Liposuction is an excellent way to target residual deposits of fat after massive weight loss. This body contouring technique can be used to sculpt the body for more proportional, smoother contours. Although some weight loss patients experience an overall and consistent reduction in size, it’s common to have stubborn lingering areas of fat. The flanks, back, abdomen, legs and arms can retain deposits of fat that are impervious to diet and exercise. (1)
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery defines massive weight loss as losing over 100 lbs, or 40% of your body weight. Losing this amount of weight is an arduous process. If you’re nearing the end of your weight loss journey but are still dealing with areas that are resisting your best efforts, liposuction may be the answer. Liposuction permanently removes fat cells, so they will be unable to return. At Advanced Body Sculpting Institute, we use state-of-the-art technology and highly refined techniques to allow our patients to make the changes that will let them look and feel their very best. Call (303) 708-8770 to schedule an informative consultation and learn more about how liposuction can help you achieve your aesthetic goals. Our offices are located in beautiful Englewood, Colorado to conveniently serve the Denver area.
About Liposuction
Choosing to lose the weight was a decision with high stakes. You may very well have made a life-saving decision. After massive weight loss, patients often find that their body has taken on a deflated appearance. Excess skin and stubborn bulges can keep you from fully celebrating your achievement. Liposuction allows a surgeon to sculpt a patients’ physique for natural-looking, attractive contours. It can also reveal and accentuate muscle tone.
This is especially useful for men who may have found that since losing weight, their features are less masculine than they’d prefer. Liposuction can remove the appearance of male breasts and add definition to the abdomen and chest.
Once the remaining fat is carefully suctioned away, those with good skin elasticity may find their bulges banished and that their skin has snapped back to reveal their lean physique.
At ABS Institute, we use VASER liposuction, which has the ability to further tighten skin after liposuction. VASER works from the inside out to retract skin for a tighter, smoother effect.
VASER Liposuction for After Weight Loss
VASER liposuction allows our expert surgeons to remove precise amounts of fat close to the surface of the skin. Fat can be removed in a way that flatters and enhances feminine curves, or a chiseled male physique.
One of the biggest complaints of patients that have undergone massive weight loss is that the rolls of hanging and excess skin that remain in lieu of the fat. VASER liposuction not only removes fat, it works beneath the skin to tighten and smooth.
Subdermal skin tightening is possible through VASER because of the VASER system’s unique multi-ring ultrasound probes. These allow the ultrasound waves to penetrate in multiple directions so that the area underneath the skin receives an even application of energy. This allows for easier fat removal and less damage to the surrounding tissues. It also ensures that the connective tissue is evenly treated, and as it retracts, it pulls the skin taut for a “shrink-wrapped” effect.
Benefits
Liposuction has other benefits, including the skin tightening abilities of VASER, improved self-confidence, and the ability to enjoy a more extensive wardrobe.
Obesity contributes to a shortened life span and can lead to other health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, obstructive sleep apnea, gout, and osteoarthritis, among others. The more weight lost, the better your health. (2) And although liposuction is not a weight loss solution, it’s a powerful tool to remove the last remaining stores of fat. You’ve worked hard to lose the weight, and liposuction can help you near the end of your weight loss journey.
Candidates
Those who have undergone massive weight loss may be good candidates for liposuction if they:
- Are near or at their target weight
- Are in good health
- Are committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- Have stubborn pockets of fat that remain despite diet and exercise
- Have realistic expectations about what a liposuction procedure can do for them
- Have bulges on the arms, abdomen, chest, legs or back
Personal Consultation
During your personal consultation, you’ll meet with one of ABS’s specialists, You will have the opportunity to discuss your weight loss and body goals. We invite you to ask questions and learn more details about liposuction. Our specialist will examine the area you’d like to treat, and inquire about your current medication, any allergies, and get a comprehensive understanding of your health and lifestyle. They will then be able to determine whether a liposuction procedure would be beneficial to you and whether you are a good candidate for this surgery. You’ll have the opportunity to look at before and after pictures of patients that had similar concerns so that you’ll get a better understanding of your potential outcome.
