Image Directed Outpatient Plastic Surgery - John F. Flory, M.D. - Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Patients from Central Ohio including Columbus, Marysville, Marion, Bellefontaine, Springfield, Powell, Worthington, Delaware, and Mansfield can conveniently schedule appointments in our Dublin office.
Patients from southern Ohio including Washington Courthouse, Circleville, Lancaster, Logan, Waverley, Jackson, Greenfield, Hillsboro, Wellston, McArthur, and Athens can conveniently schedule appointments in our Chillicothe office.

Liposuction (SAL) is the most common form of a group of techniques which are aimed at selectively removing fat from various areas of the body. It is not a method of weight loss and should not be used to achieve that end. It is good for removing fat from areas that are out of balance with the rest of the body and can't be brought back into balance through diet or exercise. In order for liposuction to work satisfactorily there must be sufficient elasticity in the overlying skin to allow it to shrink evenly and smoothly over the new contour. Certain techniques use an extra modality such as ultrasound or laser which may allow the skin to shrink a little more evenly over the treated area. Some techniques such as PAL (power assisted lipoplasty) simply make it physically easier on the surgeon by mechanically moving the apparatus. All techniques frequently use a standard liposuction cannula to definitively remove the disrupted fat cells. Good and bad results can result from the use of any and all of the liposuction techniques. The results are more dependent on the physician operator than the equipment or the technique used. Don't be led astray by claims that one technique or type of equipment is the only smart one to use.

Liposuction can be performed under straight local anesthesia, but is more commonly performed with the addition of oral or intravenous sedatives and pain relievers. In some cases, especially when combined with other larger procedures, it may be performed under a general anesthetic. A surgeon who performs liposuction under all of the various techniques of anesthesia is more apt to provide you with all of your options. Dr. Flory performs liposuction using all types of anesthesia and nearly all ancillary techniques. When liposuction is the only procedure being performed, it is usually performed in the accredited office-based surgical facility using IV sedation or what some people call "twilight sleep".

Click here for Dr. Flory's current special on operating room and anesthesia charges for liposuction.

Liposuction is frequently seen as being deceptively easy to perform. Because of this many physicians think they can take a course, buy a cannula and a liposuction machine and start turning out beautifully sculptured results. Liposuction is currently one of the most unregulated surgical procedures and it is being performed routinely by physicians with little or no surgical training. Legally, any physician right out of medical school can perform liposuction. What was once traditionally a procedure performed only by plastic surgeons and dermatologists, is now performed by family medicine, emergency room physicians, OB/GYN's, medical spa physicians, anti-aging physicians, internists, oral surgeons and dentists, ENT surgeons, and in some cases, physicians with no specialty training whatsoever. Whatever you do, be sure that the individual performing liposuction meets your qualifications as someone who can safely administer an anesthetic, perform surgery, and adequately treat any and all complications that may occur. Liposuction is surgery and does carry inherent risks. Be sure your physician adequately covers all of these issues in his/her initial consultation. Dr. Flory has been providing expert care in liposuction since 1985 when liposuction first emerged in the United States.