Liposuction Pros and Cons List

Liposuction is a popular, yet controversial medical procedure, wherein patients can have fat surgically removed from their bodies. While this may seem too good to be true to those who are skeptical about this form of surgery, there are others who are able to look at the positives of liposuction, routinely touting its virtues.

Before you decide to obtain liposuction, it is important to know the advantages and disadvantages that are associated with a medical procedure of this magnitude. A thorough examination of all the pros and cons that come along with the decision to undergo a liposuction is crucial to the decision making process. All forms of surgery come with inherent risk, but the potential reward may outweigh these concerns for some patients. Let’s take a closer look at these potential pitfalls, as well as the potential gains.

What Are the Pros of Liposuction?

1. Cosmetic Improvement.
The most obvious reason why most people opt for this surgery is because it allows them to obtain the body that they have always wanted, which serves as a huge boost to their overall self esteem. By getting a liposuction, a patient reduces their body’s ability to consume large quantities of food and puts themselves on the fast track to shedding all of those unwanted pounds that have been plaguing them for so long.

Some liposuction patients have medical complications that preclude them from working out or experience glandular issues that prevent from being able to lose weight and keep it off. A common misnomer is that liposuction patients simply resort to this procedure because they are too lazy and unmotivated to commit to proper diet and exercise techniques. However, there are legitimate reasons for a person to be overweight and liposuction provides them with the help they need to look their best.

2. Provides a Lasting Change.
One of the main benefits that liposuction provides is a complete removal of pesky fat cells. These cells are often responsible for fluctuations in weigh and getting rid of extra fat cells helps a patient to lose weight and more importantly, keep the weight off for good. The procedure is not only popular, but it is also safe, which grants patients a certain peace of mind.

Statistics have shown that liposuction is one of the most effective procedures for producing a lasting change in patients. Within two years of receiving a liposuction procedure, the majority of individuals have already shed at least 66 percent of their excess body weight and restored their health in the process.

3. Quick Recovery Process/Visibility.
The average liposuction patient does not have an elongated recovery period. They are usually back on their feet within a day or two of the surgery, at worst. While some patients who have had a great deal of fat cells removed may need additional bed rest, they are also back on the feet in relatively short order. Liposuction is one of the easiest surgical procedures to recover from and there is no lengthy rehabilitation required.

Not only that, but the results of the procedure are also visible very quickly. After going under the surgeon’s knife, it is human nature to want to see results quickly. The majority of liposuction patients report seeing a definitive change in their bodies within two to three weeks of receiving liposuction. The speed and efficiency of the process is what draws in so many patients year after year.

4. Obesity Related Issues Are Cured.
Liposuction is obviously a great procedure for fat removal and leaves a patient looking their best from a cosmetic standpoint. However, liposuction serves a much more important function as it relates to the eradication of a variety of ailments that are commonly found in patients that carry excess weight. While these issues may continue to crop up in the future, receiving liposuction gives these patients a fighting chance to avoid a number of problems that are typically associated with excessive obesity.

Patients who are overly obese often experience a wide range of health complications, all of which tend to worsen with age and lead them to seek surgery as a means of coping. High blood pressure and the onset of diabetes are all too common in patients who are overweight and liposuction is a great way to avoid these issues. Joints that ache from carrying excess weight experience an alleviation of their chronic pain. Sleep apnea and incontinence are also improved by undergoing liposuction. The risk of heart attack is greatly reduced, as well.

What Are the Cons of Liposuction?

1. Problems Must Be Proven Over The Course Of Time.
Overweight patients, it must be mentioned that you are not able to simply walk into a doctor’s office and receive liposuction if you are unhappy with the shape and tone of your body. No licensed medical professional is going to recommend liposuction to a patient unless they are exhibiting severe medical issues that are directly related to being overweight. You will need to prove to a doctor that you have tried as hard as humanly possible to shed the weight naturally before they are able to give the go ahead for a surgical procedure.

You are also going to have to prove that you are morbidly obese. Liposuction is not for those with a little muffin top that they wish to shed, it is for people who are at least 100 pounds over the suggested weight for their height. Your age also plays a role in the decision making of medical personnel. The younger you are, the less likely of a candidate you will be. Patients who are not morbidly obese or in any true danger from a medical standpoint are advised to shed the pounds naturally.

2. Procedure Typically Leaves Scarring and Bruising.
If you are expecting your liposuction procedure to go smoothly, this is normal. If you are expecting to escape the process with no aesthetic damages to your looks, this is a common mistake. Liposuction typically leaves scarring in most cases and while you can resume your normal activities within a few days, it may take longer for all of the bruising to subside and you will usually have some form of scarring to contend with.

Some patients report experiencing bruising months after the procedure has taken place. There is no way for a doctor to guarantee a lack of scarring or bruising, all they can do is minimize the damages and give you a realistic expectation of what to expect. Every person’s body responds differently to the rigors of surgery, so plan accordingly.

3. Occurrence Of Side Effects and Complications.
Even the safest surgical procedures come with a certain risk of side effects. In addition to the aforementioned bruising and swelling that normally take place, the stitches used in the surgery are not the kind that will easily dissolve inside of you, so you will need to return to the surgeon within a week to have them removed. Another common complication during liposuction is the onset of nausea, which can lead to vomiting.

Anemia is another risk factor, as the body can struggle to absorb nutrition following a liposuction. These nutritional deficiencies are what causes anemia to take place. Blood clots are another issue that has been known to crop up after this procedure has been completed. Abdominal hernias happen during periods of rapid weight loss and patients may experience increased risk of gallstones.

4. Diet and Exercise Remain Essential.
Some patients make the mistake of assuming that liposuction is a magic wand that can be waved, one that makes any and all weight problems go away. However, you will still need to remain vigilant about eating healthy and remaining active after the procedure has been completed and you have finished healing.

While the effects are visible during the early going, it takes years of continued effort to shed all of your excess weight and keep it off. Liposuction gives you a fighting chance to get rid of the pounds that plague you, but unless you are ready, willing and able to keep the fight going, the pounds that were removed can come back and then some.