Weight Loss Before Liposuction

Whenever possible, patients should be near their ideal body weight before they undergo liposuction. For some patients this just isn’t possible and under these circumstances a stable body weight is acceptable. When patients are actively losing weight, it’s appropriate to delay surgery until a stable weight has been obtained.

It’s important to realize that weight fluctuations after surgery can adversely impact the results of liposuction. For this reason, every effort should be made to reach a stable weight that can be easily maintained before and after surgery.

Massage After Liposuction

There are no scientific studies that conclusively demonstrate that massage is helpful following liposuction. Despite this, many plastic surgeons utilize massage as a routine component of postoperative care following this procedure. They believe that massage minimizes internal scarring, decreases edema, and helps remodel soft tissue.
Omaha Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

It’s not unusual for patients to complain of swelling, tightness, and stiffness following this procedure. Massage and an early return to physical activity seems to help with these issues. For these reasons, plastic surgeons often recommend gentle massage and stretching exercises after liposuction. These are usually started 7 to 10 days following the procedure. Initially these maneuvers cause mild discomfort which quickly resolves with time.

If you’re planning liposuction, it’s important to discuss this issue with your plastic surgeon. In many cases, massage will be an important part of your postoperative care.

General or Local Anesthesia for Liposuction?

Tumescent liposuction represents a significant advance in the management of localized fat collections.  When this techniques is utilized with local anesthesia alone the response varies from patient to patient. The majority of patients appear to do well and have good results especially when smaller amounts of fat are removed. Unfortunately, we frequently see patients who have had significant pain and discomfort during the injection process when local anesthesia is used alone. 

For this reason, many surgeons supplement local anesthesia with I.V. sedation or general anesthesia to minimize pain and discomfort during the procedure. When utilizing this approach patients can have more fat removed and avoid multiple procedures. The procedure is more comfortable and avoids break through pain which can occasionally occur with local anesthesia alone.

It’s important to realize that all surgical procedures and anesthetic techniques have risks. This is true whether local anesthesia, I.V. sedation or general anesthesia are utilized. Most surgeons who perform tumescent liposuction agree that the anesthetic technique utilized is less important than the use of a certified operating room and the presence of an anesthesiologist. In other words, you don’t want your surgeon to be your anesthesiologist.

Liposuction Alternatives – What are the Options?


The most obvious alternative to liposuction is diet and exercise. Unfortunately, many localized areas of fat are refractory to this method of treatment. For this reason, patients often seek other methods of treatment. 
Omaha Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

A large variety of non-surgical alternatives are currently available for treating localized collections of fat. Examples include zerona, coolsculpting, mesotherapy, and endermologie. All of these procedures are associated with varying degrees of success, but none are as effective as liposuction.

Liposuction represents the gold standard that all other body contouring procedures are judged against. This procedure is associated with dramatic results and high patient satisfaction rates. In the vast majority of patients, liposuction is still the best option for treating localized collections of fat.

If you’re concerned about localized fat collections, consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has experience with this problem is appropriate. This surgeon should be able to discuss non-surgical and surgical options. Utilizing this approach, an individualized treatment plan can be developed specifically for you.