From removing love handles to stomach liposuction, people have plenty of unwanted fat they’re looking to ditch. Liposuction is a fast and easy way to achieve this goal, and today it had become more affordable than ever. Still, jumping into something without knowing much about it is never a good idea so here’s a short list of important facts anyone who is considering liposuction would be interested in.

Many people do not realize that liposuction does not require an overnight stay or even travel to a hospital. Liposuction these days is done as an outpatient procedure right from the plastic surgeon’s office. A standard procedure often takes less than three hours and afterward you can go straight home to rest and recover from the surgery. This is an enormous leap from just a few decades ago.

During the procedure itself there is very little, if any pain. Most people report only a feeling of their skin being pulled or tugged at, and sometimes a slight stinging sensation as well but very minimal. Afterward there is really no significant discomfort generally reported. Often it is possible for patients to return to work after just a single day to fully recover. While some people do return in the future for “touch up” treatment, most patients only need to go one time to treat a particular portion of the body.

Results from liposuction procedures are usually able to be seen right away as soon as the procedure has been completed. Still, the body does need time to heal and adapt to its new shape, especially for procedures where more fat was removed. Final results may not be apparent for up to a year in some cases. Skin can also be loose following a procedure, but will typically tighten up within three months.

With quick procedures, lower costs, minimal time taken out of your busy schedule, and body sculpting quality results never before possible, modern liposuction procedures are an excellent option for removing far from places where it just seems to stubbornly remain. That double chin can go. Love handles can be no more. With pinpoint accuracy today’s plastic surgeons can remove fat from just about anywhere. Sometimes no matter how much you work out, you just can’t seem to get that fat from a certain area to go away. Whether you have your ankles reduced, stomach liposuction or any other part of your body, modern medicine has made it possible to achieve your dream shape.

For anyone interesting in stomach liposuction or any other kind of surgical fat removal it’s important to learn as much as you can about the procedure beforehand. There isn’t just a single type of liposuction, doctors are perfecting procedures all the time and even designing new ones which they hope will make fat removal easier and safer. Currently there two primary techniques in use, which are detailed below:

Tumescent liposuction is the method most commonly used today. A mixture of anesthetic and anti-bruising medication is injected in liquid form directly into the fat which will be removed. The anti-bruising medication helps decrease blood loss during surgery which helps to make the procedure safer and makes recovery times shorter for the patient. The fluid also causes the fatty material to swell. By enlarging the tissue intended for removal the surgeon can operate with a greater degree of accuracy, further reducing risk for the patient and also can help achieve better looking results cosmetically. The tumescent technique can be performed on most areas of the body and is very popular for stomach liposuction procedures.

Laser lipolysis is a more recent development that many plastic surgeons and their patients are very excited about. Using specially designed lasers which can target fat cells specifically, plastic surgeons can melt the fat cells and gently remove them with a greatly reduced chance of damaging any nearby tissue. This not only makes for reduced risk, it also means reduced recovery time. Another benefit is the laser offers surgeons a greater degree of accuracy, which can make for better cosmetic results as well. This procedure tends to come with a higher price tag, but many consider it to be the superior method for both results and minimizing risk. These days there are a number of variations on this with specially designed lasers which can offer even more additional benefits.

A third method is becoming increasingly popular. This technique is known as Water-jet Assisted Liposuction and if you’re trying to imagine how that works, you’re probably not too far off. While not exactly the same as a pressure washer you might use to clean the outside of your home, Water-jet Assisted Liposuction does involve using high pressure streams of water to do a job once performed by surgeons with scalpels. The water jets have been demonstrated to be highly effective at removing fat with a reduced risk of undesired tissue damage to surrounding areas.

If you are considering a liposuction procedure for yourself, be sure to speak with your doctor and understand any risks involved. There are risks involved in any sort of operation. Cosmetic surgeries such as stomach liposuction are no different and should be treated with respect and due consideration.