Liposuction Candidates Columbus OH

Liposuction is a relatively non-invasive surgical procedure where unwanted fat is removed from a patient’s superficial fat pockets using very small incisions. Typically, it is cosmetic plastic surgery procedure with the shortest recovery period and, when performed by an experienced plastic surgeon in ideal patients, tends to provide very satisfying results.

Ideal Candidates

Liposuction is ideal for people who are young, healthy, close to their ideal weight, and who have elastic skin with pockets of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. Even though not everyone who opts to undergo a liposuction needs to be the ideal patient, the closer you are to being an ideal candidate, the better your results will be. Younger patients with elastic skin tend to recover nicely with very little evidence of the performed surgery. It is advised that patients lose as much excess weight as they can prior to the surgery. This allows surgeons to concentrate more on the fat that patients are unable to lose rather than the fat they could have lost on their own.

In addition, it is well documented that patients who commit to lifestyle changes prior to having body-contouring procedures by losing excess weight with diet and exercise have longer lasting successful results than those who hope that the surgery is going to stimulate them to change their ways.

Poor Candidates

On the other hand, patients who are considerably obese are not good candidates for liposuction. Contrary to popular belief, a liposuction would not make much of a difference to the appearance or size of very large patients. It is important that patients understand that liposuction is a contouring procedure; it is not a weight loss surgery. In fact, patients who are quite large may be better candidates for surgeries like gastric bypass or banding since those procedures help patients to lose weight. If not, overweight or obese patients should simply follow a rigorous diet and exercise program to lose their weight. Patients that end up losing a considerable amount of weight from bariatric surgery normally do not require liposuction. They are generally better candidates for procedures which remove excess skin such as tummy tucks, body lifts, arm lifts and thigh lifts.

Patients who do not enjoy a clean bill of health may also not be ideal candidates for liposuction. Be sure to discuss any and all health issues with your surgeon prior to surgery.

Check out our blog on Losing Weight Prior to Surgery

Limited Liposuction Results

It is not uncommon for plastic surgeons to see patients seeking liposuction who are not perfect candidates but are also not looking for the ideal result; understanding that their lack of skin elasticity will not allow for a smooth contour after liposuction or that they are simply unable to lose weight prior to surgery. These patients are often interested in removing excess fat, not with the idea of looking better out of clothes, but with the concept of feeling more comfortable in clothes, allowing clothing to fit better or simply helping them to feel better about themselves.