Fat pockets are stubborn. They’re like a donkey, a three-year-old, or your mother-in-law. They don’t listen to reason, and they don’t go away. No matter how much you exercise, no matter how nutritious you make your diet, there they are giving you bulges in all the wrong places. Fat pockets in places like your abdomen are almost impossible to get rid of, short of a 45-day hunger strike.
But liposuction with Dr. Saltz can teach those unwanted fat pockets who’s the boss. Liposuction is the perfect way to remove stubborn pockets of fat.
Who’s right for liposuction?
First things first, liposuction is NOT a weight loss procedure. The thinking is that if you can remove a little fat, why not remove lots of fat. Actually, removing too much fat can be dangerous. So, to qualify for liposuction with Dr. Saltz, patients need to be within 15% of their ideal body weight. They should also have good skin elasticity (if you don’t a tummy tuck, possibly combined with liposuction is a better solution), good muscle tone, and have maintained a consistent weight for a certain length of time.
How it’s done
Liposuction has come a long way since its debut in the U.S. in the 1980s. At that time the procedure was pretty violent, with the doctor having to move the cannula aggressively under the skin to break loose the fat for suctioning. The incisions had to be larger to accommodate the movements and a larger cannula. The result was excessive tissue trauma and bruising (caused by bleeding) that could take a couple months to fully clear.
Today liposuction with Dr. Saltz is much easier. He uses the tumescent approach, where a saline solution with Lidocaine and epinephrine is injected into the target areas prior to inserting the cannula. This combination both acts as an anesthetic and constricts the blood vessels to limit bleeding and bruising. Next, a few small incisions are made in the target area and Dr. Saltz inserts a small cannula to suction out the fat and excess liquid. The incisions can be so small that they don’t even require stitches, but that will depend on your particular situation.
Recovery
Recovery is much easier today than with early liposuction. You’ll have some swelling and bruising, but that will pass in a week to 10 days. You’ll wear compression garments to help the skin adhere to its new slimmer contour faster. You can return to work in just a couple of days, if you’ve had a single area treated, or in a week if you’ve had multiple areas addressed.
While you probably can’t do much about your stubborn mother-in-law this Thanksgiving, you can do something about your stubborn fat pockets. Call Dr. Saltz at either his Salt Lake City or Park City office and schedule a consultation for liposuction.