Liposuction

Body contouring by liposuction is the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the USA. Why has this operation skyrocketed to number one in the decade since its first introduction in America? The answer is simple. Most (or perhaps almost all) of us have localized areas of fatty deposits that defy all attempts at dieting, nutritional supplements, and exercise.

Liposuction is the only method to get rid of these unwanted passengers, absolutely, once and for all! The problem varies with age and sex.

Liposuction for Men

Men tend to accumulate fat around the waist – the so-called spare tire, love handles, or if more substantial, the “beer belly.” Even slender, “in shape,” physically fit young males can be plagued by this rim of redundant fat. There is scientific evidence to suggest that this area of fat deposit results in an increased health risk of heart and blood vessel disease.

If a surgeon uses general anesthesia, beware. General anesthesia (being put completely asleep and lose your ability to breathe on your own) carries additional risks. Some scientific studies report that one in every five thousand patients “put under” general anesthesia will not wake up. If a doctor uses general anesthesia, it’s a good indication that the true tumescent technique is not performed in that facility.

Liposuction for Women

In the female anatomy, the problem areas of fat collection are in the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, and sometimes the legs. Again, this can be a problem even in the youngest and most physically fit women.

You may have thought about liposuction in the past, but may have been to afraid of the risks often attributed to the traditional liposuction technique, which uses larger instruments and general anesthesia. The development of the tumescent liposuction technique truly revolutionized the way we can remove fat from the body. This method of body contouring via microcannula tumescent liposuction is an excellent technique to remove localized deposits of fat.

The Tumescent Liposuction Technique

Tumescent liposuction is performed under local anesthesia with very small suction tubes, called cannulas. They are used to sculpt areas such as the arms, thighs, knees, back, buttocks, waist, abdomen, neck and elsewhere.

The amount of actual fat removal can range from as little as five ounces from each knee, to as much as six to ten pounds from the waist, hips, and abdomen. It is remarkable how smoothly the skin is able to contract and re-drape after removing the underlying fat. This skin contraction occurs even in patients over the age of 70. By using local anesthesia and very small suction cannulas there is much less trauma to the tissues and the recovery is much more easily tolerated.

“When I look at individuals, I find that their beauty is in the gestalt, or the sum total, of who they are – the combination of the face, the body, the expressiveness, the way a person moves, the way they feel about themselves, the way their inner nature radiates outward. Nothing stands out as not “fitting” – they just seem right in their skin.”

- Dr. McMenamin

Older liposuction techniques utilize general anesthesia and large bore cannulas. The results were often unsatisfactory, with uneven removal, skin ridges and irregularity, and enough blood loss to require a blood transfusion. Although irregularity can occur with the tumescent microcannula liposuction technique, the chances of this happening are much, much less. The risks of undergoing general anesthesia are excessive blood loss, blood clot or fat embolus to the lung, or inflammation of the veins, any of which would require hospitalization. In a study in the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery, July 1995, which followed 15,000 patients undergoing the tumescent liposuction technique, none of these complications presented themselves.

History of the Tumescent Technique

Dr. Jeffrey Alan Klein, a dermatologist and scientist, is the originator of this revolutionary liposuction technique. Dr. McMenamin and his physician assistant (PA), Catherine Lown, learned this technique from him during a visit to his facility in San Juan Capistrano.

Since their visit in 1994, Dr. McMenamin has successfully sculpted most parts of the body with excellent results including the ankles, knees, thighs, arms, and the most popular abdomen, hips, and waist. Results from these liposuction procedures have been overwhelmingly satisfying to patients who are getting back into clothes they haven’t been able to wear in a while and are planning to wear a bathing suit without self-consciousness in public for the first time in years. Of course, results vary from person to person.

How Tumescent Liposuction Works

Actually, it’s quite simple. Large amounts of a very dilute local anesthetic solution are infused (pumped) into the areas to be liposuctioned. This causes the fatty tissue to swell, or “tumesce.” The anesthetic used is lidocaine, a numbing medication, along with epinephrine (adrenaline), which causes blood vessels to constrict so there is very little bleeding during the procedure.

Dr. McMenamin, who may be assisted by his physician assistant or an assisting surgeon, makes a tiny incision less than a quarter of an inch long and inserts a thin, straw-like instrument called a “cannula”. The cannula is passed into the layer of fat under the skin and above the fascia, the connective tissue that lies above the muscle. The injected anesthetic numbs and swells the fat, making it easier to remove. It also shrinks the blood vessels to the point that most patients lose 2-3 teaspoons of blood in an abdominal liposuction. Dr. McMenamin, assisted by the PA or assisting surgeon, repeatedly slides the cannula into the fat and out again, removing fat cells with every pass. Dr. McMenamin does all the final contouring and sculpting to attain as close to perfect a result as your body will allow.

Liposuction Recovery and Results

The microcannula, local anesthesia liposuction technique allows most patients to resume normal activities in a surprisingly short period of time. As you would expect, more extensive fat removal will require a longer recovery. Still, most people are back at work within the week. Some can return to work in as few as three days, continuing with a normal exercise routine. Many patients require nothing more than Tylenol for post-operative discomfort. However, you will be given a prescription for something stronger if needed.

Do you have questions about liposuction? Contact our cosmetic surgery practice in Sacramento to learn more about your liposuction options. Our practice is located at 785 University Ave, Sacramento CA 95825. Please give us a call at 916-564-8888 or use the online contact form to send an email.