By: Scott Green, MD

Liposuction complications are rare, and when your surgeon is skilled and you are a good match for the procedure, you have reason to be confident in your expectations for good results. However, in some cases – whether because the surgeon was less capable, or because the patient experienced significant physical changes that altered their results – a patient will decide to undergo revision liposuction in Sacramento. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I see a fair number of these patients who want to correct unsatisfactory results that they have received from another surgeon because, for one reason or another, their first procedure did not create the results they wanted.

Secondary Liposuction – Causes and Corrective Options

To understand these patients’ options, you need to know the factors that create less-appealing results in the first place. A great liposuction result is smooth, firm-looking, and flatters the patient’s other body contours, but due to a variety of factors loose skin or a “lumpy” look can develop that compromises your results. Typical causes – and solutions – for sub-par results:

1. The surgeon’s approaches did not promote healthy healing: Today, Sacramento plastic surgeons use laser or ultrasonic energy along with a liquid solution to help liquefy fat before removing it. Without these, the surgeon has to break up the fat using just the liposuction wand, creating tissue damage, which leads to fluid collection, scarring, swelling and other problems that damage results. Sometimes, a surgeon using more up-to-date techniques can refine these results and hide some of the signs of the other surgeon’s procedure.
2. The patient was very thin to begin with: Good liposuction candidates are at a stable, healthy weight – not overweight or very thin. Unfortunately, some plastic surgeons in Sacramento offer tummy tucks or liposuction for very thin women who do not need them. In these cases, liposuction may remove the thin layer of fat that normally supports skin and gives it a firm look, so the result may look less smooth and even. Fat transfer using body fat taken from the buttocks can often help correct this problem.
3. The patient’s weight changed significantly due to pregnancy or health habits: My liposuction patients are typically more than happy to eat right and exercise in order to maintain their results. In some cases, though, patients who do not take care of themselves as well will find that significant weight gain can make the tiny, normally-invisible liposuction scars appear to stretch as the skin expands, and reveal new problem areas of patchy fat that were not noticeable before, but may now require weight loss and additional liposuction to correct.
4. The patient’s skin quality or general health made them a poor candidate for the procedure in the first place: After surgery, skin needs to shrink to fit your new shape smoothly. In the vast majority of cases, this is not a problem because good liposuction candidates in Sacramento eat right and exercise frequently, so their tissues are more elastic. However, some surgeons perform procedures for patients with very thin or inelastic skin, which can create less-smooth results. Typically, these can be corrected in the process of additional procedures such as thigh lifts or abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) in Sacramento, but these are not always perfect solutions and not appropriate for every patient.

The Bottom Line

While I can often refine or even correct another surgeon’s unsatisfactory liposuction, this is certainly a case where prevention is the best “cure.” Research your procedure, find a Sacramento liposuction surgeon whose credentials are sound and whose techniques and philosophy of care you trust, and you will be much more likely to meet your expectations with beautiful, long-lasting results.