Liposuction & Liposculpture

 

How Much Fat Can Be Removed with Liposuction?

The maximum amount of fat that can be removed in one procedure is 5 litres so you must be realistic about the results. It is possible to do multiple procedures to further remove fat cells from fat deposits a few days apart.. However, this must be done cautiously. This is called ‘staged mega liposuction’. A healthy diet and regular exercise must be followed the procedure. The improvement is permanent as the number of fat cells in the treated areas are reduces. The fat does not shift to other areas in the body.

What Results can I Expect from Liposuction?

The results may initially look impressive, but you may experience swelling for up to 6 weeks, leading to some disappointment.

The results can sometimes be seen as quickly as 1-month post-procedure. However, 3 to 6 months is average for full results.

Feeling but not seeing hard lumps at approximately 2 weeks is normal. These lumps can last for up to 6 months. The lumps shrink with time and can pull the skin tighter.

Fluid lumps that have a wave in them should be reported to our staff. These can be seromas, but this complication is very rare. They are usually of nuisance only. If a wound oozes puss or becomes red, hot and swollen, you must immediately report this to us.

Please note that liposuction is designed to remove excess fat deposits, it will not reduce or remove excess skin. Vaser Pro Lipo is a good alternative to a tummy tuck and can offer some skin tightening.

What is the Cost of Liposuction in Perth?

The cost of liposuction depends on how many areas are required. Liposuction is from $2,200 per area plus a theatre fee. Vaser Pro Lipo, the gold-standard liposuction and liposculpture costs from $3,300 per area plus a theatre fee.

Dr Glenn Murray

Cosmetic Doctor and Medical Director

Dr Glenn Murray completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Western Australia. He continued his training; undertaking both cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgery training. Dr Glenn Murray has trained with some of the best Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons in the US and around the world. He is the past president of the Cosmetic Society and sits on the current ACCS committee for Liposculpture. Dr Murray has a special interest in repairing botched oversees surgery and more information on this can we found here.

Dr Murray, our Medical Director, at Absolute Cosmetic Medicine is committed to providing exceptional care to every patient.  His full resume can be seen here.

What happens before the liposuction procedure?

Prior to booking the procedure. you will have a full consultation with the doctor and nurses to ensure that you are physically healthy and a suitable candidate for liposuction cosmetic surgery. Although it is a forgiving procedure, being in good physical health is important. A consent form with all side effects, risks and benefits will also be explained and provided.

You must avoid blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin and anti-inflammatory pills, for at least one week before the surgery. If you’re seeing a medical specialist for any health conditions, please seek their opinion about your fitness for this procedure.

Alcohol should be avoided for at least 24 hours before the surgery. Smokers must quit prior to surgery. Smoking and illicit drug use must be strictly avoided before the procedure.  We take smoking very seriously as a high risk for any procedure, so you must be aware of the cancellation policy if you smoke.  Smoking increases the risk of some serious complications during and after surgery.  Ideally, you should stop smoking at least 8 weeks prior to a procedure, cutting down does not reduce the risk of complications, however, the greatest health benefit is gained by quitting smoking for good.  More information about the possible complications, as well as information about how to quit, is available here.

An information package will be given to you covering medications, blood tests and other pre-procedure instructions. You should commence antibiotics the night before and wash in an antiseptic solution the morning of the procedure, including your hair.

A blood test must be undertaken at least 1 week before the procedure.

What happens on the day of the liposuction procedure?

You must be on time for your procedure. This means being at the clinic at least half an hour before the start time. Your nurse will perform an extensive admission procedure before admitting you to our fully-licensed surgery.

Patients who have reflux should continue their anti-reflux medication. Most medications should be continued other than blood-thinning medications. Check with the doctor before the procedure and the nurse on the day of the procedure.

Your hair and body must be washed with the antiseptic that we recommend using.

Important: If you’ve been smoking in the last 2 weeks, the procedure will be cancelled and payment won’t be refunded.

Photographs will be taken before you change into a surgical gown. In theatre, a small drip will be inserted. If you are uncomfortable with needles, numbing cream can be applied to the back of the hand prior to the drip being inserted.  Please ask the nurse beforehand. Also, a pre-operative relaxant can be prescribed.

Full monitoring equipment will be used, including a heart rate and oxygen level monitor. You will receive sedation and will go into varying degrees of sleep. You should not recall any of the procedure.

What happens after the liposuction procedure?

You must be picked up by a competent adult who can assist you at home for the first night. Usually, you can expect to be in and out of the surgery in 4-5 hours. You must be fully recovered before leaving. Please inform your nurse if you suffer from nausea after anaesthetic.

Your nominated carer must give you medications, as the anaesthetic can make you forgetful and help you avoid a double up of medications.

Your carer must also escort you to the toilet and back, ensuring you get up slowly to avoid light-headedness. If you do become light-headed the carer should lie you down flat and elevate your legs.

Our doctors are on call 24 hours a day and will phone to check up on you. For the first night, it is wise to rest but perform the leg exercises and deep breathing exercises as instructed by your nurse.

The following day you’ll be up and about as normal, with discomfort levels that many describe as similar to after a heavy workout. Avoid lifting anything heavier than 2.5kgs.

The wounds will ooze a raspberry cordial coloured fluid, and this is normal. We advise wearing old pyjamas and lying on a towel. The wounds will close over the following day, or when the oozing stops. Nursing staff will see you the next day to clean the area and close the wounds. The doctor will also check for any abnormalities.

Avoid showering for the first day. A garment will be applied and you will be instructed on how to care for this. As mentioned, smoking is strictly prohibited.

What happens in the following weeks after liposuction?

If you have a sedentary job, you should have 4-7 days off work. For those with physical jobs, 1-2 weeks off is preferable.

The return to exercise is usually relatively quick. As a rough guide, after one week you can return to light exercise, two weeks for moderate exercise and three weeks for full exercise. This can vary from person to person so please ensure that you follow your doctor’s recommendation. If you do extremely intense exercise, do not return to this level of exercise for at least six weeks.

When returning to exercise it is advisable to do a small amount of exercise, have the next day off and see how you feel, then slowly increase every second day.

Swimming and spas are best avoided for at least 2 weeks, or until the wounds are completely healed. Intercourse is best avoided for at least 1 week. As mentioned, smoking is prohibited for 6 weeks and, if you can, try to use this break to give up for good.

You should also buy a thermometer and record your temperature daily. If your temperature is above 37.5 degrees, please report this to the medical staff.

 

Why choose Absolute Cosmetic for your Liposuction Procedure?

• We are WA Health Department licensed and a full-time cosmetic clinic.
• We were one of the first full-time cosmetic clinics in Perth and have over 20 years of experience.
• We’ve performed more than 8,000 liposculpture procedures.
• Dr Murray has a diploma in liposuction and is on the liposuction register. He also assisted in writing the liposuction advisory guidelines for safe practice.
• Dr Murray was originally trained by one of the grandfathers of liposuction, Dr Pierre Fournier and by other world experts, including one of the leading plastic surgeons in VASER liposculpture and high definition VASER.
• We have a very low complication rate for the procedure, and experienced nurses dedicated to after-care, plus a 24-hour on-call service.
• We have our own health department licensed theatre, so there is no time pressure on the formats of the procedure.

*Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.