Sept 25, 2002 --
Lipoplasty Becomes Safer as Less Fat is Removed
By SHARI SIMS
Lindy Laney, a former aerobics instructor, often runs five miles and lifts weights. "But I always had these bulges around my middle that no amount of dieting or exercise would get rid of," she says.
This year, Ms. Laney, 36, decided to have liposuction surgery. She had about four pounds of fat sucked from her midsection and says she is thrilled with the results.
In the last five years, lipoplasty, as liposuction is now medically termed, has been the leading cosmetic surgery procedure in the U.S., with 385,000 procedures last year. People 35 to 50 have the most procedures. Women represented a vast majority, but men made up 20 percent of the total last year, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Most patients have an average of five pounds removed. Over the last several years, the operation has become safer, in part because smaller amounts of fat are removed. Most people can return to work within a week and begin light exercise in two weeks or so. Swelling usually goes down in about a week; bruising and some numbness generally last about three weeks.
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