Tumescent liposculpture is considered the gold standard in the industry of cosmetic surgery. Since the late 1980’s and early 1990’s it’s been shown consistently to reduce side effects and down time in patients recovering from liposuction. To clear away any confusion, tumescent liposculpture and tumescent liposuction can essentially be used interchangeably. While some argue that liposculpture is merely a less expansive and less invasive form of liposuction, others contend that liposculpture is simply a term invented for the purposes of marketing.
Be that as it may liposculpture is in effect the use of liposuction (fat removal) with the purpose of creating better body contours. The argument is that substantially less fat is removed with liposculpture than is removed from other liposuction techniques. Additionally the instruments used are becoming smaller and more refined, minimizing injury to the patient and reducing surrounding damage to nerves or muscles. Tumescence is the method which makes this possible.
The first step in tumescent liposculpture often involves a topographical mapping of the areas to be shaped. When the areas are mapped out and marked on the patient the surgeon and the patient come to a better understanding of what the final results will be. During the procedure, tumescent fluid is injected into the fat deposits. The injection is a combination of saline, anesthetics, and epinephrine (artificial adrenaline). The saline swells the fat, the anesthetics reduce the need for heavy sedation, and the adrenaline restricts the blood vessels to minimize blood loss. The surgeon will then use small tubes or syringes to suction out the fat. Incisions are generally small and minimally visible.
Tumescent abdominal liposculpture is intended to reduce pain and discomfort caused by surrounding tissue damage, reduce patient downtime and maximize results. Most areas of the country have at least one surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. This certification is intended as a watermark for the amount of experience a surgeon has in the field of cosmetic surgery and is intended to better insure patient safety and satisfaction.
Some common side effects of tumescent liposculpture include leakage from the injection site which ceases within the first 48 hours. Also common is bruising, swelling, or tenderness in treated areas. Patients can generally return to light duty employment within a few days and return to full activity within a couple of weeks. Surgeons caution that it can take up to six months to see the full results of tumescent liposculpture and that results shouldn’t be judged until that time.
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abdominal liposculpture, lipo, liposculpture, tumescent liposculpture
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