Liposuction Frequently Asked Questions
Health & Pregnancy
If I'm over 50 years old, am I too old to get liposuction?
General good health is important, not age.
Should I be at my ideal weight before I have liposuction?
You should be close to your ideal weight. Liposuction surgery is not a good way to lose weight, only a few pounds of fat are removed. Liposuction works best where a specific area needs to be treated for a specific reason to improve the contours of your body, especially areas that are resistant to general weight loss programs, like so-called saddlebags for women or love handles for men.
Can I still have children after having liposuction? Will the scarring in my abdomen be a problem?
There are no unusual complications during pregnancy attributed to liposuction. Generally, stretching and sagging is no worse in women who have had liposuction than in women who haven't.
Will smoking affect my healing?
It is best to stop smoking before any surgery for at least a month before and for a month afterwards. Nicotine, carbon monoxide, and many other toxic tobacco by–products clearly interfere with normal wound repair. Hormones that actually retard the production of new skin and wound repair may also be produced. Vasoconstriction, the constriction of blood vessels, reduces blood flow and oxygen delivery to the skin and extremities. Binding of toxins to hemoglobin in the blood further enhances this oxygen deficient state. Numerous cellular functions, critical to wound healing, are altered by the presence of tobacco by–products. Delayed healing, wound dehiscence or tearing, postoperative infections, and poor scarring are, therefore, at an increased risk of occurring in the patient who smokes tobacco (PRS 108:1064–1065).
A recent study enrolled 84 tummy tuck patients. post–operative infections occurred in 13 of the patients. All but one of them were smokers. Another study reported a rate of problems with wound healing in smokers that was 3.2 times greater than that of non–smokers, with almost half of smokers having post–operative complications (PRS 121:305e).
Smoking is problematic in plastic surgery. It impairs wound healing, causes significant adverse outcomes, and increases the complication rate in elective plastic and cosmetic surgery. Dr. Pittman–Waller recommends that you stop smoking at least one month before and one month after surgery.
Can I go to a tanning salon or sunbathe if I have liposuction?
Not for the first year. Tanning, whether from the sun or in a tanning salon, may make the scars worse. Tanning will generally turn the scars redder in light skinned women and darker in darker skinned women.
If I am pregnant will my liposuction surgery be canceled?
Yes. Anesthetics can cross the placenta and can affect the central nervous system of the fetus. There's no reason to take any risk where the developing fetus is concerned.
More Liposuction FAQs
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