Lipo Preparation
As more and more people turn to Lipo to smooth out their figures, it's becoming increasingly important for people to know how they can best prepare themselves for a successful Lipo surgery. The things that people learn and do in the weeks and months preceding their Lipo surgery can help them to have safer, more successful Lipo surgeries and easier recoveries with better results.
Step One: Finding The Best Lipo Doctor
Lipo is a tricky procedure which requires a lot of training to be able to do properly. When Lipo is performed by someone who is properly trained and qualified and who has a high level of experience and skill, it is quite safe. In the correct hands, Lipo can fairly consistently provide positive, aesthetically pleasing outcomes. However, when an inexperienced or unskilled surgeon performs a Lipo, the results can be disastrous. Some patients are unsatisfied with their appearance after a Lipo, and others have much more dangerous complications, such as serious damage to the body.
Thus, it is of the utmost importance that people find qualified, skilled and safe Lipo surgeons. While differentiating the best Lipo surgeons from the mediocre can be difficult, a couple of tips can help you in your search.
The first is to be prepared to look. Don't be overhasty in your decision making process. Getting a Lipo is a big deal, and because it has big ramifications, you don't have to make your decision of who your Lipo surgeon is overnight. Give yourself enough time to really be able to tell.
Second, don't purely bargain shop. While it's a good thing to be frugal, sometimes you do get what you pay for. Sometimes the cheapest Lipo surgeons aren't the best or most experienced, and they've set down their prices because that's their only way of attracting customers. Of course, it certainly isn't true that the best Lipo surgeons are the most expensive either; experience and quality can vary independent of price.
Third, meet with a number of Lipo surgeons in your area. Don't simply go with the first one you meet. Also, when you go to your Lipo consultations, feel free to ask any questions you have. Your Lipo surgeon and his team ought to be able to answer all of your questions. Don't be intimidated, embarrassed or shy. If your Lipo surgeon is unwilling or unable to answer your questions, consider moving on. Also, don't feel pressured to make your decision at the first consultation. If you have additional questions, make an appointment for another Lipo consultation.
Fourth, don't simply go off of ads. Ads are created to sell a product, and they aren't generally unbiased in their portrayal of the facts.
Fifth, look for Lipo surgeons who create the sort of results you're interested in. If you can find a surgeon whose Lipo before and after photos match what you're looking for, that is a good sign that they understand your aesthetic. However, remember that they may simply be showing off their best Lipo pictures and that the pictures may not be representative of all the Lipo surgeon's work. See if you can find any negative examples, either on the internet or elsewhere.
Sixth, check out your Lipo surgeon's qualifications. Not all Lipo surgeons are created equal, and while board certification doesn't automatically mean quality, it can help.
Step 2: Lifestyle Changes Before Lipo
Lipo is very good at targeting specific problem areas that store excess fat. Even the healthiest of individuals tend to have a little bit of unsightly fat deposited throughout their bodies. These deposits can be extremely difficult to remove through exercise or diet, and they grow progressively more difficult as one ages. Lipo's success at eliminating these problem areas to provide a more pleasing, smoother shape is doubtless a major factor in the surgery's popularity.
As with any popular thing, though, there are a lot of misconceptions about Lipo. One of these is that it serves as a replacement for a healthy diet and regular exercise. People who propound this theory argue that Lipo is a fast and easy method of losing weight which requires less work and dedication than exhausting exercise and strict diets. What they don't tell you is that most doctors agree that it is unwise to remove more than 10 pounds of fat in any one Lipo session. If a person is over 30% above their ideal body weight, they are typically not very well suited for Lipo.
In addition, surgical Lipo cannot provide the body with all of the benefits of healthy living. It cannot provide the heart with the cardiovascular benefits of workout, nor can it give the body the necessary vitamins consumed in a healthy diet.
All in all, one of the most important things you can do to prepare for your Lipo is to lose what weight you can naturally, and incorporate more elements of a healthy lifestyle-a balanced diet, regular exercise and plenty of good, quality sleep-into your daily routine. Partly this is because the healthier your body is, the better it will be able to recover from the trauma of Lipo surgery, and partly it's because the healthier and trimmer you are when you go in for your Lipo, the more likely it is that your Lipo surgery will give you the results that you really want.
Step 3: The Weeks Before Your Lipo Surgery
The best advice about how to prepare will likely come from your Lipo surgeon. During your consultation, make sure that you tell the Lipo surgeon all about your medical history and current condition so that he or she can make the best choices for your safety. Your Lipo surgeon will be able to give you the advice that you specifically need to hear and follow.
However, there are some general things that most people can benefit from in preparing for their Lipo surgery. The first is to quit smoking. Smoking increases your risk of infection during surgery, and it could lead to circulation problems too.
If you are taking a birth control pill, make sure that you discuss it with your Lipo surgeon. Some forms of birth control increase the risk of blood clots, so make sure that you aren't using one of them.
A number of medications can increase the risk of blood loss. This includes common drugs such as Advil, Aspirin, Midol, Motrin and Pepto-Bismol. Many anti-inflammatory medications can cause bleeding by impairing coagulation. Speak with your Lipo doctor regarding all medications you might take to make sure that they will not have adverse effects.
Health supplements and herbs such as feverfew, Ginkgo Biloba, garlic capsules, willow bark and Vitamin E can also cause excessive bleeding. However, your Lipo doctor may want you to take some specific supplements or vitamins. Many Lipo doctors prescribe iron pills or specific multi-vitamins to their patients in the space of time preceding their Lipo. Some others suggest taking specific herbal supplements after the surgery to help reduce swelling.
Make sure you discuss all supplements and medications that you are currently taking with your Lipo doctor.
Alcohol can also increase blood loss, so cut out alcohol consumption as well, including red wine. Cut out all foods, drugs and supplements that could increase your problems with blood loss two weeks before your Lipo surgery, or as directed by your surgeon.
Perhaps as important as preparing your body is preparing your mind. Some people go into Lipo with unrealistic expectations and unanswered questions. If you understand what will happen, as well as the possible risks and the probable outcomes, you will most likely be happier with your results.
Finally, you will want to make physical preparations as well. Before your Lipo surgery, you will want to be sure you have a least a couple of days off work, and ideally a family member or friend to act as a caregiver for the first day-especially if you have any children or pets that will need attention as well. You will also want to make sure that you have arranged with someone to drive you to and from your Lipo surgery. Because of the anesthesia used, you may not be up to driving yourself. You should similarly prepare by getting yourself some light foods to eat after the Lipo surgery and by buying a compression garment to wear during your healing, as well as any other necessary supplies as well as your Lipo doctor's phone number in case of an emergency.
On the night before the Lipo surgery, you'll want to make any last minute preparations, such as putting towels and old sheets on your bed so that your post-surgical drainage doesn't stain them. Don't eat or drink anything after midnight, and make sure you get a good night's rest. You're going to have a big day tomorrow, and it's best that you go into it well-rested.