Liposuction, A Dream Come True?
| People choose to have liposculpture done for a variety of personal reasons. Author MJ Frauenheim asked several patients about their experience... this is what they said. |
John Varner underwent liposuction of the neck, love handles, abdomen and breast. "I thought it would improve my physical and mental outlook," said Varner, 38, a regional sales manager. Varner says he is delighted with his new body. "I feel more confident, and I look good in a bathing suit. I consider it an investment in self-esteem." With Dawn, it was her thighs. "They drove me crazy," says the 28 year old real estate broker. "They were way too fat." She couldn't be happier with the results of her liposuction. "Now I can wear a skirt and there's no bulge. This is the body I should have been born with." Sentiments like these have quickly made liposuction the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure in the United States. Liposuction offers a no sweat, permanent solution to love handles, saddlebag thighs, bagging bottoms, bulging bellies, double chins, shelf-like hips and piano legs. A liposuction surgeon can remove in a matter of hours what diet and exercise failed to move in years. And the best news is that, since adults no longer produce new fat cells, once fat cells are removed by liposuction, they're gone for good. "I've been battling my saddlebags for years," said 42 year old psychologist Susan Felice, Ph.D. "I exercise, I eat right. I really work hard to keep myself in shape, but the little pouches of fat on the side of my thighs don't respond," she said. Referred by a friend, Susan consulted Dr. Harvey Abrams, a board certified dermatolo. gist and cosmetic surgeon, about liposuction. Dr. Abrams uses the state-of-the-art tumescent technique. "Tumescent is a medical term which means engorged," Dr. Abrams explains. The area to be liposuctioned is engorged with a solution containing the anesthetic lidocaine and the blood vessel-constricting chemical epinephrine. Engorging the area allows for easier and more uniform fat removal. The epinephrine reduces blood loss and subsequent bruising dramatically while lidocaine eliminates pain during the procedure. For small procedures, the tumescent fluid mixture may be all the anesthesia required. For larger procedures, Dr. Abrams encourages use of light intravenous sedation for greater patient comfort. Liposuction is performed by inserting a hollow steel tube called a cannula through tiny incisions in the skin. "A well-done liposuction leaves almost no traces," Dr. Abrams remarks, "the incisions are no more than a half-inch long and every effort is made to hide them in a natural skin fold, belly button, or pubic hair." like a sculptor with a chisel, Dr. Abrams recontours the body by removing fat with the cannula. The smooth tip of the cannula pushes blood vessels and nerves aside while a vacuum pulls fat in through small holes. "Liposuction is an operation of inches, not pounds," Dr. Abrams explains. "liposuction works best on people who have isolated areas of 'resistant' fat but are of normal weight for their body type." Susan's weight may only drop by a pound or two after her surgery, but for the rest of her life her hips will curve in a smooth silhouette from waist to thigh. Most liposuction patients experience minimal discomfort or disruption to their lives. Susan's surgery was performed in Dr. Abrams' office on a Friday morning. She was resting at home by that afternoon and felt "only a little sore" when she returned to work on Monday wearing a pressure garment under her slacks. "Dr. Abrams' staff made me feel very well cared for every step of the way. They couldn't have been nicer," she reports. Three months after surgery Susan is thrilled with the results. "I feel more toned and compact," she says, "and that gives me an extra psychological edge. I never doubted my abilities professionally and now my exterior matches my interior. I'm really glad I did it."
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