With 35.7% of American adults considered obese, cosmetic surgery for body sculpting and weight loss is growing in popularity. One of the most popular procedures is liposuction, as it allows surgeons to efficiently target and remove fat from the most problematic areas of the body, such as hips, thighs, chest, abdomen, and arms. As many people have localized fat deposits despite being in good health and of a reasonable fitness level, the liposuction procedure is the most logical choice for them.
What is liposuction? Liposuction is a procedure that removes fat from specific areas of the body via a small, flexible tube and either a suction pump or a hand syringe. Occasionally, lasers are used to heat the fat, turning it into a liquid, to make it easier to remove.
During the procedure, the patient has different options for anesthesia. With local anesthesia, the area around the surgery is numbed, and the patient lightly sedated. Regional anesthesia is similar, but with a larger area numbed. In both cases, the patient is awake for the procedure, but relaxed and feeling no pain. If the patient does not wish to remain awake for the surgery, he or she may opt for general anesthesia, and will be asleep for the entire procedure. When long-acting anesthetics are used, many patients tolerate liposuction very well and experience little pain.
If diet and exercise have proven ineffective, but you still want to lose weight, visit your local physicians weight loss clinic. There, you can meet with a doctor who will discuss with you your goals for appearance and weight loss, and help you decide whether medical weight management or surgery is the right choice to meet your needs.