The extent to which fat cells are concentrated in different parts of our body is genetically determined from the beginning.
The zones with “normal” fat and the zones of future “cellulite” are identical, except that the latter contain a high concentration of fat cells.
From adolescence onwards, the fat density will lead to increased weight and size. This has three consequences:
– a gradual stretching of the skin
– an expansion of the cavities which enclose the cell-bundles
– a hardening of the tissues
This results in the typical appearance of orange-peel skin, usually on top of local fat deposits. Bad eating habits, excess weight and lack of physical exercise speed up this process.
Dieting, sports, creams, massage, drainage, endermology, etc. ?
Although they can be beneficial, the effectiveness of all these techniques on the deep fat is limited.
Liposuction was refined by Dr. Illouz (France, 1978, suction of fat by means of a medical aspiration pump), who built upon the work done by several other physicians, of whom Dr Dujarier (France, 1929, attempt to “scrape away” the fat), Dr Wilkinson (USA, 1968, scraping, curettage of fat), and Dr Fischer (Italy, 1977, sucking the fat by means of a system of canulae) .
This method allows the fat to be sucked up using an aspiration-pump, under general anaesthesia. The traumatism proper to this technique results in a lot of discomforts: pain, haemorrhage, unevenness, relapse.
Dr Fournier (France, 1986) refined this technique and made it into what it is today. Other physicians, who did not not appear before the footlights, have also contributed.
Liposculpture is a technique to remove local deposits of fat by means of a syringe, under local anaesthesia.
How to avoid pain ?
– By going about gently, using thin needles and a low aspiration force (which one obtains by simply pulling the piston of a syringe).
How can one avoid haemorrhages ?
– By temporarily slowing down the local blood-circulation (as done in dentistry as well as in small dermatological surgery).
How to avoid unevenness and relapse ?
– By using a syringe, at the end of the removal of the fat, to check that no fat comes along anymore, which confirms that all fat has been removed.
This removal of fat, gently, completely and with precision, after a perfect preparation of the zone to be treated, is called liposculpture.
| Liposuction | Liposculpture | |
| Stay in hospital | Yes | No |
| Anaesthesia | General | Local |
| Preparation of the tissues prior to the treatment | No | Yes |
| Removal | Pump | Syringe |
Liposculpture makes it possible to correct a disfiguring silhouette, and in some cases to improve the surface of the skin.
As in all aesthetic surgery operation, this change of your appearance can boost your self-confidence.
But your expectations need to be realistic. During your first consultation, your physician will explain to you what are the possibilities and the limitations in your case.
The first consultation :
– This takes about one hour: clinical examination, discussion about the choice of zones to be treated, explanation of the advantages and disadvantages.
– The information given needs to be clear, comprehensive and honest! It must also answer your specific questions and take into account the uniqueness of your body.
– A picture of the zones to be treated will be taken. This will be analysed and discussed with you bearing in mind your future silhouette as a whole.
– This discussion will build a relationship of trust between the physician and his patient, an indispensable requirement of any intervention which is performed for aesthetic purposes.
Postoperative care :
– A thin self-resorbing thread under the skin closes the points of entry.
The patient himself can remove the bandage on the third day.
Lymphatic drainages are recommended during a fortnight.
During four weeks, the lipopanty must be wear :
– day and night for two weeks, only during the day for the next two weeks. One may take off the lipopanty to take a shower.
The follow-up consultations :
– The patient goes for a check-up after one month and after three months.
Prior to the intervention :
– A preliminary check-up must be carried out (blood sample and electrocardiogram).
On the day of the intervention :
– Since only local anaesthesia is needed, no stay in hospital is required. The patient must present himself at the agreed time and can return home immediately after the intervention, accompanied by another person.
– The intervention takes on average between 2 and 4 hours.
Depending on the size of the zones that require treatment, one can “gently” go back to work on the next day, or else after having rested for 1 or 2 days.
At birth, our body contains a certain quantity of fat cells. These are more or less unevenly spread, depending on our hereditary disposition. The number and the volume of these cells increases until we reach adolescence. After this period, only the size of these cells can increase. Their number has by then reached its definitive figure.
Remark: it is true that pre-adipocytes exist which can evolve into fat cells, but these are removed during liposculpture too.
When you loose weight by dieting, the only consequence is that the volume of the cells diminishes (especially in the upper half of the body!). The distribution, however, does not change.
Locally sucking up fat cells, on the other hand, does make disgracious forms disappear by definitively excluding any relapse in this zone !
It is obvious that the we must be able to control that the aspiration has been executed in the most complete way,
which is the big advantage of the technique of liposculpture with the syringe.
Before the intervention, the patient takes a sedative, which makes him sleepy or which even makes him fall asleep. This makes the local anaesthesia painless.
The pain after the intervention depends on the size of the fat removal which is performed as well as on the sensitiveness of the patient. On average, the pain will disappear after 2 or 3 days. Painkillers are prescribed anyhow.
Sport is to be avoided for 2 weeks.
