When you decide to have cosmetic surgery, you have to consider many different factors, including why you want the surgery, the cost, the amount of recovery, what your expectations are, and others. For many people, liposuction is an excellent decision and it helps them reach the sleek, slender shape they’ve worked toward achieving. Other people are simply not good candidates for the procedure.
Dr. Kevin Jovanovic and Dr. Radoslav Jovanovic have years of experience between them, and they can help you walk through the decision-making process by giving you clinical information to go along with your personal thoughts when it comes to liposuction. If it turns out you’re a good candidate and want to go through with the procedure, we’re happy to help; but if you decide it’s not right for you, we may be able to offer other options to help you reach your goals.
When you have liposuction, your doctor makes several small incisions in the area where you want fat removed. Most commonly, liposuction is performed on the hips, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, and back, though it can be done on most areas of the body.
After a small incision in the area of attention, the treatment area is filled with an anesthetic solution and a device called a cannula is used to break up the subcutaneous fat. Once the fat is broken apart, it’s removed using suction attached to the cannula.
You’re likely to have pain, swelling, and bruising for a few days after the procedure. You wear a compression garment to decrease the swelling, and we provide pain medication if necessary.
There are several qualities that make a person a good candidate for liposuction; some are physical and some are mental. For example, you should be within 30% of your goal weight before you consider the procedure. Liposuction isn’t a weight loss solution, so if you’re overweight, it shouldn’t be your first choice.
You should also have a clear understanding of what liposuction can do. You need to have specific body contouring goals, and not just “be slimmer.” What part of your body would you like to be slimmer?
Along with specific goals, for a successful experience, you need to have an overall positive outlook balanced by realistic expectations. Your recovery is smoother when you have a good outlook, and you’re more likely to be satisfied if you begin with realistic expectations.
Finally, you need to be in good overall health. Liposuction isn’t a good choice for smokers. You should have good muscle tone and skin elasticity. You should be following a nutritious diet and have an established exercise routine—one that hasn’t worked to remove the pockets of fat that you’d like gone.
If your goal is to get rid of cellulite, liposuction won’t help. If you’re overweight, liposuction isn’t a good path for losing weight. If you have an illness, medical condition, or infection that makes it difficult for you to heal, liposuction is not for you.
Other factors that indicate you’re not a good candidate for the procedure include poor skin elasticity, anxiety or extreme concern about complications, or if you can’t afford it.
Essentially, if you’re healthy but you have some areas that don’t respond to diet and exercise, liposuction could be a way to achieve the results you’ve always wanted. The best way to find out if you’re a good candidate or not is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jovanovic. Call or message us online today.
