We live in a society where we want results “yesterday.” Our society also places a high premium on looks. If you add those two factors together you get the field of cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is surgery to change a person’s face or body.

There is no bigger issue than weight and form to the average American. Witness the number and popularity of diets.

However, today, people don’t want to go through the drudgery and self-denial of diets, they want a “quick-fix.” That is provided in a surgical procedure called “Liposuction.”

Liposuction is a procedure where cuts are made in the skin and then tubes are placed in the cuts to suck out fat or “Lipo” by a machine creating suction through the tubes.

You can have liposuction done most anywhere on your body but some common areas are the breasts, stomach, thighs, buttocks, hips and upper arms to name a few.

After the procedure is done, if you were awake, you will probably be able to walk around and have little effect. However, if you were put to sleep it may take several days to recover. That is why it is smart to insist you be allowed to remain awake.

It is very important to understand that just because the fat is removed, if you don’t change the lifestyle that caused the problem in the first place, the fat can come right back, sometimes even worse than before.

Are there some people who shouldn’t have liposuction done?

For starters you have to be able to pay the cost of the procedure because health insurance won’t cover it. If you have a disease that would affect healing or take a medication that would affect healing you should not get the procedure done. Finally if you are extremely heavy it is not a good idea to have liposuction.

The basic downsides then for liposuction are the cost, health risks and possibility of more surgery.

To initiate treatment you must have your primary care physician refer you to a cosmetic surgeon. It is always a good idea to get two opinions.

What are some things I need to know?

You should find out the number of times a year the doctor does lipo. How long has the doctor been doing lipo?

Always ask to see “before” and “after” photos.

Never let a doctor pressure you.

There is no doubt that Liposuction carries some risk. There are better ways to handle the problem.

You can change your diet, exercise, accept your body and use clothes to cover the areas you aren’t happy with.

People think it is a little old-fashioned but it is true: “What is on the inside is more important than on the outside.”