Wilmette, Ill. — According to a new study, liposuction is more popular than ever and patient satisfaction with the procedure is high.
The study was conducted by the Wilmette-based AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), liposuction is the most commonly performed surgical aesthetic procedure. In 2004, 76 percent of liposuction procedures were completed in the ambulatory setting (physician’s office or free-standing outpatient surgery center),
Key findings of the new AAAHC Institute study:
- More than 80 percent of patients who undergo liposuction are pleased with the results;
- Half of all liposuction patients are of normal weight; 14 percent are obese;
- The most popular body area for liposuction reported was the abdomen;
- Liposuction frequently is performed on multiple areas of the body during a single procedural session.
According to the study, 82 percent of patients were “very” or “nearly very” satisfied with the results, 13 percent were “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied” and 5 percent were “not satisfied” at one-month post-liposuction follow-up.
Of patients who responded to the six-month post-liposuction survey, 85 percent were “very” or “nearly very” satisfied with the results, 12 percent were “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied” and 3 percent were “not satisfied.”
Body areas receiving liposuction most frequently in 2005 were the abdomen (61 percent of cases), flank/waist (50 percent) and hips (35 percent), with these figures reflecting the fact that some patients opt for liposuction on multiple areas of the body during a single session. Only 24 percent of patients received liposuction on one body area during a session. Among other results:
- 24 percent received liposuction on two body areas
- 24 percent on three body areas
- 16 percent on four body areas
- 4 percent on five body areas
- 4 percent on six body areas
- 2 percent on seven body areas
- Less than 1 percent on eight body areas.
The study notes that among those surveyed, the clinical complication rate was 6 percent (28 of 442 procedures). The most common complications were hematomas-seromas (bruising) in nine of the 28 cases, hyperpigmentation (four cases) and excessive bleeding (three cases). Procedure time ranged from about 30 minutes to more than three hours, with an average of 87 minutes.
In nearly 95 percent of cases involving respondents, less than 4,500 ml of fat was extracted, which is in accordance with the American Academy of Dermatology’s clinical practice guidelines that recommend that no more than 4,500 ml of fat be extracted during a single operative procedure.
