liposuction

Considering Lipo?

Liposuction is not a weight-loss tool. For safety reasons, it cannot be performed on patients who are significantly overweight, or to remove exceptionally large volumes of fat. While other surgeons currently offer many types of liposuction, Dr. Flint feels that the procedures involving laser heat or ultrasound energy to treat fat may damage stem cells and burn the skin. She prefers to remove fat with non-heated tubes.

One of the myths about liposuction is that if you gain weight following the procedure, the fat will collect in other, unnatural areas. This is false. You are genetically programmed to deposit fat in your specific “problem areas.” Even if you gain a lot of weight after having liposuction, you will tend to redeposit the excess fat in the same problem areas. Small weight swings do not damage the result.

Liposuction at a Glance

Removing unwanted fatty tissue from your problem areas involves inserting a small metal tube (called a cannula) through small, hidden incisions.

Review Dr. Flint’s before and after patient gallery.
Read more about liposuction in Scottsdale on Dr. Flint’s blog.

Liposuction around your waistline and the area just above your buttocks allows for circumferential contouring of your trunk. This is commonly done as part of a mommy makeover. If you don’t develop extra skin or a muscular separation with a pregnancy, first of all, you are one of very few. Second, liposuction alone may be an option to treat your trunk. Most women need some type of tummy tuck.

What to Expect

Dr. Flint uses general anesthesia handled by board certified anesthesiologists so she can move you into the most favorable position during the procedure. The procedure takes between 90 minutes and three hours, depending on the number of areas being treated. Dr. Flint uses super-wet liposuction, in which she injects fluid into the target areas. Then she uses a cool cannula or tube to suction the fat away. The complication rate is very low in properly selected patients, and the predictability of the results is excellent. Liposuction can provide dramatic improvements in the problem areas of your body.

Preparing for Liposuction Surgery

Dr. Flint meets with you to listen to your goals. An examination determines which areas of your body can benefit from liposuction. She then describes the super-wet liposuction technique she prefers. She answers any questions you may have. If you desire, she provides you with information regarding fees, after which you can select a date for your Scottsdale liposuction.

Scottsdale Liposuction Recovery

After surgery, a light compression garment over the liposuctioned areas helps decrease bruising and swelling. You are allowed to return home approximately two hours following the procedure. You will be sore for about one week, but the discomfort is fairly mild. Bruising can persist for up to three weeks. Scottsdale plastic surgeon Dr. Flint sees you in the office at one week, one month, and four months post-operatively. Most people return to work one week after surgery. You cannot do any lifting or athletic activities for three weeks. The results are obvious within two weeks of surgery, but the final results become evident in three to four months.