Sydney liposuction surgeon A/Prof Damian Marucci serves Miranda, Kogarah and the surrounding areas. Here, he describes what prospective liposuction candidates should know about the procedure and its recovery.

Do I need liposuction or do I need a tummy tuck?

This is one of the most common questions Dr. Marucci receives from patients unhappy with their abdominal contour.

First, let’s consider what each does. Liposuction removes excess fat without removing any skin. There is some tightening of the overlying skin due to scarring, but this is moderate at best and unpredictable at most. A tummy tuck involves removing excess skin and fat, together with tightening of the underlying muscles (which is usually required). Dr. Marucci actually performs a “lipo-abdominoplasty,” which combines total abdominal liposuction with a tummy tuck to remove the excess skin where it needs to be removed, and thin the remaining tissues to provide a better result.

If you have excess fat with no excess skin, you may be a candidate for liposuction. If you have excess skin as well as excess fat, you may need a tummy tuck.

How much weight can you lose with liposuction?

Liposuction is NOT a weight loss procedure — it is a body contouring procedure. Liposuction is best for patients who have specific areas of stubborn fat with good skin quality. The amount of fat removed is not enough to affect a patient’s weight. In fact, as the first step of liposuction is to fill the fat with wetting solution, and not all of this wetting solution is suctioned away, most patients GAIN some weight during the surgery.

Weight loss is best achieved through diet and exercise (with diet being the most important part; haven’t you ever heard the saying, “you can’t outrun a bad diet?”). Some patients benefit greatly from bariatric surgery where the size of the stomach is reduced or the passage of food through the intestines is re-routed. Patients who have had massive weight loss usually have excess skin and don’t need liposuction.

What is the recovery time after liposuction?

This depends partially on how much liposuction is performed and to how many areas — the more liposuction, the longer the recovery. The majority of patients have liposuction performed as day surgery. They go home wearing compression garments, which they wear day and night for the first few days. Patients are given strong painkillers, as there can be some discomfort when the local anaesthetic in the “wetting solution” wears off.

Dr. Marucci advises his patients to aim for around a week off work (although if only a few small areas are treated, some patients return to work much faster). No exercise for 2 to 3 weeks. Patients can shower from the day after surgery.

How long until the swelling goes down after liposuction?

Liposuction involves infiltrating the fat with “wetting solution” (fluid containing local anaesthetic and adrenaline) and then sucking out the solution together with some fat. There is significant swelling after the surgery not only due to bruising but also due to any residual “wetting solution.” It takes a few months for the swelling to go down. This is assisted by the use of compression garments. Patients are able to see the “final result” 6 to 9 months after surgery.

 How long does the pain and numbness last?

Liposuction unfortunately can produce a combination of pain AND numbness! The pain normally appears on the day after surgery, when the local anaesthetic has worn off. This is usually well controlled with oral painkilling medications. The numbness is due to bruising or damage to the nerves that supply the skin in the treated area — this usually takes a few months to resolve.

Why do I have to wear a compression garment after liposuction?

Compression garments come in all shapes and sizes to fit whichever body part has had liposuction, from the neck to the knees! Compression garments do lots of good things. They help reduce swelling, help control bruising and bleeding, support the body part that is a little sore after the liposuction and contour the area under your clothes.

Dr. Marucci asks his Sydney liposuction patients to wear compression garments day and night for 3 weeks after the surgery, and as much as possible after that. For this reason, many patients opt for liposuction in the winter months, when it is easier to conceal the garments under long sleeves and pants.

How much does liposuction cost?

The costs of liposuction vary greatly, depending on the amount of liposuction to be performed and how many areas are to be treated at the one time. Most surgery is performed as day surgery. If you need to stay in hospital overnight, this will obviously increase the cost. None of the costs are covered by Medicare or your health fund.

Speak with Our Sydney Liposuction Surgeon

If you would like to learn more about liposuction, A/Prof Damian Marucci welcomes you to schedule an informational consultation at his Kogarah or Miranda offices. Call us today to make your appointment.