What is Liposuction?

Liposuction is a kind of plastic surgery procedure that is meant for a possible fat loss or inch loss for a specified body part. Today, through this post, I wish to talk about a serious issue of the complications posed by liposuction which includes the tragic death of a Kannada actress – Chethana Raj. As per media reports, the 21-year-old Kannada actress underwent a fat loss surgery which led to her unfortunate death. This is a grievous and fateful incident, and my sincerest condolences and sympathy to the late Chethana Raj and her family and friends.

What Happened?

The 21-year-old actress, Chethana Raj, was admitted to a leading cosmetic surgery center and underwent a liposuction procedure. Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure used to remove fat from specific areas of the body. I do not intend to comment on the further complications of the case, but I find it important to mention that this Liposuction procedure, the late actress underwent, is not a weight-loss procedure. In fact, I find it dangerous and sad if Liposuction is perceived and offered to patients as a weight-loss surgery. Liposuction does not result in any kind of weight loss. Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure used to remove the excess fat from a body part, which may result in a temporary inch loss. Thus, the Liposuction procedure is not meant for weight loss surgery. If you want to opt for a weight-loss surgery, then Bariatric Metabolic Surgery is performed in our centres in India and abroad.

The methods of Bariatric surgeries are entirely different from those of Liposuction. Bariatric Metabolic Surgery aims for weight loss where either the size and the shape of the stomach are altered or reduced, or food is bypassed, or, in some cases, both the procedures are done. Usually, Bariatric surgeries help in exponential weight loss. Such surgeries result in weight loss ranging from 20-30 kg to even 100 kg. After this surgery, the patient’s diet or food-intake capacity is reduced because, as I mentioned earlier, in Bariatrics, the size of the stomach is reduced. The bypass surgery reduces the absorption of fats or sugar. Thus, the important thing here is the procedure that resulted in the tragic incident of the Kannada actress in Bangalore wasn’t a weight loss or Bariatric surgery, but it was Liposuction. Be it any surgery, whether Bariatric or Liposuction, there are various contributing factors responsible for its success, such as the availability of instruments, the surgeon’s experience, the record of successful surgeries of the centre, the infrastructure of the centre which should include an ICU, advanced operating rooms and an expert critical care team at the operating centre. An efficient backup, the support team, is a must for major surgical procedures.

Thus, I have two critical pieces of advice for you all. The first is that if you are looking for a weight loss or a diabetes treatment, or if you have problems arising due to excess weight such as sleep apnoea, joint pain, back pain, or menstrual irregularity in women, then plastic surgery is not a solution for it. The second, Liposuction is not the solution for obesity. The right solution for obesity or morbid obesity is bariatric surgery, which has been recognised as a weight-loss surgery. Many people are confused between liposuction and bariatric surgery; therefore, I thought to address and share my views about liposuction and bariatric surgery.

Thank you.

Author: Mohit Bhandari

Mohit Bhandari is a renowned Indian bariatric surgeon and globally recognized for his contribution in Laparoscopic and Robotic surgeries.

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