Liposuction Treatment Cost in India

The technique for extracting the excess fat from the body using a sophisticated surgical instrument is called liposuction and a qualified plastic surgeon will perform this operation safely and effectively. Not only is unwanted body fat removed with the help of this cosmetic surgery, but there is an overall improvement in the appearance to make the body's contour uniform and smooth. Alternatively, this procedure is also referred to as body contouring.

The procedure is specifically useful in contouring body parts like neck, upper arms, cheeks, breasts, very commonly abdomen and buttocks, thereafter, hips and thighs, calf regions of the leg, ankle and even knees. The procedure is not devoid of risks and patients should be expecting a long and even at times painful recovery depending upon the region and extent of the procedure that is conducted on the body. But very serious and fatal complications are quite rare. So, it is important to weigh the options to have surgery before undergoing the procedure.

There are many types of liposuction procedures that can be performed on the patient. Let us have a look at the below-mentioned categories of liposuction techniques:

Tumescent Liposuction or fluid injection: This is the most common kind of liposuction procedure performed and requires a good amount of medicated solution to be injected into the regions before the fat gets removed. Sometimes the solution that is injected can be three times the amount of the total body fat that is required to be removed. The fluid is basically a mixture comprising of lidocaine which is a local anesthetic and drug epinephrine that is effective in contracting the blood vessels and finally the IV or intravenous salt solution. Lidocaine works by numbing the area during and after the surgery, and apart from this, no other form of anesthesia may be needed. Epinephrine is used to minimize blood loss and avoid swelling and bleeding of any kind. With the assistance of the IV arrangement, the fat is bit by bit and effectively evacuated. With the body fat, the moisture is suctioned out. This nature's treatment takes longer than most other methods of liposuction.

Super wet technique: This technique is similar to the above procedure with the only difference being that the fluid injected is not in such large quantities as the previous one. In this case, the liquid amount that is injected is equal to the amount of fat that has to be removed from the body and not more than that. The overall procedure does not take as long as above, but the patient may need pain relief in a sleepy state and may also use general anesthesia so that the patient sleeps and the whole procedure is painless.

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction technique or UAL: This procedure makes use of ultrasonic vibrations that can turn the fatty cells into the liquid stage so that it can be easily vacuumed out from the body. The procedure can be conducted in two ways wherein one it is done externally above the skin’s surface with the help of a device or a special emitter. And the second way is to conduct it internally below the skin’s surface with the aid of a special cannula. This method is effective in the removal of fat from the dense and fibrous regions of the body for examples like the enlarged tissues in the male breast or the upper body. The method of UAL can also be combined with the tumescent technique in case of a secondary or follow up procedure for better precision. This procedure is shorter than the tumescent technique but longer than the second or the super-wet technique.

Power-assisted liposuction or PAL is a new kind of technology that makes use of a motor-driven and a reciprocating cannula which is attached to a standard aspirator. As a result of this, the physical movements that are required to be made by the surgeon are reduced thus bringing an overall reduction in the work of the surgeon. The surgeon also benefits by removing additional fat from confined areas of the body where earlier fast cannula motions are limited by physical constraints. This type of technology had more significant benefits than conventional cannulas.

Laser-assisted liposuction or the LAL technique:It is also used to liquefy the body's fat cells with laser energy and squeezed or vacuumed through a tube or a series of tubes following the liquidation of fats. The tubes in this case that are employed are smaller than the cannula used during traditional liposuction technique surgeons usually prefer to employ this technique in confined regions. The regions preferred are the face, jowl, and chin. One of the advantages of the LAL technique over others would be the production of collagen in those regions of the body where it is conducted as a result of the high energy that is produced due to Laser stimulation. The production of collagen is particularly helpful in preventing sag in the skin after fat removal. The skin structure is preserved and aided as a result of the fibrous nature of the protein collagen.

Not all candidates are found to be of suitable body type to undergo surgery and may look for other alternatives before going for liposuction surgery. The reasons cited below can be considered as suitable for undergoing liposuction surgery:

• Cosmetic causes which include unwanted fatty bulges and love handles developed in the lower body and formation of a double chin or an abnormal chin line.
• For the purpose of improving sexual functions by removal of excess fatty deposits from the inner thighs and allowing better and easy access to the vagina of the female.
• Shape the body of people with bulges, uniformities, and abnormalities that do not respond to diet or exercise.

