Swelling after Liposuction
February 22nd, 2011 | Plastic Surgeries |Liposuction is a medical process that involves removing fat from the body. Although liposuction can be classified as non-invasive and otherwise, it is still something that puts the body under a certain level of stress. Since liposuction is a procedure that puts the body under a controlled level of injury, it reacts to this stress in a way it is normally used to. Hence, swelling occurs.
If the body is injured, the affected cells produce a water-based fluid known as an edema. The build-up of this fluid in the affected area is what causes the swelling. The swelling can go in different directions. The most obvious to the naked eye is outward swelling. Although this is outwardly visible, swelling can also occur inward. Inward swelling goes through the same process of edema build-up. However, since the swelling grows inward, it can press against the other internal structures of the body. When the swelling finally hits something in the body, the swelling continues in the other direction, which is outward.
Swelling can be affected by a number of factors. One such consideration would be hereditary or the patient’s genetic make-up. More often than not, the more fibrous a patient’s fat cells are, the higher the probability of swelling after liposuction.
Another cause of the swelling is the area where the procedure was performed. There are higher chances of swelling in the lower area of the patient’s body. Since there are larger muscles in that region, the fat found here is more fibrous than that found in the upper body and, as previously mentioned, the more fibrous the fatty tissue, the higher chances are of swelling.
If a patient has very sensitive cells that react to the slightest degree of trauma performed on the body, this could also contribute to swelling. The cells release the edema and this, in turn, mixes in with the other fluids that surround these cells. The combination of all these fluids are what make the area swell. This is exactly why plastic surgeons must put in the additional effort to be extra careful during the procedure to lessen the trauma inflicted on the cells and reduce the degree of swelling.
Lastly, swelling can also be caused by insufficient compression after the procedure. Once the operation is completed, tunnels are formed in those areas where the cannula was inserted. If these tunnels are neglected, it is possible that fluids could seep into them and accumulate, thus causing the swelling.
In any case, swelling after liposuction may be greatly minimized by wearing a compression garment that helps flatten the tunnels formed in the affected area and help hasten the healing process.