Am I a Good Candidate for Liposuction?

Good candidates for liposuction

There’s a reason so many people opt for liposuction — it works. Through a small incision, Dr. Polavarapu inserts a slender instrument called a cannula, which allows her to break up layers of fat and suction out many of the fat cells. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good and can no longer plump up and store fat.

By strategically targeting certain areas, Dr. Polavarapu can alter your contours and smooth out lumps, bumps, bags, and pouches. If you’re thinking this sounds good, take a look at the following criteria for liposuction recipients to see if you qualify.

You’re not significantly overweight

Liposuction is for fat loss, not weight loss — here’s the difference.

Liposuction removes some fat cells from your body, which may cause the numbers on your scale to go down a bit, but it’s intended to address small pockets of fat that are resistant to traditional fat loss efforts, such as diet and exercise.

Liposuction is not a substitute for diet and exercise. If you’re significantly overweight or obese, liposuction may come into play toward the end of your weight loss journey, but not at the beginning.

Your weight is stable

People who are at or close to their ideal healthy weight are perfect for liposuction. When the scale is less of a concern than the distorted contours caused by small pockets of stubborn fat, you may be a good candidate for liposuction.

If you’ve been working hard and losing weight for a while, we congratulate you on your efforts and encourage you to stay the course. It’s tempting to quit now and look to liposuction to finish the job, but it can only do that if you’re within 20 pounds of your goal weight.

You have realistic expectations

After liposuction, you’re going to look and feel fantastic, but if you expect it to change your life, your relationships, and the way people respond to you, you may be disappointed. Dr. Polavarapu encourages our patients to examine their motivations for getting liposuction. If you want to enhance your appearance and self-confidence, it may be a good fit.

Your skin is still elastic

Once liposuction removes excess fat, your skin responds by remodeling itself and shrinking back to an appropriate shape and size — unless you’ve lost elasticity. In this case, your skin may hang down over the treated area, causing a new problem.

Of course, Dr. Polavarapu can correct sagging skin with a tummy tuck, arm lift, or similar procedure depending on the body part, but it’s an important factor to consider.

You’re in good overall health

Liposuction is a surgical procedure, and like all surgeries, it comes with some risks, such as infection, fluid loss, tissue damage, and the development of blood clots. Dr. Polavarapu is board-certified and highly experienced, so the chances of these complications are very low, but being generally strong and healthy gives you an advantage.

Not-so-good candidates for liposuction

The factors that make you a poor candidate for liposuction are the opposite of those that make you a good candidate. For example, you shouldn’t consider liposuction if you:

• Are obese
• Are still losing weight
• Have unrealistic expectations
• Have lost skin elasticity
• Have other health issues

Dr. Polavarapu discusses these issues in depth during your consultation so you’re aware of all your options, as well as the benefits and risks of liposuction. To learn more, call our office at 817-615-8576, or request an appointment online.