Nederlands
Before and after liposculpture of the left leg.
Liposculpture in practice
Liposculture takes place in day treatment. That means that you will have to be present in the clinic for several hours. You can go home soon after being treated. We advise you to have someone with you to take you home after your treatment. You will be clearly instructed what you can or cannot do after treatment, in order to facilitate a quick recovery.
On the day of the treatment you will go to the clinic. A nurse will guide you to the treatment facilty. Photos will be taken for you file in order to make a proper evaluation of the results afterwards. You will be weighed and your length will be measured. If you have any questions for the doctor there will be the opportunity to do so.
Then the doctor will draw the parts of your body that will be treated and the location of the holes will be determined. Your skin will be disinfected after which you will lie down on the treatment table. You will be covered with sterile cloth. After the preparations narcotic (tumescent) fluid will be inserted through different apertures. The insertion of the fluid is the most awkward part of the treatment. You will experience a pressurized, stinging sensation at first.
Soon you will feel that the anaesthetic is working and you experience a tense feeling in your skin, a touching of the skin and vague ‘rumblings’. Some areas contain more connective tissue and could be a little more sensitive during insertion of the fluid. When the tumescent fluid is acted upon, the subcutaneous fat tissue will be numb already. Between 2 and 6 litres of tumescent fluid will be injected on average. Then the fat tissue will be removed in a controlled way by means of several millimetres thin tubes (canules) that are inserted in the apertures from different directions. During treatment you will be pinched in your skin to see if enough fat is removed and that this done as smooth as possible.
You will be requested to change your position regularly in order to achieve even fat reduction. In some cases you will be asked to stand up towards the end of the treatment so that the result can be judged in vertical position. If necessary, you will have to lie down again to treat any irregularities that are still there. During treatment you could feel pressure or movement as well as some little stings. The treatment is not really painful. If it was decided to treat multiple locations it could be necessary to do this in two or more phases. When all locations have been treated, the wounds can be closed with stitches that will be removed one week later, if necessary. Finally, the skin will be cleaned and you will get to wear elastic compressive clothing (trousers, body or shirt) in order to minimize swellings and bruises.
After treatment
Immediately after treatment you could feel weak, tired and shivery because your fluid balance could be somewhat disturbed. The treated areas are swollen and bruised. These bruises are supposed to disappear between two to four weeks. The swelling will last somewhat longer and disappears for the most part in the first two to three months.
In the first week or so the treated area may feel bruised and you will experience a muscle ache like feeling. The skin could feel numb locally or very sensitive to the touch. This will all recover eventually.
Elastic clothing / compressive stockings
You will get elastic clothing immediately after treatment in order to minimise swellings and bruises that could appear during the first few days after treatment. You need to wear the clothing for at least two weeks, 24 hours during the first week after that only during the day. It is sometimes advised to wear the elastic clothing somewhat longer during the day. The clothing should be tight but must not pinch.
Mobile straight away
You will be mobile again straight away and you will be advised to keep moving immediately after treatment. However, severe physical exercise should be avoided. You should realise that the final result of liposculpture is not immediately visible. Swellings and bruises will disappear gradually. The skin will tighten slowly and any numbness of the skin will recover over the course of a few months. On average the final result will be visible only after 6 months.
Little chance of complications
Practice has shown that there is very little chance of complications. When you have answered all questions truthfully and you keep to the instructions, you can make sure that your recovery will process smoothly. This is one of the most frequent and safest cosmetic treatment in the world. General complications that could occur are bleedings, temporary numbness of the skin, infection, thromboses or an allergic reaction. Specific problems with liposculpture are an irregular skin surface, especially when the skin is less elastic, discoloration after bruises, small left-right differences, sometimes drawn in or discoloration of the scars. Liposculpture will not improve existing cellulite.
Follow up
When you leave the clinic you will get a discharge summary containing instructions as well as a phone number that is available 24 hours a day. You can consult whenever you want to if you are worried. One week later there is a follow up during which the stitches will be removed. Four to six months later there is a final follow up with the doctor. You will look at the results together and photos will be taken to compare with the original ones. Clients who have a realistic expectation are usually satisfied with the result. They feel more comfortable and confident, their clothing shows better.
For patients who are treated for lipodema: the initial complaints of feeling tired and heavy, cramps and discomfort usually disappear fully within two weeks. Because only one leg can be treated in one time and there have to be four weeks in between treatments, you will notice the differences clearly. The results will be lasting if you lead a healthy lifestyle with sufficient exercise and a healthy diet. The outcome of liposculpture depends of course on the doctor’s skills, but not entirely. Therefore no guarantees can be given for the final result. There are always other factors that have to do with you yourself, such as weight, age, muscle structure and recovery capacity of your body. However, during your visit you will be given an advice and representation that is as honest as possible of what you can expect of the treatment.