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Do You Have to Be Put to Sleep for Liposuction?

Liposuction can be a life-altering treatment that allows you to shed unwanted body fat and helps you achieve your maximum potential. Modern treatments offered by aFresh(R) Med Spa & Plastic Surgery in Glenview, IL have taken this treatment to a whole new level. Today, there are many ways to approach unwanted fat removal that will leave you looking and feeling great. But, do you have to be put to sleep for liposuction? In this article we will address some myths about liposuction and help you decide whether this treatment is a good fit for your health and beauty needs.

What Is Liposuction?

Liposuction is a treatment that allows you to lose pounds and achieve your aesthetic goals almost overnight. Even if you are diligent about diet and exercise, stubborn fat cells can remain in your body for years no matter what you do. Sometimes it is necessary to remove unwanted fat just to give a person the chance to exercise in a way that is healthy and sustainable. High-intensity exercise performed while you are overweight can pose a major health risk, so it’s valuable to consider ways to help restore you to a healthy weight quickly.

Do You Have to Be Put to Sleep for Liposuction?

The good news is that you do not have to be put to sleep to receive this life-altering treatment. All the forms of treatment offered by aFresh(R) Med Spa & Plastic Surgery can be performed under mild sedation, a local anesthetic, or while awake. The nature of this treatment allows patients to experience limited down time and a short recovery period.

Depending on the form of lipo you choose and the area you focus on, the treatment can help you achieve a look that would be impossible by following any other program. Remember that with lipo you can also target specific areas of your body. If you have diligently managed to sweat away every ounce of fat except for one hold out that will not be removed no matter how far you run or how little you eat, lipo might be the answer.

Many people have a mental image of the treatment being performed on the entire body all at once, but that isn’t the case. Every treatment can be catered to the needs of the patient. Here are some popular areas that people focus on:

Love Handles

Love handles are common, stubborn and very difficult to exercise away. It doesn’t matter how many crunches you do; your love handles persist and interrupt the line of your silhouette. Love handle removal is an ideal objective for lipo. Imagine yourself without love handles, and now imagine how easy it is to achieve that look.

Arms

Remember when you were in grade school and you had a teacher with fat deposits under her triceps? Everybody shares that memory. Unfortunately, the area under the arm is one of those problematic regions that is genetically predisposed to storing fat cells.

Before lipo, there was little you could do to avoid having fat deposits on your arm. Now those deposits can be safely and comfortably removed in no time. Lipo can also help shape the arm in addition to removing the excess fat.

Abdomen

Everyone is different, and our bodies all store fat in different places. The abdomen is one of the primary areas where fat can settle in and become hard to displace. If you have spent a lot of time in the gym but can’t seem to show off any muscle definition, it does not mean that your hard work has gone to waste. The muscles are there: you just have to remove the barrier that keeps the world from seeing them.

Bra Roll

Fat deposits around your bra straps can be another hereditary issue that have little to do with your overall health or fitness level. If you are unwilling to wear a strapless dress because of a bra roll, lipo might be a great choice. You deserve to have that smooth silhouette you’ve always dreamed of.

Inner and Outer Thighs

Sometimes there can be an abnormal buildup of fat cells in the legs, thighs, and buttocks. lipo can be a wonderful resource for treating this buildup and assisting you to achieve your ideal look. Again, these are areas that can carry an excessive amount of fat entirely due to genetic or hereditary issues.

Chest

Gynecomastia is a condition that causes the unwanted buildup of fat cells in the chest of a man. This condition can be highly detrimental to a man’s self-esteem and personal body image. Anyone who is struggling with an excessive buildup of fat cells in their chest should not hesitate to consult with a doctor about having those fat deposits quickly and easily removed.

Other

Every human being is different, and our differences are what make us unique. It is very common to be a completely healthy person who, through heredity or genetics, has a body that stores an uneven and excessive distribution of fat in a few problem areas. Do not beat yourself up for a condition that is out of your control.

Doctor’s can consult with you on the best way to treat virtually any part of the body where you feel dissatisfaction. You will learn not only what can be done, but the best treatment for achieving your goals.

