SHAPE LIPOSUCTION

Soft liposuction can completely eliminate the fat that has accumulated in certain areas of the body.

These localized fat overloads persist even when dieting or exercising. Nevertheless, this surgical technique cannot replace a diet in any case, and the liposuction does not allow to lose weight.

A soft liposuction can be considered as a true sculpturing of the silhouette because it allows to harmonize the curves and the shapes of the body thanks to cannulas that are introduced with small incisions. These cannulas will allow to aspirate the excess fat that will be collected in a jar. The smaller the cannulas are, the more precise the surgical gesture will be: hence the “gentle” aspect of this liposuction technique.

In the absence of subsequent weight gain, these fat overloads will not recur.

Many areas of the body can be harmonized by liposuction (Figure 1): the saddlebags are the most frequent area to be treated, but also the belly, the love handles, the inner-thighs, knees and the neck.

Figure 1: Liposuction areas

Even though the principle of gentle liposuction may seem simple, it remains a real surgical procedure. To obtain a good cosmetic result, the liposuction must be carried out by a serious and competent cosmetic surgeon, who has had the necessary academic and medical training. This surgery can only be performed in a surgical clinic such as Laclinic in Montreux near Lausanne.

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The first medical consultation will take place at Laclinic-Montreux, or at the Beauty Suite in Lausanne, (only 30 minutes from Geneva by train).

After a thorough interview and after listening to your wishes, Doctor Jean-Charles BAYOL will examine your body to determine the topography of the areas that will have to be treated and to appreciate the quality of your skin.

The hospitalization record will include, among other things, a prescription for a preoperative blood test, a homeopathic treatment that you need to start taking 10-15 days before surgery, and a prescription for the purchase of a compression garment adapted to the areas that are going to be treated.

As with any surgical procedure, it is important to reduce, or even stop tobacco consumption, 4 to 6 weeks before surgery to reduce the risks of healing problems.

Depending on the number of areas to be treated, anesthesia may be local, vigilant, general or epidural.

Also depending on the number of areas to be treated, and according to the duration of the surgical procedure, the hospitalization at Laclinic in Montreux can be done as an outpatient surgery with a check-in and a check-out on the same day or as a regular hospitalization with a one-night supervision and a check-out the next day.

The principles of this procedure are as follows:

It must be carried out in a clinic operating room.

The incisions are small and discrete, as they are most often hidden in a natural skin fold (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Liposuction incisions

The liposuction cannulas will make it possible to create tunnels through the fat (FIG. 3), so as not to damage the arteries, the veins and the nerves of the treated area. As for the gentle liposuction technique performed in Switzerland, the deep tunnels are made with 4 and 5 mm cannulas. More superficial tunnels which make it possible to strengthen the skin, are created with cannulas of smaller diameter (3 mm).

Figure 3: Liposuction technique

The volume of fat that has been removed must be adapted to the quality of the aspirated area skin layer quality, in order to obtain a harmonious result.

The compression garment is installed in the operating room after dressings have been made at the end of the procedure.

The procedure duration is very variable, since it depends on the number of areas to be treated and the possible need for a change in the operating installation. The duration can last from 30 minutes to 4 hours.

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The importance of the postoperative follow-ups is proportional to the volume of fat that has been removed.

In the days following the operation, a swelling of the treated area (edema) and bruises may appear.  In some case, the patient can feel pain whose duration is variable but which will be calmed by analgesics.

The compressive garment will limit edema and should be kept for 6 weeks after surgery.

In order to reduce the importance of bruises and postoperative swelling, you will be systematically taken care of by the department of physiotherapy, for a postoperative care. The check-out will happen on the same day, in the case of an outpatient hospitalization, or the next day, if you stay in hospital overnight. Gentle massages of the operated areas and LED care (lien vers LED) will ensure the lymphatic drainage and will promote the healing process. Several weeks after the procedure, an LPG treatment can be undertaken on the areas where the fat tissue has been collected.

In the case of a heavy liposuction, the patient may experience some fatigue during the first week after surgery. A recovery period of 2 to 7 days is required depending on the amount of fat that has been collected. Sport may be resumed after 20 days.

The result begins to be visible after 6 weeks, when edema begins to regress. It will only be considered definitive after 6 months, during which time the skin above the area of liposuction will gradually shrink, gradually modifying the patient’s silhouette.

If your surgeon takes the time necessary to carry out this procedure with small cannulas, in order to gradually refine the silhouette, these imperfections will be rare. However, these imperfections exist and are:

• Correction deficiency: Correction of persistent localized fat overload is always possible in a second time under local anesthesia.
• Over-correction: This excess can lead to surface irregularities, especially on the inner-thighs where the skin is thin. The correction is more delicate and can involve a lipostructuring (reinjection of fat).

Therefore, always be reasonable in the amount of fat to collect. Doctor Jean-Charles BAYOL takes all his time when he realizes a gentle liposuction to obtain the best result so that you are fully satisfied.

Gentle liposuction is a surgical procedure that must be performed in the operating room in a clinic Even if the scars are minimal and the surgical procedure appears simple, rare complications are possible:

• Complications related to anesthesia:

During the preoperative consultation, the anesthetist informs the patient of the risks. In practice, these risks are exceptional.

• Surgical complications:

By choosing a qualified and competent cosmetic surgeon trained in this type of intervention, the risk will be considerably reduced without being null.

Complications non-specific to the liposuction:

• Thromboembolic events (phlebitis, pulmonary embolism): the treatment of these complications is essentially preventive and mostly depends on the interruption of oral contraception a month before surgery. The wearing of the compression garment and more rarely anticoagulant treatment can help to reduce these risks.

• Bleedings: they are frequent and moderate if the liposuction was important. They are generally mixed with physiological serum that was injected before the aspiration and have no gravity. Nevertheless, they can stain the sheets and a protection of the bed base must be provided.

• Subcutaneous lymphatic flow: it is exceptional.

• Skin necrosis: it is also exceptional but can prolong the scar evolution.

• Infection: it is possible but rare.

• Modifications of the skin sensitivity: In general these disorders disappear in the weeks following the liposuction.

• Metabolic disturbances: they can occur when the volume of fat removed is too large.

Complications specific to the gentle liposuction technique:
Whether it is an insufficiency or an excess of liposuction, as it has been seen above, it is more a question of imperfections of result which can be secondarily corrected under local anesthesia.

We must not exaggerate the possible complications of this intervention, but bear in mind that a gentle liposuction, even seemingly simple, always involves a small amount of risk.

The thoroughness of the cosmetic surgeon that you have chosen and a reasonable volume aspiration are key to the success of this surgical procedure.