All Questions about Liposuction surgery answered by Liposuction Surgeon, New Jersey.

How is liposuction performed?
To perform liposuction, one or more small incisions are made near the area to be auctioned. Whenever possible, incisions are placed within the natural folds or contour lines of the skin so that they are inconspicuous. The surgeon then places a slim, hollow tube called a cannula through the incision so that its tip penetrates the underlying fat. After the cannula is connected by flexible tubing to a suction pump, the surgeon moves the cannula back and forth through the fat, which is vacuumed into the tube. Several variations to the basic liposuction technique have been introduced. The fat-removal technique that best meets your needs depends on a number of individual factors that your surgeon will discuss with you.

• Your surgeon may use the tumescent technique, in which the fat is pre-injected with a salt-water solution containing small amounts of adrenaline and sometimes local anesthetic.
• Your surgeon may also use ultrasound - assisted lipoplasty or UAL, a two-step technique that uses the energy from sound waves to liquefy the fat before it is auctioned.
• The type of instrumentation used may also vary. For some areas, a hand-held syringe may be used to provide the vacuum instead of a suction pump.

How will I learn about the safety of liposuction?
Each year thousands of people undergo liposuction and experience no major complications. However, you must fully understand the risks as well as the benefits of the procedure.

One of the most important parts of your consultation is the discussion that you and your surgeon will have about the possible complications of liposuction. In addition to listening carefully to what your surgeon tells you, be sure to raise any questions or concerns that you may have about the safety of the procedure.

By carefully following your surgeon's advice and instructions - both before and after surgery - you can do your part to minimize some of the risks.

What can I do to prepare for my surgery?
When the date for your surgery has been set, your plastic surgeon will provide you with specific instructions for the days immediately before and after your surgery. A number of points may be covered, including:

• avoiding certain medications that may complicate surgery or recovery
• stopping smoking for a period of time before and after surgery
• arranging for help or special care following surgery

How will I be cared for on the day of my surgery?
Liposuction may be performed in a hospital, an outpatient surgery center or an office-based surgical suite.

Various types of anesthesia can be used for liposuction. Your surgeon will select the type of anesthesia that provides the safest and most effective level of comfort for your procedure. For some patients, local anesthesia is used (usually with sedation) which numbs only the affected areas. For others, regional anesthesia, such as an epidural block (the kind of anesthesia commonly used in childbirth) or general anesthesia may be the best choice.

Your physical status will be closely monitored throughout the procedure and during your recovery.

How will I look and feel after surgery?
When the procedure is complete, you will be taken to a recovery area. For some patients, small drainage tubes will have been placed beneath the skin. Any discomfort you may feel can be controlled with medication prescribed by your plastic surgeon. An elastic bandage or specially designed compression garment may have been applied over the treated areas to control swelling and assist healing. Your plastic surgeon will tell you how long you must wear the garment and how you can remove it to bathe.

If only a small amount of liposuction has been done, you will be encouraged to get out of bed very shortly after the surgery. If multiple areas have been treated, you will probably remain in bed for a day or two, getting up to go to the bathroom and for meals.

Keep in mind that the speed of your recovery depends largely on the extent of your surgery. Although everyone heals at a different rate, you can expect that your recovery will follow this general time line:

Within the first week

• The swelling will reach its peak and then begin to subside.
• Your stitches will be removed.
• You may return to nonstrenuous work.

After several weeks

• Bruises will fade and eventually disappear.
• Areas that felt numb will regain normal sensation.
• You may resume most of your normal exercise and activities.
• Swelling will continue to subside.