Question: I had liposuction six months ago. I do not have a symmetric result and I can see some irregularities. Did my surgeon mess up?
Answer: It is very unlikely that your surgeon “messed up.” Here’s why –
- Surgery results are never symmetric because our bodies are not symmetric. Most people do not even notice until looking in the mirror after having surgery. The differences can be startling.
- Liposuction often produces small irregularities, especially in slim, trim people, because liposuction is done by feel and after injecting tumescent fluid. This fluid makes liposuction safer, but also hides the fat. Your surgeon relies on the markings and feeling the fat – liposuction is by its nature an imprecise technique.
- Some areas tend to have slight visible irregularities – where the skin is thin or tissues are fibrous. These areas include the neck, arms, inner thighs, lower abdomen and near the navel.
- In addition, liposuction removes fat through small, blunt tubes called cannulas. A cannula goes through the fat like a train along a train track, leaving spaces between the tracks. This leaves a hill-and-valley effect under the skin. Thick skin hides this, but thin skin may not. Despite all this, one patient – a slim, trim perfectionist who noticed every irregularity – commented, “I am so happy with how I look that I have been at the pool all summer for the first time ever! My boyfriend absolutely cannot believe it!”. So even with natural asymmetry and slight irregularities, you still can be thrilled with your liposuction.