Liposuction Options

Depending on your area of concern, there are many lipo techniques available. Your doctor can demonstrate these techniques for you and allay any of your concerns. Many individuals have an impression of lipo that comes from inaccurate representations on television or in film. Patient safety, comfort, and achieving a successful treatment are the primary goals of any physician. Here are some modern techniques that are available to help you achieve the aesthetic of your dreams:

The Cannula

A cannula is the fundamental tool used to perform lipo treatments. It is a long metal tube with apertures on the end that can dislodge and extract fat cells. Suction comes through the cannula to pull fat cells through the tube and into a collection canister.

Traditional lipo relied on moving a cannula alone, but modern advancements have made the procedure more gentle and more effective with more dramatic final results.

VASER Liposuction

VASER stands for vibration amplification of sound energy at resonance. Through VASER, ultrasonic frequency waves break down fat cells and help achieve a more sculpted look. Breaking down the fat cells makes them easier to remove and results in a smoother process. VASER is a treatment that can be performed using only a local anesthetic.

Water Lipo

Water lipo uses a jet of water for hydro-dissection of fat cells. The cells are loosened from the surrounding tissue and are then easier to remove. Water lipo is one of the gentlest forms of this treatment and results in very minimal downtime. Water lipo can help you sculpt your body to the exact final result you are hoping for and have you ready to resume your regular activities with a very fast turnaround.

Laser-Assisted Lipo

Laser-assisted lipo destroys fat cells with laser energy using a technique called laser lipolysis. Laser-assisted lipo also provides great results for tightening and shrinking skin. This technique provides excellent results for individuals who wish to shed abdominal fat and achieve an athletic, sculpted look.

Power-Assisted Lipo

In traditional lipo, the doctor had to move the cannula to assist with fat extraction. With power-assisted lipo, the procedure is the same except that the cannula vibrates on its own, much like a sonic toothbrush. The vibrations allow for a superior extraction and permit the doctor to perform the technique with smoother and gentler motions.

This results in quicker recovery time and a better overall effect. The use of power-assisted lipo also helps to reduce fatigue on the part of the doctor during long treatments.

Can You Have Lipo While Awake?

Modern treatments are so gentle that they can be performed while the patient is awake or under mild sedation. Remaining awake through lipo treatments has many benefits, including a quicker recovery.

Remaining awake allows patients to observe the treatment and stand up and reposition themselves as needed. This also allows the patient to have immediate feedback from the doctor during the treatment and to get feedback and answer questions. The majority of patients prefer to be awake and aware during their treatments.

Local Anesthetic

When performing lipo on a patient who is awake, the patient will be given local anesthesia into the treatment areas. The anesthesia generally takes about twenty minutes to take effect. With the patient awake, the doctor has an advantage in that he or she may ask the patient to move or stand. This helps immediately to assess how the treatment area is responding to the lipo.

Cases can vary, but lipo is commonly an outpatient procedure that is done in a single day and does not require an overnight hospital stay. This approach has minimal invasiveness and is the best possible treatment for allowing individuals to address their health and fat concerns quickly and efficiently. At the end of the treatment, patients experience minimal recovery time and return to their normal lives.

Mild Sedation

Mild sedation is the combination of a sedative to help you feel calm and relaxed, and an anesthetic to block pain. Mild sedation allows you to remain awake throughout the procedure and also assists in rapid recovery time. The recovery period for mild sedation is twenty to thirty minutes, after which you will be allowed to return to your home.

You Deserve to Look Your Best

Unwanted fat deposits that collect in unsightly areas of your body can have a detrimental effect on your health and your self-confidence. There are many fat deposits that will resist all of your efforts to remove them through diet and exercise no matter how diligent and dedicated you might be. Hereditary and genetic influences can make it impossible for you to achieve the body you want and deserve. Fortunately, modern lipo techniques are available to give you the body you want at minimal disruption to your life.

If you have fat deposits on your body, it might surprise you to discover how easy it is to have them removed. It can be a life-changing moment to talk to a doctor about modern treatments that help you achieve that smooth, graceful aesthetic you’ve always dreamed about.

With techniques that allow you to stay awake and that are performed on an outpatient basis, you will be able to observe your treatment and receive instant feedback from your attending doctor. Don’t be held back by factors beyond your control; contact aFresh® Med Spa & Plastic Surgery in Glenview, IL today and find out how you can achieve your dream look.

Karol Gutowski, MD, FACS

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