eMedicine Specialties > Plastic Surgery > Body Contouring

Liposuction, Trunk: Follow-up

Author: Allen Gabriel, MD, Director of Research, Department of Plastic Surgery, Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Coauthor(s): Mary Katherine Gingrass, MD, FACS, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University; Consulting Surgeon, The Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville; Martha Matthews, MD, Head, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Cooper Hospital University Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Julian B Gordon, MD, Consulting Staff, Division of Plastic Surgery, Kennestone Hospital; Consulting Staff, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Northside Hospital-Cherokee
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 5, 2009

Outcome and Prognosis

Liposuction is an extremely effective surgical tool that affords excellent results. Patients still can gain weight after undergoing liposuction, but their shape remains more balanced than before the procedure. In most published studies on liposuction, approximately 10% of patients require a minor touch-up within a few months of surgery. In appropriately selected patients, liposuction performed by skilled surgeons yields patient satisfaction rates greater than 90%.

The multimedia section contains 3 sets of preoperative and postoperative photos of patients who underwent ultrasound-assisted lipectomy (UAL), suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL), or both.

Future and Controversies

Controversies exist regarding simultaneous use of liposuction with other procedures for body contouring. Some surgeons routinely perform liposuction while performing procedures such as abdominoplasty. Performing multiple procedures simultaneously carries a greater risk of complications. Abdominoplasties compromise blood flow to skin and fat in the treated and surrounding areas. Simultaneously adding the surgical trauma of liposuction to this therapy increases the chance of significant blood flow compromise to the tissues in the surgical zone. As more of these combined procedures take place and larger volumes of liposuction are performed, the limits of this surgical therapy will be defined more clearly.

 


More on Liposuction, Trunk

Overview: Liposuction, Trunk
Workup: Liposuction, Trunk
Treatment: Liposuction, Trunk
Follow-up: Liposuction, Trunk
Multimedia: Liposuction, Trunk
References
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References

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  2. Pitanguy I. Evaluation of body contouring surgery today: a 30-year perspective. Plast Reconstr Surg. Apr 2000;105(4):1499-514; discussion 1515-6. [Medline].

  3. Kesselring UK, Meyer R. A suction curette for removal of excessive local deposits of subcutaneous fat. Plast Reconstr Surg. Aug 1978;62(2):305-6. [Medline].

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  7. Roustaei N, Masoumi Lari SJ, Chalian M, Chalian H, Bakhshandeh H. Safety of Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction: A Survey of 660 Operations. Aesthetic Plast Surg. Dec 18 2008;[Medline].

  8. Matarasso A. Superficial suction lipectomy: something old, something new, something borrowed.... Ann Plast Surg. Mar 1995;34(3):268-72; discussion 272-3. [Medline].

  9. Pitman GH, Aker JS, Tripp ZD. Tumescent liposuction. A surgeon's perspective. Clin Plast Surg. Oct 1996;23(4):633-41; discussion 642-5. [Medline].

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  12. Dr. Vodder School International. Available at http://www.vodderschool.com/. Accessed March 5, 2009.

  13. Grazer FM, de Jong RH. Fatal outcomes from liposuction: census survey of cosmetic surgeons. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2000;105(1):447-448. [Medline].

  14. Illouz YG. Illouz's technique of body contouring by lipolysis. Clin Plast Surg. Jul 1984;11(3):409-17. [Medline].

  15. Pitman GH, Teimourian B. Suction lipectomy: complications and results by survey. Plast Reconstr Surg. Jul 1985;76(1):65-72. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

liposuction, trunk liposuction, upper body suction-assisted lipoplasty, upper body contouring, body contouring, abdominal liposuction, suction-assisted lipoplasty, SAL, ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty, UAL, cross-tunneling, ultrasonic lipoplasty, ultrasonic liposuction

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Allen Gabriel, MD, Director of Research, Department of Plastic Surgery, Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Allen Gabriel, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Medical Association, and California Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Mary Katherine Gingrass, MD, FACS, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University; Consulting Surgeon, The Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville
Mary Katherine Gingrass, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Plastic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and Tennessee Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Martha Matthews, MD, Head, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Cooper Hospital University Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Martha Matthews, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Association, American College of Surgeons, and American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Julian B Gordon, MD, Consulting Staff, Division of Plastic Surgery, Kennestone Hospital; Consulting Staff, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Northside Hospital-Cherokee
Julian B Gordon, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Gregory Caputy, MD, PhD, Chief, Department of Plastic Surgery, Aesthetica Plastic and Laser Surgery Center of Honolulu
Gregory Caputy, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Canadian Medical Association, Hawaii Medical Association, International College of Surgeons, International College of Surgeons US Section, Pan-Pacific Surgical Association, and Wound Healing Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Alan Matarasso, MD, FACS, PC, Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Immed Past President of New York Regional Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Alan Matarasso, MD, FACS, PC is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Plastic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, International College of Surgeons US Section, New York Academy of Medicine, New York County Medical Society, Pan American Medical Association, and Pan-Pacific Surgical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Nicolas (Nick) G Slenkovich, MD, Director, Colorado Plastic Surgery Center
Nicolas (Nick) G Slenkovich, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and Colorado Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Deepak Narayan, MD, FRCS, Associate Professor of Surgery (Plastic), Yale University School of Medicine; Chief of Plastic Surgery, West Haven Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Deepak Narayan, MD, FRCS is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Indian Medical Association, Plastic Surgery Research Council, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and Royal College of Surgeons of England
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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