Liposuction - Related FAQ's

Q: A friend of mine showed me her scars from Smart Lipo. They were a quarter inch in length and she had several on her lower belly, her sides, and lower back. Is this normal or was she mistreated?

A: Insertion scars are needed for liposuction for the surgeon to insert the liposuction cannula. Some scars mature over more than a year into a fine line, while others may invert and form and indentation while other scars could become raised by over-healing (hypertrophic scar or keloid). Some patients have a predilection to postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Most scars become minimally bothersome to the patient over time, but all patients must have these in order to perform thorough liposuction. The placement of the insertion sites varies from doctor to doctor and some may place them in less obvious areas as long as the cannula, inserted through these sites, can reach the target area.

Q: Do you think that I will have a greater or lesser chance of having stretch marks with my next pregnancy after I have had abdominal liposuction?

A: There have been no studies that have prospectively investigated this to my knowledge. Dermal collagen may be stimulated to grow and improve the integrity of the dermis after liposuction and this may be a defense against the weakening of the dermis that occurs in rapid stretching of the skin with pregnancy, but this is just not known as a medical fact.

Q: Can liposuction of the buttocks be done safely?

A: Liposuction is done on the buttock taking care to not remove too much as there could be a drop or sagging if there is loss of structural support. In addition, the lower buttock / upper thigh area has to be approached with conservative treatment because some patients can get a banana roll down there.

Related FAQ's

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