Liposuction is literally sculpting the insulating fat layer, the subcutaneous tissue, by discreetly removing volume to reshape the area. Sculpting can be accomplished by removing fat at different discrete levels to alter the outward appearance.
Men are typically concerned about 3 main areas: their necks, their chest, and their abdomen.
For younger men with good skin tone (20-40ish years of age), liposuction of the neck can produce a nice change in their appearance and profile. The beautiful benefit of liposuction is that it is performed with only tiny needle punctures in the skin so that their are no visible tell tale scars.
The chest can be liposuctioned to decrease man-boobs. Man-boobs are often composed of fat. Some men however may also have breast tissue, a condition called gynecomastia. If this is present, a more formal gynecomastia surgery may be necessary.
In the abdomen, men want to decrease their girth and shrink their love handles. Liposuction often gives us the opportunity to accomplish this. Also, Abdominal etching, where we sculpt a 6-pack can also be performed.
We do not use compressive garments making the recovery much more comfortable. Dr. Schneider has developed a technique with application of special tape that helps the swelling resolve quicker and improves the tenderness of the areas.
The Liposuction Procedure
The procedure is performed with a twilight anesthesia. 2-millimiter punctures are made in inconspicuous locations for the placement of the liposuction tubes known as cannula. An anesthetic fluid called tumescent solution is then injected into the regions to be treated. The tumescent solution contains two medicines: one that inhibits bleeding so their is less bruising and minimal risk. The second medicine acts as an anesthetic and lasts for 12 -24 hrs.
The areas treated with liposuction will have some soreness for 1-2 weeks. Depending on the volume of fat removed and the number of areas treated, patients are able to return to their normal routine as soon as the next day. For some patients however, it may take several days until they feel comfortable returning to their normal routine. The patient will see some swelling in the areas that are treated. There may also be some bruising.
Typically it may take several weeks for the bruising to resolve and several months for all swelling to fade. A number of treatments, including lymphatic drainage (a special form of massage), ice application, and exercise may hasten the recovery process.
We recommend that patients begin their normal exercise regime as soon as possible following procedure. Dr. Schneider believes this speeds the recovery.