If you’re a good candidate for liposuction, you’ll be given detailed and personalized instructions on how best to prepare for liposuction, and what to expect during your recovery.
Preparation
To prepare for your liposuction procedure, you’ll need to continue the healthy lifestyle that led to your weight loss success. You’ll need to quit smoking and discontinue certain medications and supplements. This will ensure that your body will be in good shape, and able to heal as quickly as possible. You’ll be given an antibiotic, and a prescription for pain medication to ease any discomfort you may experience during your recovery. Arrange to have a family member or friend drive you to and from your surgery, and stay with you for the first night after your liposuction. Make sure that you have comfortable, loose clothes to wear as you recover, and that you’ve prepared a designated recovery place with anything you may need within arms reach. Plan to take a few days off of work to rest and recover.
Procedure
When you arrive for your liposuction procedure, your surgeon will review the details of your operation, and clean and mark the areas to be treated to guide the process. You’ll be given the appropriate anesthesia to ensure that you remain comfortable during your liposuction. Small incisions will be made, and the area injected with tumescent fluid. This fluid constricts blood vessels to avoid excessive bleeding, numbs the area, and makes the fat easier to remove. Once it takes effect, your surgeon will insert the specialized cannula into the incision. This cannula is attached to an aspirator, and as they move the cannula back and forth, the fat will be dislodged and suctioned away. Your incisions will be strategically located for inconspicuous scarring and to allow the surgeon access to the area of fat to be removed.
Once all of the targeted fat has been removed, the surgeon will address the incisions, apply bandages, and place you in the appropriate compression garment. They may also apply drains to the incisions to allow any remaining tumescent fluid to leave your body. Once the anesthesia has worn off, you’ll be released and be able to return home to begin your recovery.
Recovery
The length of your recovery will depend on the number of areas you’ve chosen to treat, and the extent of the fat removed. Swelling and bruising in the treatment area are typical after a liposuction procedure, but will gradually dissipate as you heal in the following weeks. You’ll continue to wear your compression garment to support the area as you recover. As the swelling improves, you’ll begin to see the results of your liposuction and enjoy more streamlined contours. You’ll be instructed as to how to care for your drains and healing incisions.
You’ll also have follow-up appointments scheduled so that the team at ABS can monitor your healing process. We know that you’ve worked hard to achieve your weight loss and want to make sure that your recovery is a positive experience so that you can start enjoying your results as quickly as possible.
Results
Losing the weight was a transformative process, and choosing to undergo liposuction may be the final step in achieving your ideal physique. You’ll see your final results in three to six months. Liposuction offers relatively permanent results, so with a proper diet and exercise, you’ll be able to enjoy your contoured appearance for the rest of your life. If you’re ready to get real and lasting results, schedule a consultation today!
How Much Does Liposuction after Massive Weightloss Cost in Denver?
The team at Advanced Body Sculpting Institute strives to offer state-of-the-art liposuction techniques at an affordable price. Everyone should be able to look and feel their best. We offer specials regularly, and financing options to ensure that liposuction surgery is accessible to those that would benefit most from it. For more information about pricing, visit the pricing page on our website. We’ll be able to give you an accurate estimate of the cost of your liposuction procedures after evaluating your candidacy during your personal consultation. To learn more about everything lipo, follow the ABS Institute blog.
References
- Spector JA, Levine SM, Karp NS. Surgical solutions to the problem of massive weight loss. World J Gastroenterol. 2006;12(41):6602-6607. doi:10.3748/wjg.v12.i41.6602
- Bray GA, Heisel WE, Afshin A, et al. The Science of Obesity Management: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement. Endocr Rev. 2018;39(2):79-132. doi:10.1210/er.2017-00253