Liposuction in Houston, TX

No matter how strict your diet is and how much you exercise, you may never be able to eliminate some pockets of fat from your body. These stubborn, fatty areas are typically the result of genetics, age, pregnancy, or childbirth. These may be in any area of the body but are typically found in the stomach, hips, butt, thighs, upper arms, back, neck, calves, and ankles. Liposuction can help patients who are at or near a healthy, stable weight but still need help with small areas of fat. Additionally, liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures for men to achieve a more masculine body shape. Men typically get liposuction in the chest to eliminate "man boobs", the stomach to remove "love handles", and a "beer belly." Dr. Rafi Bidros is a plastic surgeon at MyBodyMD in Houston, TX, offering face and body liposuction to slim and reshape specific contours of the body for an improved appearance and greater confidence.

Even small fat pockets make it difficult to achieve the slimmer and more toned appearance that you want. People who turn to body contouring through liposuction enjoy a number of benefits, including:

• A more proportionate body shape: Liposuction restores balance to your figure by removing unwanted pockets of fat.
• Improved confidence: It’s not uncommon for people to feel embarrassed about their appearance, especially when they carry extra weight in problem areas. Liposuction can restore your self-esteem.
• Clothes fit and look better: It's difficult to find clothes that fit well and look good on you. Liposuction can help you finally find clothing that fits and flatters your figure.
• Boosted motivation: Once you’ve achieved your desired body shape, you’ll likely be motivated to maintain your results through continued diet and exercise.

Fat removal surgery is a great procedure for both women and men who are at an ideal weight but have stubborn pockets of fat that have been hard to lose with even the most healthy lifestyle. Men and women interested in liposuction should have skin that is taut because liposuction does not address loose skin. It's also important to realize that liposuction is not a treatment for weight loss. Females having liposuction should be past pregnancies as this could compromise the outcome. During your consult for surgery, Dr. Bidros will set realistic expectations.

The procedure utilizes a suction cannula that is inserted below the skin in order to remove excess fat cells while leaving the skin and muscle undisturbed. Dr. Bidros will make small incisions near the areas being treated in places where the scar can be easily concealed or hidden. Depending on the amount of fat being removed and the number of areas being treated, he may split the liposuction into two or more procedures to give the patient an easier recovery. Liposuction may be performed alone, but it is often paired with a body contouring surgery, such as a thigh lift or tummy tuck to remove the excess skin for the patient's best results.

Liposuction is performed as an outpatient surgery in an accredited facility with the patient under general anesthesia. For the comfort and safety of his patients, Dr. Bidros prefers using a "tumescent solution" to complete the liposuction. The length of the surgery will depend on the number of areas being treated, but patients are typically able to leave after they have been given instructions and put in a compression garment to recover at home. Patients will have swelling and bruising in the treated areas for 4 – 6 weeks, but they should start to see their results after this. Patients are expected to follow all post-operative care instructions carefully and return for checkup appointments with Dr. Bidros.

Some patients may consider having the fat removed during liposuction and placed into the fine lines of their face. This is called fat transfer — also known as fat grafting — and a great option for facial rejuvenation. Dr. Bidros can transfer the purified fat that is removed during liposuction to any area of the body. The most common transfer sites are to the face, buttocks, and breasts.

While the fat cells that are removed from the body cannot be regenerated, the remaining fat cells can still get bigger if a lot of weight is gained after the surgery. Dr. Bidros suggests that patients be at or near a healthy, stable weight before their liposuction and committed to a healthy diet and exercise after their procedure to maintain their results.

Some plastic surgeons offer laser or ultrasound liposuction that claims to melt the fat before it is removed, but Dr. Bidros prefers traditional, gimmick-free liposuction surgery. Dr. Bidros has studied other types of liposuction, but he believes that it is not more effective, it may add more time to the surgery, and it will increase the risk of complications and irregular results.

Fat cells are at a deeper level of the body than cellulite. Due to this, liposuction does not affect the appearance of cellulite. If you are concerned about cellulite, talk to Dr. Bidros about other treatment options.

Liposuction at MyBodyMD offers both women and men the opportunity to have unwanted fat diminished almost instantly. Without liposuction, it can be frustrating to gain the slimming outcomes you desire. We offer various options for liposuction treatment based on your individual desired outcome. We invite you to get in touch with our office in Houston, TX, and schedule your consultation.