should be consumed
for at least six hours prior to the surgery. On arriving at the clinic,
the patient meets the surgeon for a final review of what is to be done.
The tbefore” pictures are taken and the patient is dressed in a surgical
gown. A tranquilizer is usually given. In the operating room,
the monitors for heart and respiration are connected.
The operation
After the preparations,
the patient is put into a light sleep by a soporific administered through
a little tube in the back of the hand. After this step the patient will
feel no discomfort whatever, and will not wake up until after the operation
is over. Even if the anesthesiologist administers a spinal block, it is
not necessary for the patient to be awake unless he or she particularly
wants to be. The type of anesthesia used – local, spinal or general anesthesia
– depends on many factors, such as the size and location of the area or
areas to be treated.
After the area is given
a sterile wash and the surgical drapes are in place, the liposuction is
begun. A substance to constrict the blood vessels is injected into the layer
of fat that is to be removed. Small incisions are then made (less than half
an inch long) and the excess fat is drawn out through a long, blunt cannula
(usually about 2-4 mm in diameter) which is connected to a vacuum pump.
Another method is to use a large plastic syringe in which a vacuum is created
by pulling out the cylinder. Most surgeons use this emanual” method when
the operation is small. Since liposuction cannulas have rounded ends, the
small blood vessels and nerves are not damaged; only fat cells are loosened
and drawn into the cannula as it is moved back and forth beneath the skin.
By repeating the movements several times, the area is gradually sculpted
into a new form. It usually takes one to three hours to do a major liposuction
operation.
When the surgeon has finished, the holes are sewn up and taped with surgical
tape. The patient is put into a rather tight elastic bandage or girdle and
left to rest for a few hours. If a large amount of fat was removed the volume
of fat must be replaced with liquid, which is given intravenously via the
tube in the back of the hand. If the operation was minor, like a chin, the
patient can usually go home soon after surgery. After major liposuction
operations, however, the patient should remain at the hospital for observation
overnight.
