Why consider a Liposuction? | Liposuction surgery consultation | Liposuction surgery | Recovery period | Book Consultation
Liposuction and liposculpture address unwanted deposits of fat.
Liposuction removes fat in specific areas to address contour irregularities (for example, changing abdominal shape by flattening the profile), shaping the hips and flanks and addressing the contours of outer and inner thighs, knees and ankles.
The techniques are also effective for treating enlargement of the male breast, (gynaecomastia), in addition to treating facial jowls and double chins.
Liposculpture removes fat more selectively, whilst lipofill transfers a patient’s own fat from one area of the body to another as a fat graft to augment localised volume.
Before you undergo any one of these procedures, you will need to have a consultation with a surgeon either at our surgery at Wickham House on Wickham Terrace in Spring Hill.
The aim of your first consultation is to determine your expectations of the procedure and for the surgeon to identify any potential limitations to achieving those expectations. A second consultation is recommended to address questions you may have of your surgeon.
Issues that your surgeon will discuss with you include:
You will need to share with your surgeon your full medical history to ensure you can safely undergo the procedure. Your full medical history includes:
It’s very important to inform your surgeon of these aspects, as they assist in determining how fit you are for the procedure and general anaesthesia.
Your surgeon may also advise you to stop taking certain medications that can interact with, or cause complications during anaesthetic, including:
Smokers will be advised to stop smoking six weeks before and after surgery and to avoid products that contain Nicotine as well.
You may also be required to undergo a series of blood or other diagnostic tests, to give your surgeon a full picture of your physical health.
It’s important to note that while uncommon, complications from liposuction are possible.
Possible risks include:
In some cases, further surgery may be required to address such complications.
Risks specific to liposuction, lipofill and liposculpture include:
The areas treated with liposuction and liposculpture typically remain numb for several months after surgery.
At the completion of the consultation process and once you have had your concerns and questions addressed by the surgeon, you will be able to consent to surgery.
How Much is Liposuction?
In line with the Australian Medical Board’s guidelines for advertising of regulated health services, we do not provide a set price for liposuction, liposculpture or lipofill.
Your surgeon will provide you with a tailored cost of your procedure during your consultation. If you would like to know about approximate costs and applicable rebates before your appointment, we invite you to contact our clinic on 07 3180 3400, or via our online enquiry form.
There is a cost for an initial consultation at our Brisbane clinic, with the potential to receive a portion of this back via Medicare where eligible for rebate, provided you have a referral from your GP.
The procedure is performed through minimal access incisions under general anaesthetic administered by Specialist Anaesthetists in an accredited hospital. Our practice does not use twilight sedation, which has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. The surgeon will discuss the nature and placement of the scars required prior to surgery.
The number of incisions required will depend on the area and size to be treated. A cannula is then inserted into the fatty tissue under the skin, to which suction and power assisted techniques may be applied to remove the fat.
The wounds are repaired with external stitches which are removed one week after surgery. At the completion of surgery, a waterproof dressing is applied to allow for showering, and compression garments are applied to minimise soft tissue swelling.
It is important that access to medical attention is available by telephone once you have been discharged. Issues about which your surgeon needs to be made aware urgently include pain uncontrolled by medication, bleeding to the extent that the dressings soak through with blood, temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius, redness of the skin or any concerns related to the surgery.
Most patients are discharged on the same day as their surgery, once the anaesthetic has worn off. At discharge, you’ll be prescribed antibiotics and pain medication which will assist in keeping you comfortable and minimising wound infections.
Swelling and bruising will subside some six to eight weeks after surgery and your wounds are likely to heal within a week of surgery.
During your post-operative visits, your surgeon will change the dressings as required, and will assess your wounds to ensure they are healing correctly. You’ll also be given strategies to assist with your swelling and scar management. While the surgeon will make every effort to minimise the length of your scars, scar formation varies from patient to patient, and there is no way to guarantee you won’t be left with any scarring. Scar management and swelling strategies include low level laser therapy, massage, taping and silicone gel sheeting, which will assist in reducing the extent and resolution of your scars, while delivering your optimal result in as short a time as possible.
After your surgery, it is normal to experience numbness of the overlying skin – this tends to improve in the months following your surgery as the soft tissue swelling subsides. It may also take several months for the appearance of lipofilled areas to reflect the fat graft take and improvement in contour.
It’s important you have access to medical attention by phone if necessary and you will need to notify your surgeon immediately if you experience a high temperature over 38 degrees Celsius, bleeding to the extent that the dressings soak through, if your pain cannot be controlled by pain medication or if you experience redness or any other concerns related to the surgery.
You should take great care when moving after your surgery and be very careful to avoid accidental trauma to the area, such as hitting or knocking it.
You will be able to resume driving once you have stopped taking your pain medication and resume strenuous exercise at around six to eight weeks after surgery. Return to work can be anticipated after approximately a week.
Mr Patrick Tansley MD FRCS (Plast) and Dr Sugitha Seneviratne FRACS (Plast) provide second opinion to patients seeking to address previous cosmetic plastic surgery problems and revisions for already ‘botched’ surgery. If you would like a second opinion on previously undertaken surgery, book a consultation to discuss this with one or both of our surgeons.
As the privacy of our patients is of the utmost importance to us, we do not provide before and after photos on our website. You will be shown a number of before and after images during your private consultation to illustrate the potential outcomes of surgery. These images have been provided by previous patients who have consented to their private use.
E: brisbane@northeastplasticsurgery.com.au
T (07) 3180 3400
F (07) 3180 3401
P 0411865055
(paging service for after hours emergencies only)
NorthEast Plastic Surgery
Wickham House
Level 1 155 Wickham Terrace
Spring Hill
Brisbane
Queensland 4000