Liposuction Surgery for Cellulite

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Many of the treatments claiming to rid you of cellulite are non surgical. While this may be great for quick recovery and returning to everyday life, usually multiple treatments are required. You might think that it may be better to have one more invasive procedure than many smaller, non invasive ones.

The first treatment that springs to mind when considering surgery for the treatment of cellulite is more than likely liposuction. Liposuction is the technique of removing fat from the body surgically. A cannula, which is basically just a hollow tube, in conjunction with light suction power is used to suck the fat up from the tissue.  General anaesthetic has to be used which in itself has several potentially life threatening risks to it if not correctly performed. In modern medicine, these risks have been greatly reduced by the use of other drugs in conjunction with the anaesthetic but a risk still remains nonetheless.  Occasionally, liposuction can be performed under local anaesthetic so the risks are even lower. This will be discussed with you by the surgeon and anaesthesiologist performing the surgery.

Despite fat cells being a primary factor in cellulite, the removal of fat by liposuction rarely helps to relieve the condition. The fat removed via liposuction is not from the same area as the fat that pushed up against the skin surface to cause cellulite. As a result, if you remove this fat, the cellulite causing fat will be unaffected. In fact, the procedure may in fact make the appearance of cellulite worse. Once liposuction has been performed the skin that used to have to stretch much further, as the person was larger, will now be loose.

With this in mind, it may surprise you to read that despite the obvious problems with this treatment, many people who have cellulite still choose to opt for it. The reason for this is due to the main effect of the surgery - the loss of inches from wherever in the body that the procedure was performed.  If you are slightly overweight, this treatment can be a fast way to sort out those problem areas such as the abdomen, arms and thighs. These are areas also commonly affected by cellulite. There will be circumference reduction within these areas and hence although the cellulite is not dealt with, the treatment will make you a bit skinnier and perhaps give back a little bit of confidence in yourself.

Instant weight loss may sound brilliant, but this isn’t without substantial risks and side effects. After the surgery, you are likely to be bruised, swollen and pretty sore for the next few weeks. Despite this, the scarring left from the procedure is very minimal due to the incisions made being small so the cannula can enter.  This may explain why it is a very popular choice for treatment.  It is also highly important that if you are to consider this, you ensure the surgeon performing the procedure as well as the clinic is appropriately certified. If they are not legitimate, there can be disastrous consequences from having an inexperienced person conducting such an invasive treatment.

As mentioned previously, liposuction will leave you with looser skin once the treatment is complete. This is because due to the skin stretching, elasticity has been lost and once this is lost, it can never return. If there is a great deal of loose skin, a follow up nip and tuck treatment may be required. However, both of these treatments are very expensive and usually are not available on the NHS.  Liposuction alone costs between £1500 and £5000 depending on how much is required and on which areas of the body.

If you are seeking fast, long lasting results and are willing to put up with a bit of pain then liposuction can offer that. For the majority however, other less invasive treatments would probably be far more effective in dealing with the cellulite issues.

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