Recently published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, a new study bemoans the lack of reliable information concerning liposuction on the web. In particular, the authors single out numerous websites created by plastic surgeons and practices with the intention of advertising their liposuction services. According to the study, approximately two thirds of these websites exhibited “substantial shortcomings” with regards to offering trustworthy information about liposuction. Professional societies and academic centers, on the contrary, received higher grades on delivering quality information to their online readers.
In order to counter this scarcity of trustworthy information, let’s carry out a quick survey of recent studies to sum up the well-known benefits of liposuction as well as to keep tabs on the latest developments in this technique.
According to a common knowledge, liposuction consists in removing aggregations of excess fat. What frequently goes unmentioned is the fact that, in the course of performing liposuction, skilled plastic surgeons must not lose sight of the larger goal – body contouring. The aim of body contouring is not merely to do away with all the excess fat but, ultimately, to sculpt the most flattering and natural-looking silhouette. In lieu of this goal, liposuction typically seeks to eliminate the fat rolls from the flanks while preserving desirable voluptuousness in other areas of the body. In some cases, this procedure may successfully remove unwanted fat while leaving the patient with flabby, hanging skin. In order to address this issue, experienced surgeons may combine liposuction with other procedures such as a tummy tuck to produce ideal body contour.
As a recent article in The Observer notes, the popularity of liposuction is no longer limited to the female patients. Along with injectable fillers and botox, liposuction is becoming increasingly popular with men. “Before you imagine that these liposuction procedures are only for middle-aged women, think again,” writes the author Margaret Abrams: “Everyone wants an easy fix when it comes to weight – even elderly men.”
Indeed, there are many reasons for the popularity of this procedure. Considered to be minimally invasive, liposuction is fairly safe and effective when it comes to delivering immediate results. A recent study published in Annals of Plastic Surgery describes it as the most common cosmetic surgical procedure worldwide and notes that its application goes beyond cosmetic or aesthetic purposes. For this reason, the authors call on third-party public payers and insurance companies to reconsider reimbursement policies associated with this increasingly popular procedure.
1.) http://journals.lww.com/prsgo/Fulltext/2016/06000/Systematic_Review_of_Quality_of_Patient.2.aspx#
2.) http://observer.com/2016/08/new-plastic-surgery-procedures-will-melt-away-your-fat/
3.) http://journals.lww.com/annalsplasticsurgery/Abstract/2015/08000/Functional_and_Therapeutic_Indications_of.23.aspx