Tumescent Liposuction

There are millions of individuals who have fat pockets on their body which are hard to get rid of. Despite dieting and exercise, these fat pockets remain and one of the options of removing them is liposuction. One of the variants of regular liposuction is tumescent liposuction which can effectively remove fat from most parts of the body



The technique of tumescent liposuction involves the use of a large amount of a diluted solution of local anesthetic and epinephrine into the fat layer. The local anesthetic prevents the pain and the epinephrine causes the blood vessels to narrow and hence there is less bleeding.

Because volume loss from the body is common when large amounts of fat is removed, tumescent liposuction prevents this volume shifts and maintain equilibrium in the body. The amount of fluid injected into the fat is almost 2-3 times the volume of fat to be removed. The other name for tumescent liposuction is super wet liposuction.

When the excess fluid is injected into the fat, it causes the bulging fat areas to swell and loosen up. With a stainless steel cannula, the fat is then suctioned out.

Using back and forth movements, the fat is sucked through the tube into a sterile collection system. After the procedure, an elastic compression garment is worn to help the skin contract and heal.

Tumescent liposuction is an outpatient procedure and in the rare case may require an overnight hospital stay. Because the individual is awake during the surgery, the individual will respond to commands and assist in shifting his/her body position to enable removal of fat

Tumescent liposuction has been very effective and allows for removal of fat from both the superficial and deep layers of the body. The majority of individuals have very little pain or discomfort both during and after the procedure.

Recovery is fast.

The few minor side effects after tumescent liposuction include

- bruising

- swelling

- pain

- bleeding

What are the risks?

Like all surgical procedures, tumescent liposuction does have some risks but when performed by an experienced surgeon, the risks are minimal. Some complications that may occur include

- uneven ness of the skin

- skin dimpling

- Loose skin

- Numbness

- infection

- Scarring

- Lumpiness

The majority of these minor imperfections can be easily corrected.

Tumescent liposuction can remove fat from all over the body including:

- face

- neck

- chin

- breast

- abdomen

- thighs

- hips

- waist

- buttocks

- calves

- ankles

- back

- male and female breast

- Excessive underarm sweating (even though this is performed, this is not recommended therapy)

After the procedure, the majority of individuals have an uneventful outcome. One can return to work in 2-3 days and resume normal activities within a week. All individuals are encouraged to walk after the procedure.

There are many physicians who perform liposuction. Even though it is a safe procedure, mishaps have been known to occur. Since liposuction is an elective procedure and paid by you, choose your surgeon well and do not hesitate to ask questions. If ever in doubt, seek another opinion.