Austin Liposuction - A Patient's Guide to Lipo

Are you considering a liposuction procedure in the Austin area? If so, you've come to the right place to learn all about your surgical options. In this guide, we will take a look at the different Austin liposuction options from many angles -- the process involved, the potential risks, the cost and more.

For quite a long time, liposuction has ranked at the top of the cosmetic surgery spectrum in terms of popularity. As a result of this longevity, these procedures have become much more advanced than when they were first introduced. But Austin liposuction is still a form of surgery, and as such it has certain risks associated with it.

You'll learn about those risks soon enough. But first, let's start with the basics of how these procedures work.

How Liposuction Works

Before you start contacting Austin cosmetic surgeons to schedule your procedure, you need to have a thorough understanding of how liposuction works. Who know, you may even change your mind after you learn about the methods used. The important thing is to go into it with a clear understanding of the procedure.

Austin liposuction is a procedure through which the surgeon removes fat from select areas of the patient's body. The goal is to improve the overall body appearance by removing stubborn fat — the kind that doesn't respond to diet and exercise. Abdomen, thighs, hips and buttocks are the areas most frequently targeted, because these are areas where we store the most fat.

When you undergo liposuction in Austin the procedure will essentially go like this: First, the surgeon will make an incision near the fat-removal area, whether that be the abdomen, the buttocks or the hip area. Next, he or she will pass a stainless steel tube (referred to as a cannula) through the surgical opening. The tube is pushed into the deepest layer of fat in the patient's body.

Now comes the part you've probably seen on television before, the "push and pull" techniques. By moving the tube in and out of the fat layer, the surgeon is able to break up fat cells. The fat can then be suctioned up through the tube by way of a vacuum system.

Two Primary Types of Liposuction in Austin

The procedure described above is the traditional approach to liposuction. As medical science advances, however, new techniques and tools emerge. Today, there are several types of liposuction available in the Austin area. Most can be classified in one of two ways:

• Austin tumescent liposuction -- This is the method that has been around the longest. With this technique, a mixture of local anesthetic and saline solution gets injected into the fatty area to be targeted. This solution makes the fat-removal process easier. After the tumescent mixture is inserted, the stainless-steel suction tube is used.
• Austin ultrasonic liposuction -- With this technique, a high-pitched ultrasound is used to "shake up" the fatty tissue in the targeted area. As a result, the fat can be vacuumed out more easily.

Within these two broad categories, there are variations of the procedures. In most cases, a surgeon will have a preferred method that they use in all cases. Other times, a surgeon (or a surgery center) will offer choices between different liposuction techniques. So when researching these procedures in the Austin area, be sure to ask what options you have, why the doctor prefers a certain technique over another, and similar questions.

The Risks Associated With Lipo

When consider an elective medical procedure, you must also consider the risks associated with that procedure. This goes for Austin lipo surgery as well. Overall, liposuction has gotten safer and more effective over the years. Technological advancements have a lot to do with this. Nevertheless, there are certain risks to lipo procedures, and you should discuss them at length with your doctor. Here is a partial list of risks:

• Infections - This is a general risk that goes along with most surgeries where an incision is made. As a general precaution, some Austin lipo surgeons will give their patients antibiotics for a short period following the surgery.
• Complications from Anesthesia - This is another general surgery risk that is present whenever anesthesia is used. In most cases, liposuction surgeons will use a local anesthetic called Lidocaine (the same thing dentists use). So there is less to worry about than when using a general anesthetic that puts you "under." Still, there is a risk. So it's something to discuss with your Austin lipo doctor.
• Embolism - This complication occurs when an artery is blocked by something (an air bubble, a piece of tissue, or some kind of foreign object). Within the context of liposuction an embolism can happen when a piece of fatty tissue finds its way into the bloodstream, perhaps through a damaged blood vessel. This kind of blockage can cause many problems and can even be deadly. So when screening Austin liposuction docs, ask about this potential risk as well.
• Puncture Wounds in Organs - Earlier, during our discussion of how liposuction works, I mentioned the "push and pull" technique used in conjunction with the suction tube. This very motion poses a risk of its own, because the doctor cannot see where the probe is going (beneath the skin). There is a chance the cannula tube could puncture an organ near the area being worked on. Just one more thing to discuss with your Austin lipo surgeon.

These are not the only risks associated with lipo procedures. There are others as well. The important thing is that you take your surgery seriously, and that you ask your doctor to explain all of the potential complications. You must go into it with a solid understanding of the risk versus the gain.

Conclusion and Summary

We hope this liposuction tutorial gives you a clearer picture of how these procedures work. With that said, this should not be the only stop on your research journey. Before making a final decision on lipo — and before contacting the Austin surgeons who offer it — you should learn everything you can on this subject. That way, you'll be able to ask all the right questions when you start contacting Austin lipo doctors about your potential surgery.

Article Credits: This article was adapted (with permission) from the Beverly Hills Liposuction Guide created by the publishers of MyOuterSelf.com. We are grateful for them letting us republish it here. This is the original:
www.myouterself.com/blog/2008/07/beverly-hills-liposuction-consumers.html

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