Liposuction is one of the most requested and most frequently performed procedures. It is indicated for localised fat deposits that resist diet and exercise, so it should be performed on people who have already lost weight through a healthy diet and sport, preferably aerobic activity. Liposuction is not a way to lose weight but a closed body-contouring technique.
Many factors affect the result in the period immediately after surgery, such as age, the amount of fat removed, skin elasticity and the number of areas treated. Patients should also have realistic expectations about keeping a good result in the long term. There are three key elements for an improved body shape: the patient is responsible for the first two, physical activity and an appropriate diet; the third is a correctly performed operation.
Liposuction is safe and reliable when performed for the right indications, but on its own it cannot maintain the result over time. A study published in a specialist journal showed that patients who adopted a healthy lifestyle had the best results: those who followed an appropriate diet and exercised were up to three times more likely to lose weight, reduce their clothing size, be satisfied with the result and improve their health.
Patients who did not diet or exercise were up to four times more likely to gain weight, with lower self-esteem and less satisfaction with the operation. Changes in diet and lifestyle should start immediately after surgery, because statistically patients who gained weight did so from the sixth or seventh month after liposuction. Good results depend on careful patient selection, but it is then up to patients to maintain them. See also liposuction.