The best candidates for liposuction are healthy men or women, who are not significantly overweight, but who have areas of excess fat that won't budge with diet and exercise. The best results are seen in people who have good skin tone or elasticity. There are some key points to consider before surgery to assess whether or not liposuction is right for you.

In this article, we look at ideal candidates as well as what to expect before cosmetic and plastic surgery.

Liposuction candidate suitability

The best person to speak to about your suitability for liposuction surgery is a surgeon qualified in plastic surgery who will take into account your medical history and talk to you about your expectations. Like any surgery, liposuction does carry risks, so it’s important to be honest about your medical history so they can take into account all factors to ensure the procedure is as safe as possible.

Ideal candidates for liposuction are healthy men or women, who are at or are close to their target weight, but who have pockets of fat that won't go away with diet and exercise. Optimum results are achieved in people who have a good elasticity, so that the skin will retract after the fat has been removed.

Your risks of having the procedure will be affected by your anaesthetic risk, your propensity to bleed and your other medical conditions. These issues will be carefully considered by your surgeon and an assessment of your risks of undergoing the procedure will be discussed with you during your consultation.

Before Your Surgery

Your surgeon will give you a list of instructions to follow before your liposuction. If you are a smoker, it is important to cease smoking six weeks prior to and after surgery to minimise the risk of complications. Some medications also increase the risk of complications, so speak to your surgeon about which medications are safe to use. It is important to avoid Nicotine containing products, Aspirin, Disprin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as Nurofen in addition to herbal medications such as Garlic, Ginseng, Ginko, Arnica, Fish and Krill oil two weeks prior to and after surgery. It is really important to tell your surgeon everything you take, even if it isn't classed as a medicine, before your surgery.

It is important that your surgeon is made aware of previous surgery and history of scarring, along with significant medical history. In addition, a tendency for easy bruising and excessive bleeding, deep venous clots, all prescription and non prescription medication, allergies to anaesthetic agents, antibiotics and dressings as well as history of smoking needs to be discussed. These issues are important as they have the potential to affect the surgery, anaesthesia, potential complications and recovery.

Next Steps

The next and most important step for you in considering liposuction surgery, is to book a consultation with a qualified surgeon. Only a consultation with a qualified surgeon will identify if this procedure is right for you, and what the potential risks and outcomes could be for you.

If you have any questions or to book a confidential consultation with one of our highly qualified, experienced surgeons, simply click on the buttons below. Alteratively, you can call us on (03) 9088 5000 for Melbourne or (07) 3180 3400 for Brisbane.