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How Should I Prepare for Liposuction?

Posted April 30, 2020 in Liposuction, Liposuction Recovery, Preparing for Surgery

woman whose body was improved with liposuction

Liposuction can help to remove excess fat and improve body contours.

Liposuction is a great way to get rid of stubborn fat and accentuate your body contours. Aside from picking a great surgeon, how you prepare for your surgery can have a big impact on how successful your procedure is. 

Proper preparation can help reduce the risk of complications during the surgery and enhance the outcome of your results. 

How Does Liposuction Work?

Liposuction is a body contouring procedure that uses gentle, vacuum technology to remove stubborn fat from various areas of the body. 

Liposuction requires a small incision to insert a cannula into the target area. Lipolysis vacuum technology allows fat to be loosened and removed from the body through the cannula. 

Due to safety risks, large amounts of fat cannot be eliminated with liposuction. This treatment removes moderate amounts of fat to improve the contours of the body.

How to Prepare for Liposuction

Before you can start to prepare for liposuction, you’ll have to find the right surgeon for you and undergo a consultation, which will determine whether you are a good candidate. If you are traveling for your surgery, you may want to consider a virtual consultation. Virtual consultations allow you to have a preliminary conversation with your surgeon right from the comfort of your home

Once you know that you are a candidate and you have set a date for your surgery, there are a few steps that you may need to take to get the most out of your liposuction procedure. Depending on your goals, you may want to consider starting your preparation as far out as six months before your surgery. 

Six Months Before

At this point, you may want to consider taking on a healthy lifestyle, which includes:

  • Consistent exercise 
  • Following a nutritious diet

If you haven’t already been doing these things, starting them now will have a great effect on your results. A healthy diet and consistent exercise will get you closer to your ideal weight. 

Remember, liposuction is not a weight-loss surgery and will not remove large amounts of fat. 

Liposuction works best to enhance contours that are camouflaged by stubborn layers of fat that don’t respond to diet or exercise. Developing a healthy lifestyle at this point will make it easier for you to maintain your results in the future. 

One Month Before

At this stage, you should consider making some of your arrangements. You may want to:

  • Finalize or make arrangements with your employer
  • Reduce smoking and alcohol consumption 
  • Check-in with your surgeon 

Reducing smoking and alcohol consumption can be difficult, but drinking and smoking four to six weeks before or after surgery can cause dangerous complications. Smoking and alcohol change the way your blood circulates, which can increase risks and hinder your healing following the procedure. 

Two Weeks Before

Two weeks out from your surgery is a great time to put the finishing touches on your preparation. At this point, you may want to:

  • Finalize your transportation arrangements 
  • Refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol 
  • Prepare your recovery space

Reducing stress will help you to feel good going into your procedure and help you to have a comfortable recovery. Make sure you know how you are getting home and make any necessary arrangements. 

Want to Learn More? 

If you are considering getting liposuction and would like to learn more about your options in Beverly Hills, California, please feel free to contact Dr. Rey at his office at (310) 205-3107 or fill out our contact form.