What’s not to love about liposuction? The increasingly popular cosmetic procedure requires just a couple of simple incisions, then a huge chunk of your stubborn fat can be removed. Furthermore, you can customize your body shape to your liking during the procedure, something many patients take advantage of!
Liposuction is also very much in high demand because it can be easily combined with other cosmetic surgeries. Patients aiming to remove unwanted fat from stubborn zones throughout their body also commonly get a tummy tuck while they’re at it.
Outside of these useful features, studies show that liposuction can produce a litany of positive health benefits. Note that these studies are relatively recent, so it is essential not to consider the observations as definitive conclusions just yet.
Potential Health Risks Helped by Liposuction
Liposuction does not only have fascinating body contouring abilities but may have positive results for your overall health as well. If you’re a patient with elevated triglycerides or white blood cell count, liposuction may help your health!
Patients that have these high levels of cholesterol in their systems are at a risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, or stroke. In the case of an elevated count of white blood cells, the patient may suffer from inflammation in the body, and also may be at risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
How Does Liposuction Reduce These Risks?
There is no clear or definitive answer as to how liposuction reduces your cholesterol levels or white blood cell count. What most specialists have been able to agree upon is that liposuction may simply result in improved overall health for its patients.
By helping patients adapt to a healthier lifestyle post-procedure, the likelihood of heart diseases such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and other medical complications in the future is reduced.
Research has demonstrated that men and women who go through liposuction see their cholesterol and white blood cell count lower following their cosmetic procedures. The study indicated that, on average, a 43 percent reduction in triglycerides and an 11 percent reduction in white blood cell count occurred in patients.
These results show a markedly pronounced health improvement can follow liposuction. Still, we caution that you should not view liposuction as a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. Always prioritize a consistent exercise routine and diet over cosmetic procedures.
What Does This Mean for Patients?
As we have previously stated, there’s no definitive or clear answer when it comes to the long-term results patients who undergo liposuction can expect to see.
Patients with high cholesterol may reap many benefits from liposuction, but much more needs to be studied before that trend is confirmed.
For a while in the medical world, it was believed that adipose tissue found around the organs was responsible for risks associated with heart disease or diabetes.
Recent research has demonstrated that subcutaneous fat (what’s extracted in liposuction) is also responsible for elevated levels of cholesterol and inflammation in the body. These results point to further links between liposuction and improved patient health, which will require examination by researchers in the coming years.
Does That Mean If I’m Unhealthy I Should Get Liposuction?
Absolutely not. One of the main requirements before undergoing cosmetic procedures that deal with the removal of fat is being an overall healthy person. Therefore, liposuction should only be viewed as a procedure for shaping bodies with indirect positive health benefits, rather than as a surgical procedure to reduce the risk of heart disease.
If you are relatively unhealthy, you could be at an increased risk of a complication like a heart attack during your procedure. This risk explains why you should always consult with your doctor and liberally share your medical history before deciding on liposuction.