Posted July 17, 2019 in Liposuction
Obesity continues to rise. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that over 93.3 million Americans were considered obese by 2015. With such staggering numbers, it’s no wonder that so many people are taking a good hard look at their lifestyle habits and making changes.
Sticking to your weight loss goals can be tough, and people may still find themselves with inches of fat that won’t go away, no matter how hard they work. Liposuction can help you achieve the quintessential “dream body” you’ve worked so hard for. This procedure works to melt away inches of fat and reshape body contours for a sculpted physique.
How Does Liposuction Work?
Liposuction, sometimes shortened to “lipo,” is an extremely popular cosmetic procedure. Dr. Taranow regularly performs liposuction on patients who are seeking better body contours.
Dr. Taranow performs liposuction as an outpatient procedure under intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Small incisions are made in the target area that are injected with a mix of local anesthetic and medication to help blood vessels shrink and further reduce pain.
*Actual Patient* Results May Vary
Thin tubes, called cannulas, are inserted into the incisions and attached to a vacuum device that suctions out unwanted fat. The incisions are then closed with sutures.
What Can Liposuction Treat?
Liposuction is very versatile and can be used to melt away unwanted fat in almost any body area. Patients typically seek liposuction to remove fat in:
- Hips, buttocks, and thighs
- Upper arms
- Around the waist or midsection(“love handles” or “muffin top”)
- Abdomen and lower belly (paunch, especially for women after childbirth)
- Back
- Calves and ankles
- Lower face and neck (“jowls”)
Liposuction may aid in tightening skin after moderate weight loss. Together with an exercise and diet regimen, liposuction can be the last step needed to meet your body goals.
How Can Liposuction Help With Weight Loss?
People who lose weight sometimes still struggle to rid themselves of those final few inches of stubborn fat throughout the body. Liposuction can be an effective way of getting rid of those stubborn pockets of fat that diet and exercise can’t seem to touch.
Dr. Taranow uses the liposculpture technique, a method that involves body sculpting, when performing liposuction procedures. This method is a gentle yet effective way of smoothing body contours for a slimmer, leaner physique. Although liposuction removes inches from targeted areas and you look like you lost tremendous weight, it does not account for substantial weight loss (average changes are 2-8 pounds).
Can Liposuction Replace Exercise?
Not at all! In fact, surgeons recommend that people keep up with their exercise routine even after a successful liposuction treatment in order to preserve results—and prevent weight gain from happening elsewhere in the body. Many patients use the liposuction procedure as a motivation to work out as they see rapid changes in their shape soon after the procedure as opposed to months at the gym with a vigorous workout regime.
During liposuction, fat cells are permanently removed from each specific area. The treated areas rarely gain fat back even with moderate weight gain post surgery. However, this does not mean that excess fat will not collect in other areas. It’s important to realize that liposuction is not a replacement for actual weight loss. While liposuction does melt away fat cells, it does not actually cause patients to lose weight and is instead more useful for creating better body contours.
*Actual Patient* Results May Vary
Liposuction can be an essential part of a person’s weight loss journey. With a good exercise and diet regimen, liposuction can be the last key piece in restoring body contours for the dream look people work for everywhere.
Interested in seeing what liposuction can do for you? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Taranow soon by calling our office at 212-772-2100.