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| ASPS offers a number of points patients should discuss with their physicians before choosing to have liposuction:
Techniques – No one liposuction technique is best suited for all patients in all circumstances. Discuss with your plastic surgeon which technique is appropriate for you, depending on your overall health, body mass index and the amount of fat to be removed. Read a comparison of traditional liposuction with UAL, Vaser Liposelection, and UltraSculpt.
Anesthesia – Discuss with your plastic surgeon which anesthesia or anesthetic combination is right for you. Also, a physician should have the primary responsibility for providing and/or supervising your anesthesia.
Patient Selection – You should receive a thorough preoperative history and physical examination from your surgeon before having liposuction. Even though liposuction is generally an elective procedure, you must be assessed using the same standards as those used for anyone undergoing any type of surgery. (Related: Liposuction for obese kids)
Liposuction Volume – If your plastic surgeon agrees to perform large-volume liposuction consisting of more than 5,000 cc’s total fat, the procedure should be performed in an acute-care hospital or in a facility that is either accredited or licensed. You should also be monitored overnight in an appropriate facility by qualified and competent staff. (Related article: In office liposuction)Multiple Procedures – Having multiple procedures done at the same time increases the potential for complications, particularly with large-volume liposuction. Patients having large-volume liposuction should discuss with their plastic surgeon about having one surgery at a time to limit their risk for serious complications. (Related article: Tummy tuck and liposuction in combination)
Postoperative Care – Attend every one of your follow-up appointments. During these appointments your plastic surgeon will assess your postoperative recovery and satisfaction, as well as wound healing and scar maturation.
Facility Selection – While a surgeon can safely perform most liposuction procedures in an accredited office-based surgery facility or ambulatory surgery facility, hospitalization may be required for some patients. Talk to your plastic surgeon to determine which facility is right for you.
 Training and Qualifications – Patients should understand that liposuction is a surgical procedure, and as such, physicians performing liposuction should be trained as surgeons. Physicians who perform liposuction without having surgical training may not be as prepared as trained surgeons to handle an unexpected complication when it occurs.
Facility Accreditation – Patients should make sure plastic surgery performed under anesthesia, including liposuction, is performed in a surgical facility that is either accredited by a national or state-recognized accrediting organization, certified to participate in the Medicare program under Title XVIII or licensed by the state in which the facility is located. |
