fat suckers
by Jenny Bryan
Nisha was never happy with her body. All she saw were her rounded hips and thighs, never her pretty face and sparkling eyes. As a hair stylist and colourist, she was used to changing other people's appearance, and now she wanted to change her own.
© stockbyte
Like a growing number of people – black, white, Asian and mixed race – Nisha was unhappy with the shape which her ethnic origins had given her and she was determined to do something about it.
'Being Asian, we tend to have bigger hips and thighs and it looks so unproportional. You have this small top and huge bottom, you're short and you look like this munchkin person,' she says. 'I don't see the harm in changing the way I look because, deep down, I'm not happy.'
With her 25th birthday just around the corner, Nisha signed up for her third session of liposuction – a surgical technique which removes unwanted fat deposits from around the body, particularly the hips, stomach, bottom and thighs.
She had hoped that her second liposuction treatment would do the trick, especially with the healthy eating and gruelling 11 hours of exercises and fitness training which she puts in each week. But, hard as she tried, Nisha couldn't change the shape she was born with. She doesn't wear saris but she's the perfect shape for them. They hang beautifully on her, unlike the western clothes she prefers to wear.
'I can't show my legs, they're disgusting and I hate them,' she insists.
Lillian isn't ready to be a size 16
Lillian has also decided that liposuction is the only solution to her unhappiness about the shape of her mixed-race body. Adopted as a baby and brought up by white parents, Lillian knows that her biological father is Jamaican while her biological mother is white. She wants a more European shape and will have liposuction to her back, hips, stomach and thighs.
'I would have more done but I don't think they will do it all at once. I want to look good in trousers. I'm not ready to be a size 16 and I want my waistline back. I don't want to be skinny, I just want to feel good wearing trousers,' Lillian explains.
Her husband Mick can't understand why she wants liposuction and thinks she's a babe! But, as Lillian carefully scribbles herself out of holiday photographs and tears up pictures of herself in a bikini, it's obvious she's deeply unhappy with her appearance:
'Sometimes I look in the mirror and I don't feel so bad, but other days I want to vomit and be sick at myself. I'm so disgusting and I must get rid of all that fat.'
on the operating table
The big day for Nisha's third liposuction finally arrives. The operation is done under general anaesthetic and the nurses swab Nisha's thighs and legs with antiseptic. Her surgeon, Mr Sheeva Singh, has already marked out the areas around her thighs where he will work. During previous sessions, it was her buttocks and inner thighs that were treated.
'Nisha is also concerned about her hips but I've told her this is her genetic make-up. She's got bigger hips because her bones are bigger and there's nothing that can be done about it,' he explains as he prepares his equipment.
Small incisions are made in Nisha's skin and a narrow metal tube pushed into the fatty tissue below. A strong vacuum pump is attached to the tube and Mr Singh 'hoovers' out the offending fat. The bottle at the other end of the tube gradually fills with globules of fat and pinkish liquid.
Surgeons usually limit the amount of fat they remove from any given area to about 3 litres and they don't like to repeat treatment in the same area within six months. Liposuction doesn't get rid of dimples and wrinkles in the skin so it is unlikely to improve cellulite.
tummy tucks
Some people have liposuction as part of a much larger procedure to reshape their stomach and hips – perhaps after they have lost a lot of weight. This is called a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. A wide cut is made on the lower part of the abdomen at the level of the pubic hair and excess skin and fat are removed. The remaining muscle and skin is then pulled down and stitched in place. There are several variations on this operation, depending on how much tissue needs to be removed. But you can expect to pay in the region of about £5,000.
Abdominoplasty is a major procedure and you may need three or four days in hospital. It will take a few weeks for the scar to heal. You'll need painkillers after surgery and you may not be very active for 10 days or so. You won't be able to do any sport for about six weeks after surgery, and you'll probably find that wearing a corset in the first month helps to reduce the swelling and make you more comfortable.
suffering for the body beautiful
Even after liposuction alone, the tissues are swollen and bruised and it can take several months to see the full effect of treatment. If the legs are treated, the ankles may stay swollen for several weeks. Many people are sore for a day or two after liposuction but they usually get by with simple painkillers, such as paracetamol. After the stitches in the liposuction incisions are taken out, they are left with small scars 1-2 centimetres long at the points where the metal tubes were inserted.
Those who have liposuction to their lower body, like Nisha and Lillian, are advised to wear a pressure garment or corset for 2 to 3 weeks after the procedure to aid circulation and reduce bruising.
rare complications
Any operation which involves a general anaesthetic carries a small risk of infection or blood clots in important arteries or veins. Serious infection is rare but the incision may become inflamed and ooze, sometimes requiring a course of antibiotics. Blood clots are also rare, but no one should agree to surgery without knowing the risks.
reducing the risks
Before agreeing to liposuction or any form of surgery, check the credentials of the surgeon and the clinic or hospital where you are going. Since liposuction is seen as a cosmetic procedure, it is rarely if ever available on the NHS. You will therefore need to find a surgeon who operates privately.
Surgeons who have trained in general surgery should have FRCS after their name. If they perform plastic surgery, including liposuction, they should have had special training in plastic surgery.
The General Medical Council keeps a Specialist Register of Plastic Surgeons who are considered to be suitably trained in plastic surgery. Many of these surgeons are also members of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).
