Liposuction Surgery - Tumescent Liposuction

Because tumescent liposuction surgery uses very small cannulas, only tiny incisions are required. The incisions are so small that no stitches are used. The wounds heal by themselves and all most disappear with time.

Tumescent Liposuction - How the Skin is Affected

The degree of skin change after liposuction surgery is the same as one would expect if it were possible to lose an equal amount of fat in these localized areas imply by dieting. Because the small cannulas simply make small tunnels through the fat, there remain multiple connections between the skin and the underlying tissue. These fibrous connections contract with the healing process and maintain the skin in its natural position. After liposuction by tumescent liposuction, one does not have to worry about excessive folds of the skin in the areas treated by liposuction surgery. This effect is so dramatic that many patients who previously would have required a surgical excision of skin, called a tummy tuck, can now have excellent results simply by having liposuction surgery.

Tumescent Liposuction - Decreased Bruising

There is dramatically less bruising using local anesthesia for tumescent liposuction surgery as compared to general anesthesia. There are two reasons for this significant decrease in bruising. First, because there is so little bleeding with tumescent liposuction, there is almost no blood that remains beneath the skin after surgery to cause bruising.

The second reason for decreased bruising is that with tumescent liposuction there is a considerable amount of post-operative drainage of the anesthetic solution which is slightly blood tinged. Because the incision sites are so small and do not require stitches, these wounds are slightly open for two to three days after the surgery and permit more of the residual anesthetic solution and blood to drain out. This minimizes bruising and swelling and accelerates the rate of healing.

Tumescent Liposuction - Immediate Post-Operative Recovery

After liposuction by general anesthesia, patients must be observed in a recovery room until it can be determined that they have not lost too much blood, and that the post-operative nausea and vomiting is not too profound. With tumescent liposuction, there is virtually no blood loss and with local anesthesia there is rarely any nausea.

Because it does take additional time to inject the local anesthesia with liposuction by tumescent liposuction the patient does remain on the surgical table longer than with liposuction by general anesthesia. However, because the recovery time is so short, the total amount of time that the patient is in the surgical facility is much shorter with tumescent liposuction than with general anesthesia. After completion of liposuction by tumescent liposuction, patients are discharged home in about 30 minutes.

Tumescent Liposuction - Quick Return to Normal Activities

By not using stitches to close incision sites, there is acceleration in the rate of healing. Open incision site permit drainage of the slightly blood tinged anesthetic solution. This has had a dramatic effect in minimizing bruising. Most patients now notice that bruising is almost entirely absent one week after surgery.

Because tumescent liposuction eliminates bleeding and because the residual anesthetic solution drains out so quickly, there is less inflammation and the healing process is significantly accelerated.

Because of the significant decrease in swelling and decrease in inflammation and pain after the surgery, patients are able to return to normal physical activities very soon after surgery. There is no limitation to physical activity other than what common sense would dictate. Some patients are able to return to jogging, golf, light aerobic exercise within a day or two after surgery. Some patients do find the soreness after surgery more significant than others, but on the average, most patients are quite surprised at how quickly they are able to return to normal activity.