Is Tumescent Liposuction The Best?

Q: I am interested in tumescent liposuction. I’m in the Army stationed overseas.  I have a permanently damaged leg from being in Afghanistan and I’ve gained a lot of weight due to my workout limitations.  I’ve lost 20 pounds but can’t seem to lose anymore. I will be visiting family in your area this year and I am researching doctors that may help me shed some fat in the abdomen area.

A: Sometimes people do need some help surgically with their weight issue. Liposuction can be beneficial when one has ‘hit the wall’ in their weight loss despite their best efforts, when they need a jumpstart to get them motivated to make or continue with their lifestyle changes, and to help those that simply can not work out due to physical limitations. While liposuction is not the long-term solution to troublesome body areas with excess fat, it can be a successful part of one’s weight loss efforts if properly understood.

When it comes to liposuction, there is nothing special or new about using the tumescent concept. Perhaps 20 years ago, tumescent liposuction was an advanced technique. But today, every liposuction method uses tumescence or the infiltration of fluid prior to the actual extraction of fat. This fluid is essential, not only for numbing the tissues, but to help control bleeding from the trauma to the tissues. Whether it be Smartlipo (laser liposuction), Vaser, or ultrasound methods, tumescent fluid infiltration is a part of all of them.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana