liposuction is not a form of tenderness for cellulite. There are other forms of treatment such as different massages and treatment such as Endermology that can help with cellulite but liposuction alone is not the answer for that.

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When is a mini tummy tuck needed instead of just liposuction in the abdomen?

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Abdominoplasty, Liposuction, Tummy Tuck on October 4th

Question: When is a mini tummy tuck needed instead of just liposuction in the abdomen?

Answer: A mini tummy tuck is indicated for patients who have a small amount of excess skin in the lower abdomen near the pubic area and not so much in the upper abdomen above the belly button. Even in cases of mini abdominoplasties, liposuction is used as a tool or adjunct to sculpt the abdomen and the waist and get a better result.

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I am interested in having a second liposuction procedure but to different areas on the body than the first.

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Liposuction, Surgery Aftercare on October 4th

Question: I am interested in having a second liposuction procedure but to different areas on the body than the first. How long do I need to wait between procedures?

Answer: It is always to wait at least a minimum of six weeks before having another liposuction procedure even if it is on different areas of the body. This allows the body to recover, it allows swelling to subside and the overall recovery after the second procedure will be better.

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What can be done to help disguise bruising after liposuction.

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Liposuction, Surgery Aftercare on October 3rd

Question: What can be done to help disguise bruising after liposuction.

Answer: Massaging is a great technique to help reduce the bruising and reduce swelling after liposuction. Also Arnica Montana which is known to decrease bruising and swelling after surgery has been known to help quite a bit.

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Can you eat as much as you want if you have had liposuction

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Liposuction on October 3rd

Question: Can you eat as much as you want if you have had liposuction without the fat returning to the same area it was removed?

Answer: Well you should never eat as much as you want but after liposuction if one were to overeat and gain a significant amount of weight, the fat would go to other areas primarily that did not have liposuction performed. This is because liposuction removes fat cells and the patient does not grow new fat cells. Therefore, in the areas where liposuction was performed, you have less capacity to accumulate fat than in other areas of the body.

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Is liposuction typically used during a tummy tuck?

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Abdominoplasty, Liposuction, Tummy Tuck on October 2nd

Question: Is liposuction typically used during a tummy tuck?

Answer: In my practice and in my experience, liposuction is always used during a tummy tuck for sculpting the abs, shaping the waist and giving more contour to the hips and buttocks area. I feel that without the liposuction, the procedure would not be complete. In the hands of a board certified plastic surgeon, combining liposuction with a tummy tuck is a very safe technique.

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I am wondering if I am a better candidate for liposuction

Posted by Dr. Alain Polynice in Abdominoplasty, Liposuction, Tummy Tuck on October 1st

Question: I am wondering if I am a better candidate for liposuction of the abdomen or a tummy tuck, either a full or mini tuck. I do not have that much of a belly, maybe just a small little pocket of fat, which makes me think that liposuction would be sufficient, however, I do have a lot of stretch marks.

Answer: The key here is the stretch marks. If a person has excess fat in a trouble area such as a lower abdomen, love handles, saddle bags or inner thighs, liposuction is a great technique for contouring and sculpting these areas if there are no stretch marks. Stretch marks are essentially deep scars under the skin and once you have stretch marks that means your skin has lost its elasticity and liposuction alone while it would improve things by sculpting the fat, it would also leave you with a lot of extra skin that would then need to be excised.

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