Yes, depending on the volume of fat which is removed, but all in all the loss of weight is relatively small. After all, liposculpture is all about reshaping the silhouette, and not about loosing weight !
After it. This allows for the silhouette as a whole to be better shaped. Also, one is stimulated by seeing the better-shaped treated zones.
The state of the skin is examined during the first consultation. If it is sufficiently elastic, it will regain its shape without any problem. The appearance and the firmness of the skin will not suffer. However, if the skin is not sufficiently elastic, it may become flabby or wrinkled. Which constitutes a counter-indication for the treatment !
These are hidden as much as possible, in the folds of the skin or in already existing scars.
They are 4 to 5 millimetres in size, and after a few months they take the colour of the skin.
It is very important not to expose them to the sun and not to go on a sunbed during the first few months.
Subcutaneous haematomae, pain and a temporary problem of sensitiveness of the skin are the most common side-effects.
For information, please find hereby the list of all the possible sequelae of the liposuction from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery…
Common side effects :
– edema, ecchymosis, dysesthesia, fatigue, soreness, scar, asymmetry, and minor contour imperfections are expected sequellae.
Uncommon complications ::
– skin necrosis, severe hematomas, recurrent seromas, nerve damage, systemic infection, hypovolemic shock, intraperitoneal or intrathoracic perforation, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism, and loss of live have been reported.
Occasional side effects :
– persistant edema, long-term dysesthesia, hyperpigmentation, prurits, hematoma, seroma, and drug or tape adhesive reactions.
NB : Patients who are admitted to hospital, where they find themselves among many other patients a lot of whom suffer from an infection, risk being infected themselves by a so-called nosocomial or hospital-acquired infection. Such infections are often caused by bacteria that resist to most antibiotics. This constitutes a major problem for modern medicine: in Belgium alone more than 75,000 people per year are infected after being admitted to hospital. 2.800 of them do not survive the infection. These figures continue to increase at an annual rate of 7%.
This is caused by an uneven and incomplete removal of the fat, which leaves visible traces of fat under the skin. It is therefore crucial that the fat be completely removed ! The technique of removing fat with a syringe, in other words liposculpture, makes it possible to check precisely this.
During the first two weeks, the results will gradually become apparent afterwards :
60% after 1 month, 90% after 3 months, full stabilization of the tissues after 6 months.
Very much in demand … but seldom performed …
Indeed, when a visible result which gives full satisfaction is asked for, then two conditions must be met: a substantial concentration of fat and a sufficiently firm skin.
In order not to risk injuring the nerves, one has to avoid treating the cheeks and the corner of the jaw.
A good indication consists of accumulations of fat at the outside of the arms. Soft fat under the arms, however, are a counter-indication.
Aspirating fat from the female breasts will result in flat, empty breasts. Therefore this is not an indication. With men it is precisely the opposite, on the condition that the breasts’ volume results from fat and not from overdeveloped glands. This has to be examined by means of an echography.
Located at the junction of the cervical vertebrae and the vertebral column. Can also be treated.
This area is the easiest one to be treated !
One can go as far as the hollow of the back, which results in a much finer silhouette.
This zone can possibly be complemented with the costal folds, under the bra, if the fat density is sufficient.
This constitutes an excellent indication, as long as the fat is subcutaneous. However, if the fat is intra-abdominal, then only a diet can bring relieve.
The skin – even if partially extended – will never “drop”: if the skin is moderately slackened, then it will definitely become tighter again. However, if the skin is too slackened, one must resort to surgery.
Because there is only little pressure on the belly, there is only little post-operative hindrance.
The indication par excellence !
Must often go together with the side of the buttocks, in order to obtain a refinement of the same form. Careful however for the ” false jodhpur ” which is caused by too slack a skin.
In most cases, these constitute a counter-indication, because a homogenous infiltration of fat is involved, with no clear indication where to stop.
This zone is quite painless, because the tissues are supple. Extra attention needs to be paid to the condition of the skin, which is often thin in this area.
These too constitute an excellent indication.
Particularities of the buttocks :
– a fold of the buttocks cannot be removed.
– a “banana” under the buttocks can never be fully removed, since this may result in folds !
– “sad buttocks”, heavy on the outside, must be fought by all means !
– “flat buttocks” can be rounded by exercising the muscles, by protheses (as for the bosom …) or by injections of fat combined with liposculpture above and below in order to obtain a nicer, curvy look.
Buttocks have to be slender in order to be elegant, but they also have to be curvy in order to be sensual …
This area is the one where treatment gives the highest pleasure, since removing the curve at the inside of the knee makes the leg optically longer …
The patellar fat-folds, however, can only be partially removed, so as to avoid causing folds.
There must be a clear accumulation of fat. The legs are usually “pole-shaped”, which results from the shape of the sural muscle.
The best indications are men who have put on some weight (as a result from business lunches, ceasing of sports, etc…).
The treatment and the progress are identical and the number of male patients doesn’t cease to increase !
The areas most commonly treated are the belly, the hips and the chest.