With the exception of the LA Kings’ entire roster, we all have pockets of fat here or there that seem to be impervious to anything we do to try and get rid of them. You know where these pockets are — the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, even under the chin. Liposuction with Dr. Kearney can suction away the fat for good, leaving you with a slimmer contour.
What is liposuction?
Most people have at least heard of liposuction. It’s hard to believe that the procedure has been around nearly 40 years in the U.S. When the procedure was first introduced in the early 80s, coming over from France, it was a pretty violent procedure. Larger cannulas were used, and they had to be moved about quite aggressively under the skin to break loose the fat before suctioning it out. That’s why patients had to be under general anesthesia, and there was some serious tissue trauma and bruising that could linger for months afterwards.
Liposuction is quite different now: it’s more effective and targeted, all while being far less invasive. The procedure is typically performed under sedation or “twilight” anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. Dr. Kearney uses the tumescent technique for all of his liposuction procedures, where a saline solution containing lidocaine is first injected into the target areas to minimize the pain and firm the fat, making it easier to remove. The solution also contains epinephrine to constrict the blood vessels, limiting blood loss and bruising. A cannula is then inserted to suction out the fat and liquid. The cannulas used in modern liposuction are much smaller, so the corresponding incisions needed to access the fat pockets are very small, usually not even requiring stitches. Dr. Kearney often uses power-assisted liposuction (when the situation is right), where the cannula also delivers rapid vibrations that break up the fat cells, making them easier to remove. This makes for less tissue trauma and faster recovery times.
Where can liposuction be used?
A better question would be where can’t liposuction be used? Dr. Kearney uses liposuction to remove fat from the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, inner knees, chest, cheeks, chin, calves, and ankles.
Not for weight loss
There is a misconception with some patients that liposuction is a weight-loss procedure and large quantities of fat can be removed. That’s not the case — removing too much fat at one time can actually be dangerous. Dr. Kearney prefers for his patients to be within 10 percent of their ideal body weight to qualify for the procedure.
A foggy day in San Diego…OK, that still doesn’t sound right. We’ll never be like London down here in Southern California! Regardless, February is a good time to come see Dr. Kearney to have him use liposuction on those pockets of stubborn fat. Call us at (858) 677-9352 to schedule your consultation.
