When it comes to building a better body, diet and exercise are your first line of defense. However, some people may continue to experience problem spots in their arms or stomach, no matter how many calories they burn or desserts they forego. If you are one of these people, thenliposuction and other body sculpting procedures like aTummy Tuck may be right for you. Body sculpting procedures can solve problem areas that have bothered you for years, with permanent results.Doctor Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, has years of experience performing plastic surgery on the face, breast, and body.
What to Bring to Your Consultation
When you arrive for your consultation with Doctor Florence Mussat, bring a copy of your full medical records. Be sure to mention any allergies and current medications you are taking to ensure your safety during the procedure. You may be asked to undress, so it is advised that you wear loose clothing that is easy to remove.
Don’t be afraid to bring in a picture of your ideal arms, stomach, or thighs. Additionally, if there is a look you really don’t want, don’t hesitate to bring in a picture of that as well. Any information you share about your goals can help Dr. Mussat and her team create a body you love.
The 6 Essential Questions to Ask
When you arrive for your liposuction consultation, remember to ask your surgeon these six essential questions to achieve the best results:
1. Are you Board Certified?
When you are undergoing an invasive procedure like liposuction, it’s essential to make sure that the surgeon performing the operation is qualified. Doctor Florence Mussat is a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, with over 15 years of experience in private practice. Additionally, she also works as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
2. Am I a good candidate?
The ideal candidate for liposuction surgery is at or near their ideal weight. Liposuction is a form of body sculpting, designed to eliminate small pockets of fat, rather than reduce overall. An important factor in determining whether you will have good results is the elasticity of your skin. You can conduct a “skin pinch test” by gathering the skin on your hand with your index and thumb. Your skin is elastic enough if it immediately springs back to its original shape when you release your hold.
3. Can I Combine Liposuction With Other Surgeries?
Liposuction can be combined with a tummy tuck orMommy Makeover to eliminate excess skin and create a more toned appearance. In a Mommy Makeover, Dr. Florence Mussat performs both an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and a breast lift to reverse the adverse effects that pregnancy may have taken on your body. If you are concerned about your arms or thighs, anArm Lift orThigh Lift will help you achieve your goals better than liposuction alone. If you feel an area of your body is too thin, you can move fat from one area to another with aFat Transfer.
4. What is the Recovery Time After Surgery?
You will experience bruising and swelling following surgery, but will be able to return to work within a week. During the first few weeks of recovery, you will probably wear a compression garment to aid the healing process and prevent complications.
5. What Will The Surgery Be Like?
Before surgery, you will be put under either local or general anesthesia to numb the surgical site. During the operation, Dr. Mussat makes a small incision before inserting a device called a cannula, which she will attach to a vacuum and use to suck out fat.
6. What Kind of Results Can I Expect?
Swelling usually subsides within a few weeks, and you should expect to see a leaner look within the coming months. The results of liposuction are permanent. Because liposuction is a body contouring procedure, your overall shape will stay the same even if you gain weight.
Scheduling your Liposuction Consultation with Dr. Florence Mussat
Now that you’re familiar with the essential questions to ask at a liposuction consultation, the next step is scheduling your consultation with Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago. You can call us at 312-751-9000 orschedule an appointment online. You don’t have to settle for a look you don’t love. Call Dr. Florence Mussat today!
When it comes to cosmetic procedures that sculpt the body and improve its contours, there are few as popular as liposuction. For decades this enduring method of eliminating excess fat cells and removing pesky bulges has been a staple in aesthetic medicine. Now that we are well into the summer months when people are more aware of fat pads that diet and exercise seem to ignore, liposuction becomes a practical cosmetic option.
Over the years, millions of patients have enjoyed the sleeker form liposuction delivers in problem areas like the abdomen, back, and thighs. But do these results last forever? Although liposuction removes fat cells permanently, it doesn’t remove them all. It is possible to expand existing cells, which can harm your results. Here are some simple tips to follow to maintain your results after liposuction.
Stay Active
Fifty percent of liposuction patients will gain about two or three pounds within six months after having the procedure while the other half stay focused on retaining their hard-won results. The best way to maintain your liposuction results is to find a way to keep fit. Staying active through physical exercise will not only help you keep the body you’ve earned, but will also improve your quality of life with better health.
Eat Right
The older you get, the more diet impacts your ability to keep your healthy weight. We all struggle with certain foods that can undermine a sleek and slender body outline. Although you don’t have to starve yourself, you should limit eating foods that may cause a problem. These include:
Simple carbs like bread, rice, and pasta
Saturated fat and sugars
Carbonated sodas including diet drinks
Energy drinks high in sugar
Fried and processed foods
The less you eat of these foods, the less you will crave them. The more you eat the right foods, the easier it will be to continue with a healthy diet. These foods include:
Fresh vegetables and fruits
Whole grains and complex carbs
Drink plenty of water (eight cups a day)
Eat smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to binge eating late. Eating a good, healthy breakfast will ease cravings during the day and give you the energy you need to remain active.
Prioritize Sleep
A busy schedule can impede the sleep you need for a healthy lifestyle. Studies prove that sleep between 6.5 and 8.5 hours each night can lower the percentage of body fat. People who get consistent, adequate sleep daily will increase their odds of keeping the pounds off because sleep helps to suppress the appetite.
