Murphy Plastic Surgery understands that patients who pursue liposuction are frustrated. They are frustrated that despite their best efforts to exercise and watch what they eat, they can’t get the results they want when they look in the mirror, or more commonly, their clothes don’t fit them like they desire. They look at their relatives and see the same thing and it isn’t what they want.

(See our body procedure gallery for before and after photos)

Many potential liposuction patients desire a buff-etched look. They want to see their abs or more sculpted thigh muscles. Liposuction can help them to achieve their goal but they need to help the process. A surgeon can remove the excess fat in the area but going to the gym to sculpt the muscles is still important.

The majority of liposuction patients simply want to look better in their clothes and want their clothes to fit better. The typical liposuction patients claims that if their pants fit well in the thighs they are loose in the waist, and if they fit in the waist they are too tight in the thighs… or the other way around. Liposuction is a balancing procedure. A skilled plastic surgeon, like Dr. Murphy, can remove the appropriate amount of fat in each area to achieve a balanced look. Even if their skin doesn’t have perfect elasticity, and most patients after 25 or 30 don’t, they feel great about themselves and are spending less money at the tailor.

Patients often ask if the fat can come back after liposuction. There is not a clear and all-compassing answer. While you don’t make more fat cells after puberty, not all of the fat cells in any area are removed with liposuction. So if you gain weight some fullness will come back in the area of liposuction but you will tend to gain more in other areas. We had one patient who had liposuction of the abdomen and thighs tell me that when she gained weight it came back in her chest and she was ecstatic. But we wouldn’t guarantee that for everyone.

Liposuction is a wonderful body contouring procedure. The Power Assisted Liposuction procedure we have been performing at our office has seen great success. The power of the hand-piece allows a surgeon to focus more on the sculpting of the procedure, with less swelling and bruising for the patient and thus a quicker recovery.

Not every patient is a candidate for liposuction. Liposuction is not a weight loss technique and it is important for your surgeon to be upfront that the procedure is sometimes a waste of money as it will not generate the results they seek. A weight loss procedure such as a gastric bypass or a gastric band may be a better choice. In these situations, a surgeon should refer the patient to bariatric speciality, such as the one at Swedish Medical Center ».

If you would like to learn more about Liposuction, please click here.