The Procedure + Surgical Techniques

The locations of incisions and the surgical technique will depend on your surgeon’s preferences and recommendations. The Specialist Plastic Surgeons use the Tumescent Technique for liposuction procedures, other wise known as the ‘Wet Technique’. Your surgeon will administer a fluid solution containing saline and local anaesthetic to the fat layer via a small incision site. A thin, sterile tube called a cannula is then inserted into the incision site, and the fat is removed by controlled suction. The addition of the fluid solution causes the fat cells to swell, which allows for tunnelling to be more easily achieved. The Tumescent Technique helps to minimise bruising and swelling, and the local anaesthetic helps to reduce bruising, pain and discomfort for several hours post surgery.  

For further information on the procedure, we highly recommend you watch the animated video on our website, which outlines liposuction surgery in more detail.

Hospital Stay and Anaesthesia

For reasons of patient safety, this procedure is mostly performed under a General Anaesthetic with an Anaesthetist present. Surgery can take place as a day procedure, however an overnight stay may be required, especially if combined with another procedure. Your plastic surgeon will discuss your choices in your initial consultation and determine which option is safest for you.

Your Consultation

In order to keep your consultation as smooth and efficient as possible, we ask that you please bring all relevant documentation with you on the day. This includes your referral letter, Medicare card, private health insurance details, any third party or return to work insurance information, and any relevant scans i.e. x-ray or ultrasounds. 
 

During your initial consultation with your Specialist Plastic Surgeon, you will have an extended opportunity to discuss expectations and desired outcomes, along with any questions you may have about the procedure.

You will then meet with one of our experienced nurses, where you will have clinical images taken in our blue room as a before and after reference for both yourself and your surgeon (please note that all our images are confidential and are stored securely online with the current privacy act). During this time, you may also be fitted with a compression garment if indicated by your surgeon.

The final stage involves meeting with your surgeon’s personal assistant. You will be given an in depth quote, outlining the surgeon, hospital and anaesthetist fees, along with some take home information on your procedure.

There is a lot of information to take in after your first consultation. We encourage patients to go home and discuss their procedure with loved ones and come back for a subsequent visit. We find patients almost always come back with additional questions they hadn’t previously thought of, and this second visit allows you to go into your surgery feeling confident and fully informed about your procedure. We recommend that you allow an hour for this consultation. Please keep this in mind when organising parking so that you don’t feel the need to rush.

Before your procedure

There are a number of things you can do before your procedure, to encourage a smooth recovery and ensure you are as comfortable as possible post-surgery.

It is important that you:

• Exercise, having good physical health will significantly help your recovery process
• Reach and maintain your optimal weight (if previously discussed and agreed upon with your surgeon).
• Provide a complete medical history for your specialist plastic surgeon, including all current medications, as some may need to be stopped prior to surgery.
• Quit smoking
• Because you’re having general anaesthesia, it is important that you pre-arrange someone to transport you to and from your surgery, as well as stay with you 48 hours after returning home.
• Ensure you follow pre-operative instructions, such as fasting times, or your procedure may have to be cancelled.
• We recommend having plenty of loose comfortable clothing that is easy to get in and out of i.e. zip through jackets.

Prepare your recovery area! You’ll want to have everything you need to recover easily accessible and within arm’s reach. We suggest comfortable pillows, icepacks, prescribed medications, emergency contact details, a phone, as well as things to keep you entertained.

Recovery

Recovery time is highly individual, however, we find many patients are able to return to work within two to four weeks after surgery. Vigorous activity and exercise should be avoided for the first six weeks, however, gentle walking is fine after two weeks. Your time frame will vary depending on your individual surgery details, the nature of your employment and your overall level of health. Your surgeon will discuss this with you prior to surgery, and it is important to allow yourself the recommended recovery time.

On discharge, you will be given specific postoperative instructions to assist your recovery, and a follow-up appointment will be made with your plastic surgeon. These instructions will cover everything you need to know in order to make your recovery as smooth and comfortable as possible.  

Post surgery it is normal to experience pain and discomfort, and your surgeon may prescribe some pain relief. A plastic tube may be inserted to drain off the excess fluid. This will remain in place until the drainage is minimal and is removed by the nurse, usually a day or two after your surgery. It is important that you do not have a shower until your drains have been removed.

If previously indicated by your surgeon, you may be recommended to wear a pressure garment post procedure for up to six weeks. This will assist in reducing swelling and bruising, and providing you with some support. It is normal for bruising to last up to three weeks, and can swelling may last for up to eight.

We are dedicated to supporting you to make a swift, uncomplicated recovery. A 24/7 on-call medical assistance service is available for all post-operative patients. It’s your journey, but we’ll be with you every step of the way!

View post-operation information here

Not quite ready or have a question to ask?

---