If you ask the American Association of Plastic Cosmetic Surgeons what you should do before you undergo traditional liposuction surgery, they'd tell you to be sure to undergo a series of medical exams first.
These exams are important, as anyone who undergoes any type of surgery needs to be in good overall health.
Many underlying health issues can be detected by routine blood tests and other health evaluations.
By undergoing the tests recommended by most cosmetic surgeons, you can help ensure you don't put yourself at higher risk when undergoing surgery should there be an underlying medical problem that you don't know about.
After deciding to undergo with liposuction surgery, you should have a thorough discussion with your surgeon about the various options available to you.
These might include tumescent liposuction, traditional liposuction, and Vaser or Smartlipo liposuction.
You should also ask about whether or not general anesthesia must be used.
Many of the newer techniques, such as Vaser and Smartlipo, only require the use of local anesthesia.
You should also find out how long the surgery will take, how many incisions if any will be made, what you can expect in the way of pain and scarring, as well as how long it will take to return to your regular activities.
The first step in carrying out traditional liposuction is having the areas of treatment marked out by your surgeon.
An IV will also be inserted to replace fluids lost during the procedure.
After the necessary anesthesia for the procedure is administered, your surgeon will begin making the small incisions required to carry out the procedure.
A small steel tube called a cannula will be inserted into these incisions.
The tube is attached to a special vacuum which provides for the suction necessary to suck the fat out from the body.
It will be necessary to have someone drive you home after your procedure.
This is due to the medications used during surgery and for pain relief.
Doctors will not allow you to drive yourself home after your surgery.
You should also consider packing a bag with a few person things in case you need to stay overnight.
Although most liposuction procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, certain complications can arise that can require a hospital stay.
If your surgery is performed in an outpatient setting and you have no complications, you should be able to return home within a couple of hours after surgery.
However, if your surgery is more extensive, you may be required to stay in the hospital for a day or two before being released to home.
As for recovery time, it all depends on the amount of fat you have removed and the type of surgery you have.
Traditional liposuction can require a few weeks of recovery before you feel like up to returning back to all of your normal activities.