Evaluation of the results of the liposuction operation
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
The nearest result of liposuction is evaluated after 2-3 months, when the tissue state in the zone of operation is normalized. The final outcome is determined 6-8 months after the intervention using a series of gradations.
Insufficient removal of fat can be observed if the surgeon has inaccurately estimated the volume of the "trap" fat, incorrectly performed preoperative marking, and also in cases of pronounced fatty deposits, in which "complete" fat removal can lead to sagging of the skin.
The formation of irregularities in the contour of the skin and the indentations, as a rule, results from the penetration of the cannula of an excessively large diameter into the surface layer of the subcutaneous fat. In some patients with lipodystrophy of the subdermal layer, the fat can have the appearance of lumps of varying density, which can significantly hamper its uniform extraction and, to some extent, lead to an increase in small-hummock contour disorders. In this case, if visible fovea are determined at the end of the operation, it is advisable to perform lipoinjection after taking fat tissue from another anatomical zone. This procedure is effective enough in the long term after the operation. The formation of significant depressions occurs most often in the central zone of the fat trap with its excessive processing. To prevent this during the operation, it is often necessary to palpatorically assess the condition of the surface in the area of the operation and compare it with the state of a similar zone on the opposite side.
If this situation arises, the surgeon has the opportunity to:
- additional processing of the surrounding tissue areas to reduce the existing difference;
- intraoperative injection of adipose tissue into the deepening area;
- postoperative lipoinjection in the long term after the intervention.
Speaking about the evaluation of the results, it is also necessary to note the importance of psychological selection of patients for liposuction. Obviously, the possibilities of this operation are limited to individual anatomical features. As already mentioned, the best candidates for this operation are patients younger than 40 with local forms of fatty deposits. Patients older than 45 years with the same results of surgery often give a more positive assessment. Relatively unfavorable group are patients with diffuse forms of fat deposits and unstable body weight. With its increase and the corresponding increase in the thickness of fatty tissue, both in the treated areas and in other areas, patients often complain to the surgeons who operated them. That is why the detailed information of patients about the expected result is of the utmost importance. According to their reaction to this information, the surgeon can also assess the realism of their expectations, and consequently, make the right decision.
[