Liposculpture: how is the procedure, results and testimonials

Sometimes, the desire to eliminate “annoying localized fat” in one or more parts of the body is not successful only with a balanced diet and physical exercise. At the same time, the person may feel the urge to “model” or even enlarge some parts of the body. In this case, then, liposculpture may be indicated.

“It is the liposuction of various parts of the body, with the aim of giving a more harmonious contour to the body. In some specific cases, a graft from the patient’s own fat is also used”, highlights Marcelo Moreira, plastic surgeon and full member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP).

Moreira explains that liposculpture can be performed on practically any part of the body. “The main situation is to correct that localized fat that the patient is not satisfied with, and that she was not able to eliminate with physical exercises, or the lack of harmony of the parts of the body”, she says.

It can be said that they are good candidates for liposculpture: people who have localized fat even though they are at their ideal weight or close to it, and, at the same time, who lack volume in some other area of ​​the body. It is worth remembering that this type of surgery is done to reshape the body, but not to lose weight.

How is the surgery done?

Seen as an “artistic surgery”, in this type of procedure, the surgeon removes fat from areas that have it in excess (he does liposuction) and, in some cases, through a processing of this liposuction fat, uses it to correct areas of depressions and promote a body contour that pleases the patient, for example, emphasizing curves and increasing the size of the buttocks (if indicated).

Moreira explains that the surgery usually lasts from one to three hours, depending on the amount of fat to be liposuctioned.

“Cannulas are used to liposuction the fat. Each part of the body has a specific cannula. For example, the cannula used in the back is 5mm. In the abdomen, from 3 to 4 mm. A half-centimeter incision is made, and the cannula is introduced to aspirate. Then, if necessary, the patient’s own fat graft is performed”, explains Moreira.

“General anesthesia is usually used, which, contrary to what most people think, is safer than local anesthesia with sedation. The hospital stay is normally 24 hours”, highlights the surgeon.

Scars tend to be small and are usually located in “hidden areas”, for example, under the bikini line, inside the belly button, in the breast crease.

Like any surgery, liposculpture carries risks. “Therefore, it must be performed in a hospital environment, with intensive care support, and it is also essential that it be performed by plastic surgeons, members of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery”, emphasizes Moreira.

According to our research, liposculpture can cost between R$5,000 and R$12,000. But it is worth noting that the price varies greatly according to the place where the surgery will be performed. In addition, plastic surgeons cannot talk about values, by rules of the CFM (Federal Council of Medicine).

Pre and postoperative: preparation and care

Moreira explains that, in a long and detailed first consultation, the surgeon must talk about the patient’s wishes and desires. “It is up to us doctors to make a diagnosis and propose a surgical or clinical treatment”, he says.

Then, according to Moreira, the preparation continues, requesting relevant preoperative tests.

Main preoperative care

Moreira highlights:

• The diet must be balanced and low in saturated fats, refined sugar and industrialized products.
• Some nutrients favorable to the healing process should be consumed, such as Vitamin A, E, B1, C, Magnesium and Zinc, which can be obtained through: carrot, cheese, liver, pumpkin, sardines, egg yolk, mango, tomato, sunflower seed, cottonseed and soybean, safflower seed oil, soybean oil, olive oil, banana, kale, butter, nuts, meats, peanuts, coconut oil, sesame, flaxseed.
• The diet must contain a lot of fiber, as this care avoids the appearance of colic and constipation in the postoperative period (fruits, vegetables, wholemeal bread, nuts, legumes, whole grains and bran).
• Foods with iron should be consumed to avoid anemia and healing difficulties.
• Papaya consumption is a good option, as the papain found in the fruit is good for circulation, and it also has healing properties.
• Consumption of a good amount of water is highly recommended.
• Very salty or spicy foods should be avoided, as they are responsible for causing fluid retention (cayenne peppers and chilli peppers, onions, garlic, radishes, ginger, spicy foods in general).
• Sweets (cakes, pies, chocolates) should be avoided, as they impair healing.
• Medicines to lose weight (appetite suppressants), which are eventually being used, should not be used for a period of one month before the surgery.
• Alcoholic beverages must not be consumed.
• It is recommended to stop smoking at least 15 days before surgery and to suspend some medications that may alter the result of the surgery. Such medicines will be informed by the doctor.
• You should fast the night before surgery after a light dinner, as instructed by the doctor.

