What You Need To Know About Lipo

by Randy Alvarez

What you need to know about liposuction.
The first thing I recommend when looking for a doctor specializing in liposuction or liposculpture, is that you find a Medical Doctor who is board certified by a board that is recognized by the American Medical Association.
  
Rule number one: go to a doctor who does both the tummy tuck procedure and liposuction.  This is important because I have seen too many bad liposuction cases where the patient needed a tummy tuck and lipo and not just lipo alone.  I believe that many well intentioned docs who only do lipo and are not trained or qualified to do tummy tucks are at a great disadvantage because they can't offer patients all of their options.  

Rule number two: is look at their before and after photos. They better have more than 10 to show you; otherwise you should look for another doctor.  The bible says you will know the good trees by their fruit (I'm paraphrasing), in the case of plastic or cosmetic surgeons you will know them by their before and after photos.

Rule number three: how are you treated by the front office?  Are they friendly, inviting and look and act like they like their job?  This tells you about the kind of doctor you are going to be dealing with. This lets you know who he or she picks to greet his patients.  

Rule number four: (in no particular order) does the doctor make you feel comfortable? Does the doctor explain the treatment options in a way you can understand? Does your gut tell you that this is the right person?  I have interviewed hundreds of doctors over the years and have surely seen over one thousand before and after lipo photos. I believe that you need to find a doctor who likes to do lipo. Liposuction is tedious work and many docs tell me they hate it.  

Rule number five: look at the doctor, is he or she dressed in a stylish way?  Is the office clean and well put together?  Look for a doctor with an artistic eye, someone who cares about appearance and understands and appreciates beauty.  

Rule number six: ask how many procedures the doc has performed and how often.  Like anything in life, the more you do something the better you become at it. Like golf for instance, you can get rusty. Go to a doc who performs this procedure at least twice a month.  

My final rule is about safety. Does the doc use a board certified anesthesiologist?  I should mention that many of the newer procedures using tumescent and radio-frequency combinations allows patients to be awake during the procedure. I think this is a safe practice in the right hands.  Make sure the doc has an accredited operating room. Safety is a big topic and my advice is to make sure that you are healthy before the procedure and that you do not smoke before or after the procedure.  Ask the doctor what safety measures he or she has taken for the procedure and use your best judgment.

Lastly I want to add this: don’t get liposuction if you are a ravenous eater, binge eater or yo-yo dieter. Years later when you gain weight you will gain it in other places, completely throwing off your body symmetry. The areas where you got the lipo will also look very strange. The fat cells that are left will return in asymmetric areas creating a bumpy, uneven look. 

My recap: if you are going to do this procedure, find a practitioner who is well qualified to do both tummy tuck and lipo. Make sure that they do the procedure frequently. Check that they are board certified by a recognized board and that safety is their top priority. Look at their before and after photos and find out if they like doing the procedure.  Good luck and be safe.

Randy Alvarez

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