Mega Liposuction

Do the fat cells come back? Are the results of liposuction permanent?

The actual number of fat cells in a person’s body remains stable after adolescence. Unless you become grossly obese, you do not grow more fat cells after adolescence. The fat cells grow bigger when you put weight on and smaller when you lose weight. When the fat cells are removed by liposuction, it is more difficult to gain fat in the treated areas—liposuction results in a permanent change in your shape. When you put weight on after liposuction, it is distributed more evenly across the body. These findings were published in the August 2012 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The full report can be read here.

What is Vaser liposuction?

At Cosmos Clinic, we use Vaser technology for all of our liposuction procedures, including mega liposuction. Vaser (Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance) is the most recent development in surgical liposuction, designed to dissolve fat using sound wave energy. This makes the fat easier to remove from the body when compared to traditional liposuction techniques.

Essentially, all forms of liposuction follow the same premise: fat deposits are broken apart and then suctioned out of the body using anaesthesia, saline solution, and a cannula. Depending on the specific technique used, these fat deposits can be broken apart in various ways. Vaser liposuction delivers ultrasound waves into the treatment area to generate heat, which works to break apart the fat cells for easy removal. This method even offers skin tightening benefits!

We prefer Vaser for our mega liposuction procedures as it offers a less invasive, less risky alternative to traditional liposuction. As Vaser is gentler on the body, it reduces bruising and swelling and improves recovery times, so you can get out and enjoy your new, slimmer contour much sooner.

What happens during the procedure?

Mega liposuction essentially follows all the same steps as a typical liposuction procedure. The only difference is that mega liposuction focuses on removing large amounts of fat to assist with weight loss rather than sculpting and contouring the figure.

To begin your mega liposuction procedure, your doctor will inject a saline solution mixed with an anaesthetic into the treatment area. This initial step is designed to numb the area to keep you comfortable, as well as to prevent bleeding during the procedure. Once anaesthetised, your mega liposuction doctor will make small incisions in the treated area, usually in an easily hidden location. Through these incisions, they will insert the Vaser ultrasound probes in order to break up the fatty tissue. As this fatty tissue is broken apart, a cannula is used to vacuum it out of the treated area. Following your procedure, some of the saline/anaesthetic mix will be left in the body to numb any post-procedural pain. The body will absorb this within a few days.

What happens to the skin after mega liposuction?

Many patients considering liposuction for weight loss are concerned that they will be left with bulges of excess skin after the procedure. However, most patients need not worry. The ultrasound heat delivered by the Vaser probe actually stimulates the formation of new collagen fibres, which allows the skin to retract. Following mega liposuction surgery, you can expect to have tighter, firmer skin.

However, there are some exceptions to this. If you have extremely poor skin elasticity due to weight gain, you may still experience a degree of skin wrinkling or looseness after surgery. If this does occur, we do offer a number of non-surgical skin tightening treatments at Cosmos Clinic that can help restore a smoother appearance.

Am I a suitable candidate for mega liposuction?

You may be a suitable candidate for our mega liposuction procedure if you fit the following criteria:

• You are overweight or obese and are struggling to lose weight through diet and exercise efforts
• You are looking to kickstart a health and fitness journey
• You are otherwise in good physical and mental health
• You are willing to follow healthy exercise and diet habits following the procedure to maintain your results
• You have relatively good skin elasticity
• You do not smoke or are willing to quit in the weeks before and after surgery

Ultimately, the best way to determine whether you are an appropriate candidate for large volume liposuction is to meet with our Cosmos Clinic doctors for a consultation.

When will I see the results of my mega liposuction procedure?

Since mega liposuction involves the removal of large volumes of fat, you will notice an improvement in your body contour immediately after surgery. However, remember that you will have some post-operative swelling, so you will need to wait for this to subside before your final results appear. You will also need to allow time for the skin to retract to your new body contour. You can expect your results to improve gradually in the three to six months following surgery.

What areas of the body can mega liposuction treat?

Liposuction for weight loss can help remove large amounts of unwanted fat from various areas of the body. Some popular treatment areas include the:

• Abdomen
• Flanks
• Inner and outer thighs
• Front and back of the thighs
• Lower legs
• Arms
• Chest
• Back
• Face
• Neck

During your consultation at Cosmos Clinic, you and your doctor will discuss which areas of the body will benefit best from mega liposuction.

How do I prepare for mega liposuction surgery?

When you visit Cosmos Clinic for a consultation, your mega liposuction doctor will provide you with thorough pre-operative instructions. If you smoke, you will need to quit at least two weeks before surgery, as smoking can increase surgical complications and delay healing. Additionally, your doctor may ask you to avoid certain medications and supplements that could lead to excessive bleeding during and after surgery. We also recommend taking steps before surgery to prepare for your recovery. This could include purchasing some comfortable recovery clothing, filling any needed prescriptions in advance, preparing some healthy meals, and arranging for someone to pick you up from the hospital and assist with tasks at home for a few days.

How long does the mega liposuction procedure take to complete?

The amount of time spent in surgery will depend on how much fat you would like to remove, as well as the specific areas treated. As a general rule, you can expect a liposuction for weight loss procedure to take between one and four hours to complete.

Will I feel any pain during the mega liposuction procedure?

Liposuction for weight loss is always performed under twilight sedation and local anaesthesia. As such, you should not feel any pain during the procedure. If you’d prefer to be completely sedated, you can request a general anaesthetic.

While you will feel very little during the procedure itself, you may experience some discomfort or pain during recovery. This can be alleviated with medication prescribed by your doctor.

How many mega liposuction procedures will I need?

This will depend on how much fat you wish to remove. While mega liposuction does remove more fat than during a traditional liposuction procedure, there is a limit on how much fat can be removed in one go. While some liposuction for weight loss patients can achieve their desired results in a single procedure, others may require two or three procedures to remove enough unwanted fat.

How much fat can mega liposuction remove?

Large volume liposuction can remove up to five litres of fat in a single procedure. Unfortunately, removing any more than this can put your health and safety at risk. In fact, one study found that removing more than five litres of fat at once can increase complication rates by 3.7 percent. As such, if you require the removal of more than five litres of fat, you will need to undergo multiple mega liposuction procedures – usually between two and three.

Does mega liposuction leave a scar?

Scarring is an inevitable part of any invasive surgical procedure. However, significant scarring following mega liposuction surgery is rare. This is because the incisions required to insert the Vaser probes are very small and will be placed in locations that can be hidden easily. Plus, with proper scar management techniques, you can expect those small incisions to fade entirely over time.