Main postoperative care

Moreira highlights as main guidelines for the postoperative period:

• Avoid sweets and chocolate, as they are foods that do not contribute to digestion and offer large amounts of fat and sugar. They also interfere with collagen production and help increase sagging.
• Avoid milk and dairy products that can cause constipation, gas and prevent the absorption of essential nutrients at this stage.
• Avoid consumption of saturated or trans fats, such as snack foods, potato chips, most margarines, microwave popcorn, cakes, industrialized pies and stuffed cookies.
• Avoid caffeine (coffee, cola, black tea).
• Avoid consumption of red meat, as it makes digestion difficult, causes discomfort, overloads the kidneys and liver and even generates an imbalance between the good and harmful bacteria that live in the intestine (leading to constipation).
• Avoid fermenting foods such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, cabbage and pasta.
• Do not consume alcoholic beverages, because alcohol and medicine do not mix! Ingestion can change the effect of drugs, enhance their properties, causing undesirable reactions, or simply not solve the problem.
• Avoid salt (sausages, smoked meats, ready-made sauces).
• Consume vitamin C, found in fruits, especially strawberries, oranges, guava, acerola and lemon, and vegetables, green peppers and tomatoes.
• Consume water, natural juices, with melon, pineapple and watermelon. Such drinks help to hydrate the body, compensate for fluid loss and reduce swelling.
• Consume probiotics (yogurt and fermented milk), which contain microorganisms that help balance the intestinal flora.
• Eat egg, which provides protein (reconstruct tissue lost during surgery).
• Consume pumpkin, carrots, apricots, mangoes, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes and grapes, which are foods rich in actives with antioxidant properties, which block the action of free radicals (released during plastic surgery).
• Eat Brazil nuts, which contain selenium, a powerful antioxidant element.
• Consuming salmon and tuna that, in addition to having a large amount of proteins, offer good fats, rich in Omega 3, which help prevent inflammation.
• Consume fiber, which improves intestinal function, in addition to lowering cholesterol levels. Good options: vegetables, legumes, papaya, plums, nectarines and whole grains.
• Drink plenty of water, about two to three liters a day.

Results: what to expect from liposculpture?

Moreira highlights that the patient can expect a more harmonious result of the body.

Marco Cassol, a plastic surgeon specializing in the face, emphasizes that it is important for people to know that liposuction in general is not surgery to lose weight. “The patient must be at the ideal weight to carry out the removal of localized fat”, he says.

Also according to Cassol, the result of liposculpture appears, on average, after four months.

“In places where we remove a lot of fat, there is no more accumulation of fat. Even so, the patient must maintain a high-protein diet to help maintain the result of the surgery”, emphasizes Cassol.

Questions and answers about liposculpture

Check out the clarifications for the main doubts about liposculpture:

1. What is the difference between liposuction and liposculpture?

“Liposculpture is liposuction with fat grafting somewhere in the body. That is, the fat is removed from one place and placed in another. Liposuction refers only to the removal of fat through suction tubes”, explains Cassol.

2. Who is liposculpture indicated for?

“It is basically indicated for patients who need to fill some part of the body or face with fat”, says Cassol.

It is worth emphasizing that liposuction and liposculpture are not surgeries recommended for those who want to lose weight. The person must be at the ideal weight to remove localized fat from certain parts of the body.

3. Is liposculpture painful? And the postoperative period?

Recovery is similar to recovery from liposuction, according to Cassol. “The discomfort is proportional to the removal of fat. The more we aspire, the greater the discomfort,” she says.

It is worth mentioning that the idea of ​​pain and discomfort is very relative. Some people may feel more; others less.

4. Can another surgery (such as silicone placement) be associated with liposculpture?

Normally, another surgery is not associated with liposculpture, according to Cassol.

Marcelo Moreira explains that the placement of silicone, for example, in the same surgery, is even possible. “But it is only defined after clinical examinations have been carried out, and the clinician’s release”, he highlights.

5. Do I need to perform drainage after liposculpture?

“Lymphatic drainage is always indicated in the postoperative period, as it helps to deflate and model the fat”, highlights Cassol.

6. What is minilipo?

“Minilipo is exactly the same as liposuction, only performed in the office (without the care of a hospital) and with local anesthesia (patient awake and feeling all the manipulation)”, says Cassol.

It is considered a small liposuction, performed in parts, with a smaller volume of liposuction.

7. Can I have liposculpture before getting pregnant?

It must, according to Cassol. “Patients who begin pregnancy in the best physical condition are able to maintain the best outcome and recovery after pregnancy,” she says.

8. If I gain a few pounds later, will I lose the liposculpture result?

“You don’t lose the result, because where a lot of fatty tissue has been removed, the tissue never grows back like it used to. But the other areas of the body end up suffering accumulation…