However, it should be clearly understood that liposuction is not a substitute for a general cure for obesity or a method to replace exercise and diet. It is used for the removal of fat deposits from isolated regions of the body.

It is neither a treatment option for the removal of cellulite from the body (dimpled appearance and uneven lines over the skin of thighs, buttocks, and hips) nor the procedure to remove excessive skin.

There are certain regions of the body including the fats on either side of the breasts since the breast is a common location for acquiring cancer. In these regions also, liposuction may not be the solution.

The method is also useful for bringing about breast tissue reduction in males, gynecomastia, and removal of lipomas, hematoma, and angiolipoma.

There are other alternatives for liposuction and those methods will be discussed in a later section.

Before undergoing the surgery, the doctor will check for the uneven fat pockets and bulges that are formed in the body by thoroughly examining the patient. The patient should not be overweight and should be above 18 to undergo such a procedure. The patient will also be checked for other medical conditions like diabetes, blood coagulation problems, cardiovascular diseases. Skin healthiness is checked for better elasticity so that recovery can be easily assisted.  The doctor will also ensure that the patient has a periodic exercise routine, stable weight, and no eating disorders.

Liposuction treatment can allow local or regional anesthesia to only be performed for a specific body part. Nevertheless, as mentioned before, there are procedures for general anesthesia that can ensure the patient's relaxation and tranquility during the operation.

There will be a surgical team that shall closely work with the main surgeon to monitor the blood pressure, blood oxygen levels during the procedure and when one feels pain, they can tell the surgeon. Some medication and motion may be required to be adjusted to suit the patient. Depending on the extent of the removal of fat, the surgery time will vary.

A liposuction machine along with cannulas are employed in this surgical technique. The surgical team will prepare the region of the body that will undergo the treatment.

Through a small incision made in the skin, a suction tube having a sharp end is inserted into the fat pockets developed and swept through the area where the fat has to be removed. The fat that is disturbed from the actual zone of deposits will now be vacuumed via the suction tube. The suction process is carried out by a vacuum pump or a large syringe. If the area requiring treatment is extremely large, several skin punctures are produced and the surgeon can approach the regions from different directions so that the best outcome with optimum contours is achieved.

To remove the blood and excess fluid from the defatted regions of the body small numbers of tubes are inserted after the removal of fat. If during the surgery, there is a lot of loss of blood or fluid then the patient may require fluid replacement and in some rare cases, blood transfusion is also required.

After all this, a compression garment will be placed on the patient and this is required to be worn as long as the surgeon instructs.

There are some newer technologies that are being employed in place of liposuction for the removal of fat.

Coolsculpting: This makes use of controlled cooling to freeze the fat cells without surgery. The fat cells die and thereafter the body naturally eliminates them from the lymphatic system. It works on love handles, inner thighs, and belly.

Zerona: In this method, the fat cells are emptied of their contents and then a pore is made in the body through which these contents can be eliminated easily. The remaining is absorbed by the lymphatic system of the body.

Liposonix: The fats cells are subjected to high-intensity ultrasound waves. At a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius the fat cells are completely destroyed.

Ultrashape: This is another non-invasive technique aimed at the selective destruction of stubborn cells in fats with pulsed ultrasound under the skin surface. Pressure waves generate stem cavities in the fat cells and fat cell membranes break up to kill the fat cells.

Vanquish: This is a body contouring device which makes use of radiofrequency which heats the fat cells to 46 degree Celsius and works very well on abdomen regions.

The patient is expected to have a very detailed conversation with the surgeon regarding the medical history and if required may be required to quit certain medicines, stop taking contraceptives right before the surgery. Smoking and consumption of alcohol should be best left behind to aid in speedy recovery. If required, then some amount of weight has to be shed off to enjoy the best results of the procedure.

After the procedure, it is common to find bruises, swelling and some amount of pain to be associated. Pain management medications will be prescribed and irregularities in body contouring are taken care of by wearing tight compression garments to allow the fats to settle down in the respective locations in the body. Some antibiotics can be given to prevent any risks of infection. However, if any redness or excessive swelling is observed at the site of incision or fever occurs, then one must get in touch with their healthcare provider without any delay.

Liposuction surgery starts from $1400 and can go up to $3500 in India which is a very reasonable package compared to prices in the USA and other countries in North America or Europe.