Liposuction Surgery

Before you undergo any plastic surgery procedure at Karidis Clinic, you will have a consultation and a pre-operative assessment with your plastic surgeon. They will listen carefully to your concerns and what you expect to achieve and discuss which procedure, or combination of procedures, is appropriate.

At this stage, they will also ensure you are fully aware of the potential risks and complications inherent in that specific procedure and explain to you what you can expect immediately after surgery, throughout the recovery process, and when you will likely see the final results.

During the pre-operative assessment, the surgeon may take measurements of the area to be operated on and assess your skin tissue quality and the degree of skin laxity. The position of the incisions will also be decided upon.

A full medical history will be taken to ensure you are fit and well and can undergo surgery at this time.

After the initial consultation, there will be a two-week ‘cooling-off’ period before you can decide to proceed with surgery. You are welcome to return for further consultations with your Karidis Clinic surgeon, free of charge, if you have more questions.

If you make the decision to proceed with surgery, you’ll be given advice on how best to prepare for your operation, and you will have a dedicated Patient Coordinator who can answer any queries you may have.

Any pre-surgery tests can occur at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, a leading London private hospital where Karidis Clinic is based. The hospital has recently built a new wing including a diagnostic department with the latest X-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound technology.

We advise patients to stop smoking as soon as possible as nicotine acts as a vasoconstrictor, which impedes the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the surgical site. This can slow down healing, increase the chance of infection and even cause tissue to die. Smoking also increases the risks of a general anaesthetic, and smokers are more likely to suffer ill effects from an anaesthetic.

You will also be advised when to discontinue taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medication in advance of your operation. You will be asked to fast six hours before surgery.

All Karidis Clinic procedures are performed at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted and taken to your stylish and luxurious private room with its spacious ensuite bathroom.

The nursing team will take your blood pressure and relevant vitals, and you will see your Karidis Clinic surgeon, who will make the final mark-ups. Our anaesthetist will also visit you.

Clinical photography will be taken to assist in your care and to enable clinical assessments to be made. These become part of your confidential medical record. These include photographs of the operation site and any distinguishing features and will be taken pre-op and post-op. 

Your procedure will be performed under a general anaesthetic, and once the surgeon has sutured the incision site, you will be taken to a specialist recovery room.

Once the hospital nursing team has ensured your recovery is complete, you will be taken to your hospital room for your overnight stay. The hospital nursing team will be on hand throughout the night, and you will be fitted with compression stockings and a compression device if required.

The following day, you will be visited by your Karidis Clinic surgeon or nurse and then discharged into the care of a friend or family member by the hospital nursing staff.

The pain and discomfort experienced after surgery are unique to the individual patient and the extent of their procedure. However, it should start to subside in the first week and should be easily managed with over-the-counter painkillers.

If necessary, you’ll be advised to wear a specially designed surgical support garment for approximately six weeks after surgery to support you during the healing process.

Depending on the nature of your job, you can usually expect to be able to return to work and normal activities between one to two weeks.

You’ll be given a comprehensive plan for the recovery process, including dates for your cast or suture removal and your check-ups with your Karidis Clinic surgeon. However, we are always on hand throughout this period, and you have access to our dedicated surgical nurse 24/7 if you have any concerns.

It’s bound to be something you think about as there are very few forms of surgery that are completely painless. Discomfort is a euphemism for pain and many doctors use these interchangeably. In the case of liposuction, the degrees of pain vary from patient to patient and area to area, but rest assured that this can be controlled by painkillers, which will be prescribed.

The initial pain lasts around 1 week however there may be residual soreness in the treated area, mainly upon palpation, for up to 4-5 weeks. Along with the soreness, you may experience some stiffness which usually abates as your mobility increases.

Yes, liposuction permanently removes fat cells, and they can’t grow back. However, you need to maintain a healthy weight after the procedure and avoid returning to bad habits. Follow your surgeon’s postoperative instructions, regularly exercise, eat a balanced diet, minimise stress, sleep well and make sure that you’re always hydrated.

Traditional liposuction — under general anaesthetic, the surgeon uses cannulas, which are moved back and forth to remove the body fat along with the vacuum suction.

Tumescent liposuction — under local anaesthetic for small areas. A diluted anaesthetic solution is injected into the skin known as tumescent anaesthesia, which makes the fat easier to remove, which means less bruising.

Micro Lipo — for selected patients with small areas to be treated. This type of liposuction has minimal downtime.

Power-assisted liposuction or PAL lipo — our surgeons at Karidis consider this to be the gold standard of liposuction. Our clinic has been one of the pioneers in the UK in the use of the Power-Assisted Lipoplasty technique (PAL) and has been using it for years. This type of liposuction is much gentler than traditional lipo. It uses a powered cannula that vibrates rapidly – about 5,000 times per minute. This helps to loosen and break up the fat cells before removal.

• Research liposuction on the internet and ask our team any questions
• Stop smoking up to two weeks before your surgery
• Stop taking certain medications (your surgeon will advise you)
• Book time off work or childcare as needed
• Inform your surgeon if you lose or gain weight in the time after the consultation and before your surgery
• Ask someone to help you in the initial days post-surgery (for example, with transport or household chores)

Scars are a normal event after any surgery, but we can’t predict exactly what your scars will look like. Depending on the area(s) needed to be treated, tiny scars about 3-4 mm in length will form. These are usually placed in natural folds of the skin where possible.

Generally, about 2-3 incisions are required for any given area. Thankfully the scars in liposuction are very small and generally heal quite well, gradually fading with time. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this may take up to two years to complete. If you are of a darker skin type, however, then expect your scars to be darkly coloured for a longer period of time (about 3 years).

Massaging your scars every day will help the healing process. 

No, you’ll be glad to hear! As fat cells have achieved their set number in any given part of the body by puberty, increasing your caloric intake will not lead to overall volume gains in the treated site. However, if you continue to take in more calories than your body can burn, you will notice that other areas of your body may then be affected.

The only exception to this rule is if there is a massive weight gain. In this case, new fat cells will also be seen in the previously treated area. It is important therefore to maintain your weight afterwards by sensible eating and regular exercise.