Members of the British Association of Cosmetic Surgeons (BACS) have satisfied that organisation that they are suitably trained to carry out cosmetic procedures.
The cost of liposuction varies, depending on how many parts of the body are treated. But expect to pay at least £2,000. Some clinics may sound cheaper, but there may be more hidden extras than a clinic which quotes a higher, all inclusive price. Before you sign up, it's advisable to find out exactly what the price includes and what else you may have to pay for.
Our article on finding a surgeon has more information about choosing a reputable surgeon.
smiling faces, smaller thighs and waists
Nisha and Lillian are very pleased with the results of their liposuction. Nisha at last feels able to wear the western clothes she prefers. She can see a newer, slimmer, more shapely contour to her bottom and thighs.
'I feel good. I can walk the walk and talk the talk. I can be the pretty woman now,' she laughs.
Lillian, fresh from the operating theatre is equally pleased: 'I feel absolutely fantastic. I've got padding all round me and I'm swollen, but I'm still smaller. I can't wait to see what I'll look like in a few months time. I feel like I've stepped out of some suit I used to wear. I don't feel ugly, I don't feel fat. I don't see love handles, I don't see a stomach that sticks out!'
help and info
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organisations
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)
35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London WC2A 3PE
Advice Line: 020 7405 2234
E-mail: info@baaps.org.uk
Website: www.baaps.org.uk
Offers information about aesthetic plastic surgery. The website features a search facility for accredited surgeons.
Healthcare Commission
103-105 Bunhill Row
London EC1Y 8TG
Tel: 0207 448 9200 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
E-mail: feedback@healthcarecommission.org.uk
Website: www.chai.org.uk
Can provide information and reports about your local NHS, private and voluntary health services. Promotes improvement in and regulates the quality of healthcare in England and Wales. In England only this includes regulation of the independent healthcare sector.
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
35-37 Albert Street
Rugby CV31 2SG
Tel: 0870 443 5252 (Mon-Fri 8.45am-5pm)
E-mail: bacp@bacp.co.uk
Website: www.bacp.co.uk
BACP can provide you with a list of private counsellors in your area, plus information on counselling and choosing a counsellor.
General Medical Council
Regent’s Place
350 Euston Road
London NW1 3JN
General Enquiries: 0845 357 8001 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5.30pm)
Website: www.gmc-uk.org
Holds general and specialist registers of doctors practising in the UK. The registration department can provide registration details of specific, named doctors, free of charge.
Medical Advisory Service
P O Box 3087
London W4 4ZP
General Medical Helpline: 020 8994 9874 (Mon-Fri 6-8pm)
Men’s Health Helpline: 020 8995 4448 (Mon,Tue,Thur 7-9pm)
E-mail: info@medicaladvisoryservice.org.uk
Website: www.medicaladvisoryservice.org.uk
Telephone advice and information service for all general medical enquiries.
websites
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
www.plasticsurgery.org
Has extensive information about different types of cosmetic operation.
British Association of Cosmetic Doctors
www.cosmeticdoctors.co.uk
Aims to represent cosmetic practitioners and maintain standards to benefit doctors and the public. Can search for members online and read about different non-surgical treatments.
British Association of Cosmetic Surgeons (BACS)
www.b-a-c-s.co.uk
This organisation represents surgeons who undertake cosmetic surgery but who may not have completed the specialist training now required for new cosmetic surgeons in the UK. To join BACS, surgeons need to show that they have cosmetic surgery experience but they do not need to be qualified plastic surgeons. BACS represents many of the surgeons working for private clinics or hospitals that advertise directly to the public.
British Association of Plastic Surgeons
www.baps.co.uk
The professional representative body for plastic and reconstructive surgeons in the United Kingdom. Can refute or confirm whether or not an individual is a member. Site has information on plastic surgery, especially in regards to congenital, traumatic and acquired conditions.
Choosing a Cosmetic Surgeon
www.embarrassingproblems.co.uk/cosmeticsurgery.htm
Useful advice on what to think about when considering cosmetic surgery and on choosing a reputable surgeon.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England
www.rcseng.ac.uk
An independent professional body committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients.
Transform Medical Group
www.transforminglives.co.uk
Specialist provider of surgical and non-surgical treatments including breast implants (breast enlargement), breast reduction, lipoplasty (fat removal – liposculpture/liposuction), rhinoplasty (facelift), abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), botox, laser hair removal and many other procedures in its specialised hospitals and clinics around the UK.
LipoSite
www.liposite.com
This US based site has information on various types of liposuction surgery, FAQs, message boards and advice on how to research a surgeon.
Liposuction
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/liposuction.html
BUPA factsheet providing information on what liposuction is, what happens during liposuction and possible complications.
reading
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The Body Image Workbook: An 8-step program for learning to like your looks by Thomas Cash (New Harbinger Publications, 1997) |
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Cosmetic Surgery for Dummies by R. Merrell Olesen and Marie Olesen (Hungry Minds Inc, 2005) |
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Plastic Fantastic: A Complete Guide to Safe Cosmetic Surgery by Dai Davies and Judi Sadgrove (Metro Books, 2002) |
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(updated March 2003, resources updated March 2005)