Become Accountable
The best way to hold yourself to a standard of keeping fit and slim is to have someone in your life to hold you accountable. A friend, family member, or spouse can help, especially if they are trying to stay fit and healthy as well. We all need encouragement and at times admonishment to remain focused on living a healthy lifestyle that promotes a beautiful body!
Do You Have Questions About Liposuction
To learn more about liposuction and how to maintain its stunning results, contact board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Florence Mussat for a consultation.
Healthy habits, like eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly, are integral to living a long life—but they don’t always result in uniform weight loss. That’s why over 200,000 Americans turn to liposuction each year: Liposuction can effectively “spot reduce” the deposits of stubborn fat that sometimes cling to otherwise slim, fit individuals.
Though liposuction is safe and effective for the vast majority of patients, those interested in having fat surgically removed often worry that their unwanted pounds will inevitably return. This expectation is usually based on years of “yo yo” dieting; many of us are used to the fat we lose coming back after a diet ends. Fortunately, liposuction works very differently than traditional weight loss. In many cases, it actually can produce permanent results. Here’s how it works:
Liposuction Vs. Conventional Weight Loss
How many fat cells we have and how they’re distributed is determined largely by our genetics. People have different body types owing to heritable patterns of fat storage: Some people are “apple shaped,” for example, carrying most of their body fat on their stomachs and chests. Others are naturally slender or tend to store fat evenly across their limbs and torso.
When we lose weight through diet or exercise, these patterns of fat storage—and our fat cells—don’t actually go away. Instead, our fat cells just shrink in size; the slimming we observe during weight loss occurs because fat cells take up less space as they lose volume. Alas, as soon as we start consuming more calories than we’re burning, our fat cells quickly expand again. This causes us to regain weight in all of the same problem areas, time and time again.
Even people who successfully stay slim often retain small but distracting fat deposits in areas where fat cells are particularly dense. A pear-shaped woman, for example, might feel like her thighs too thick for her otherwise lean frame—no matter how much she works out. An apple-shaped woman, on the other hand, may notice persistent lower belly fat, arm fat, or rolls around her bra line. These issues persist unless the individual in question achieves a very low body fat percentage, which is neither realistic nor healthy for the average person.
Liposuction, by contrast, does not shrink fat cells. During liposuction, a very thin tube (called a cannula) is inserted directly into adipose tissue. Localized fat deposits are irrigated with a special solution, then a significant number of fat cells are gently sucked out. This reduces the actual density of fatty tissue in targeted areas, not just the volume of individual fat cells.
Fat cells that are removed or destroyed rarely ever grow back on their own. Areas that are treated with liposuction therefore remain proportionally slimmer than they used to be, even if the patient gains weight after surgery. An apple-shaped woman who used liposuction to sculpt a more distinct waistline will notice more weight gain on her thighs, buttocks, and chest than her stomach, for example.
Sometimes, gaining a very large amount of weight (over 30 pounds) can cause the body to create new fat cells. This isn’t a common occurrence, but it is a possibility. You should therefore try to keep your weight relatively stable if you’ve had this procedure, just in case.
Dr. Florence Mussat offers both liposuction and medically supervised weight loss, so if you’re worried about gaining weight after surgery, she can help you stay on track. To learn more about the liposuction procedure, recovery, and long-term maintenance, contact her Chicago plastic surgery practice to arrange a consultation.
Liposuction is an effective plastic surgery procedure that eliminates stubborn, unwanted fat. Many patients know that they want to undergo liposuction and understand what the surgical process involves, but patients also need to learn about the recovery process. Read our infographic below to find out what recovering from liposuction is like.
If you’re interested in liposuction, contact us today.
You eat like a vegan and work out like an athlete but still can’t lose those stubborn fat pads around your middle, your thighs, and your upper back. Why is that? You want the body you once had, and you work hard for it, but there seem to be areas immune to diet and exercise. What can you do to gain the results you so desperately want?
If you struggle to lose stubborn fat from a specific body part, and this fat is not responding to a healthy diet and exercise routine, liposuction may be the right cosmetic procedure for you. Although liposuction is not suitable for everyone, you are a good candidate if:
You Are at or Close to Your Optimal Body Weight
Liposuction is not a weight loss treatment, and best results are with patients who are near their ideal body weight.
Your General Health is Good
As with any aesthetic surgical procedure, optimal results and faster recovery depend on good health. The healthier you are, the more satisfied you will be with the outcome.
You Want to Reduce Disproportional Areas of Stubborn Fat Deposits
Liposuction extracts fat through a cannula (narrow tube) via a suction device and works best on explicit areas of your body, rather than for overall fat elimination. By targeting stubborn areas, liposuction can make your body look proportional. Liposuction is primarily used for the abdomen, hips, back, outer thighs, or inner thighs but can be used for most parts of the body.
You Have Sufficient Skin Elasticity
When stubborn fat is finally eliminated, your loose skin can become unattractive if it does not have enough elasticity for it to adjust to your body’s new shape. The older we get, the less elastic our skin becomes, so it’s important to have a plastic surgeon assess your skin’s condition before deciding on liposuction.
You Have Realistic Expectations and Understand All Risks Involved
You should not expect results that are not possible due to your unique body type. It is also important to understand the risks associated with Liposuction or any other surgery you are considering. A good plastic surgeon will educate you on realistic expectations and potential complications of your procedure.
Contact Chicago plastic surgeon, Dr. Mussat today if you think you are a good candidate for liposuction or want additional information about this procedure or any others we offer. You can call us at 312.751.9000 or Contact Us online here.
