Surgical Body Contouring: What are the Pros and Cons?

Surgical Body Contouring: What are the Pros and Cons?

Date 23 Apr 2024  

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Want A Contoured Body Shape?

To feel good and comfortable in one's own body is an aesthetic goal of most people. Body contouring can help achieve it!

With advancements made in cosmetic procedures, today there are varieties of options available to contour the body. There is a continually expanding spectrum of body contouring techniques, including surgical and non-surgical interventions. Each of them sets forth their collection of pros and cons.

In this article, a special emphasis is laid on the pros and cons of surgical body contouring in Hyderabad by our expert plastic surgeon at Eternelle Aesthetics. This will enable an individual to make a better, informed decision. But, before jumping to surgical body contouring, let’s get a basic understanding of body contouring.

What is  Body Contouring?

Body contouring treatment, also known as body sculpting, involves the use of a set of medical or surgical, cosmetic procedures that aim to reshape a specific body area. It is carried out by a certified plastic surgeon on a particular body area to get extra skin or excess fat and re-shape or re-contour it. This treatment is not meant for overweight or obese people seeking weight loss.

Body contouring in Hyderabad can be considered for a subtle refinement or a dramatic transformation. They are often recommended when diet modifications and regular exercise are not effective.

Body contouring can target most body sites. The common ones are:

  • Arms
  • Buttocks
  • Back
  • Belly and flanks (love handles)
  • Chin
  • Neck
  • Thighs.

What are the Types of Body Contouring?

Body contouring can be Non-surgical and Surgical.

Different approaches that come under non-surgical body contouring include:

  • Injection lipolysis: A deoxycholic acid can melt down stubborn fat from the body when injected into the area to be contoured.
  • Cryo-lipolysis/ CoolSculpting: In this therapy, fat cells are freeze-destroyed by exposing the target area to very cold temperatures.
  • Laser lipolysis: This treatment involves the use of lasers to heat and destroy unwanted fat cells.
  • Radiofrequency lipolysis: In this treatment, radio wave energy is focussed on the target area to heat destroy the fat cells.

Different approaches in surgical body contouring include:

  • Liposuction: This minimally invasive technique is designed to suction out and melt down stubborn fat.
  • Lifts and tucks: The examples include: Tummy tuck, Facelift, Breast lift, Arm lift, Inner thigh lift, Circumferential body lift, Buttock lift, and Double Chin Surgery. All of these surgeries aim to remove extra fat and skin.

What are the Pros and Cons of Surgical Body Contouring?

The benefits of choosing surgical body contouring  in Hyderabad over non-surgical body contouring include:

  • Immediate changes in the aspects of the body: Surgical body contouring procedures yield immediate, noticeable results. They swiftly fulfil the desires of the candidates seeking a well-sculpted body and better looks. Usually, a few weeks or months are required for the full impact of surgery to be visible.
  • Targeted fat removal: Liposuction focuses only on the removal of stubborn fat deposits in specific areas of the body. It does not harm the surrounding skin or other tissues. The targeted nature of cosmetic surgery enables plastic surgeons to effectively sculpt and reshape the problematic areas of the body.
  • Predictable surgical outcomes: Experienced certified plastic surgeons are well-versed with the latest surgical techniques and technologies. They often deliver consistent, predictable results that meet the patient's expectations.
  • Permanent results: Surgical body contouring procedures typically offer long-term results, if the patient maintains a healthy, stable body weight, maintains a good lifestyle, and adheres to following all surgeon-recommended aftercare instructions.
  • Improved body aesthetics: Surgical body contouring procedures provide dramatic transformation in certain body aspects. Many people who have undergone surgical body contouring report more defined, well-contoured body parts; smoother skin; a toned, slim figure; symptomatic improvement; and a youthful appearance. With improved body image, the patients get a boost in their confidence and esteem.

Some of the cons affiliated with surgical body contouring include:

  • Invasive nature: Surgical body contouring procedures involve making incisions and manipulation of tissues as well as the use of anaesthesia. Therefore, they come with many risks.
  • Extensive downtime and lengthy recovery: Patients who undergo surgical body contouring procedures typically need significant downtime and a long recovery period to completely heal and get back to normal routine. Typically, a few weeks to months are required for full recovery. For smooth recovery, they need to have restricted physical activity.
  • Scarring: As surgical body contouring involves the making of incisions, there are visible scars resulting from the healing of incisions. However, a skilled and experienced plastic surgeon can help minimise the scarring post-surgery by strategically making the incisions.
  • Potential risks and complications: Despite use of modern technologies and techniques, surgical body contouring comes with some risks and complications. The risks and complications include infection, bleeding, anaesthesia-related reactions, hematomas, seromas, nerve damage, pain, swelling, and asymmetry. To address the surgical complications, sometimes, additional procedures or interventions are required.

Am I the Right Candidate for Surgical Body Contouring?

Surgical body contouring is for anyone wanting to improve their body shape and self-image. To be a good candidate for surgical body contouring, an individual must have a healthy body weight stable for 6 to 12 months and must not be planning for any further weight loss. Candidates seeking surgical body contouring must have good general health and hold realistic expectations from their surgery outcomes.

What Aftercare will I need Following my Surgical Body Contouring?

Following your surgery, you would need someone to drive you back home and even stay with you to take care of you for the first night. You may have a drainage tube at your incision sites to avoid the pooling of blood or other body fluids under the skin that cause swelling. The best plastic surgeon in Hyderabad will give you recovery instructions. They may include:

  • Taking proper care of incision sites and drainage tubes and timely changing of bandages.
  • Limiting physical activities, but moving the operating body part to avoid blood clots.
  • Staying sun-protected.
  • Using prescription medications like painkillers to alleviate pain and antibiotics to avoid infection.
  • Reporting any surgical complications to the surgeon.
  • Not missing on any follow-up visits to the surgeon.
  • Avoiding smoking or any other bad lifestyle habits as they can delay recovery.

Undergoing a body contouring surgery is a life changing procedure. The treatment will vary from patient to patient. If you want to transform your look or want to achieve a sleek body contour, opt now for body contouring treatment in Hyderabad at Eternelle Aesthetics.