Discover our technical expertise and creativity dedicated to silhouette surgery in Switzerland.

   On this page you will find useful information on liposuction, including questions related to the first consultation.. We then invite you to discuss your project during a medical consultation at Quai Perdonnet 3 – 1800 VEVEY or at Avenue Mon-Repos 14 – 1005 LAUSANNE.

   In consultation with Doctor Stéphane Smarrito, time will be taken to answer all your questions, with professionalism and kindness! We can then consider together the implementation of your liposuction.

Your first consultation for liposuction

It is important that a person feels completely comfortable with the cosmetic surgeon they have chosen. It is equally important to ensure that you choose a healthcare professional who is a specialist in their field and has the appropriate qualifications and certification.

What to expect during your first liposuction consultation?

A patient is likely to have many questions relating to the procedure itself. Most specialists will encourage the patient to ask as many questions as he or she deems necessary in order to obtain clarification before making the informed consent decision to proceed with the procedure.

Here are some of the questions a patient may want to ask:

• What pain, swelling and bruising can I expect after Liposuction?
• Which liposuction technique do you recommend and why?
• What is the best way to treat them after surgery?
• How long will the recovery for liposuction ?
• Will stitches, bandages and dressings be used? How long should they stay in place? How often should they be changed? Will the stitches used need to be removed? If yes, when?
• How important is healing? Are there ways to minimize them?
• What is the likelihood of complications during or after the operation? What can be done to minimize or prevent them?
• How likely is it that a follow-up procedure will be necessary (due to complications encountered)?
• Should the medications I am currently taking be stopped or changed before the procedure?
• How will my return to work go? sport after my liposuction ?

It is also wise to have a clear idea of ​​the costs to be expected. The costs will cover the fees of Doctor Stéphane SMarrito, the anesthesiologist and the La Prairie clinic, as well as the medications, dressings and support clothing used. 

Liposuction – from Dr. Smarrito’s point of view…

Before I authorize a person to undergo liposuction, I would make sure to obtain a complete medical record (including medical history and associated treatments, previous surgeries and medications).

Doctor Stéphane Smarrito will carefully evaluate any possible risk factors related to pulmonary, cerebrovascular or cardiovascular problems (both in terms of personal and family history), drug interactions (including any known adverse reactions to anesthesia or drug-related allergies) and any other potentially known allergies. The patient should mention if he or she has ever suffered from epileptic seizures, chest pain or angina, heart attack, heart failure or liver dysfunction. If previous surgical procedures are relevant, Doctor Stéphane Smarrito may ask questions about scars and their severity (for example, to determine the quality of healing of incision scars).
It is important to give as much detail as possible about medical history and medication intake during the consultation. In some cases this may impact a person's ability to undergo the operation, but in most cases the information provided can help the surgeon plan a procedure with the fewest potential risk factors for complications possible. 

Doctor Stéphane Smarrito may wish to ask questions in order to define the necessary details:
• Details about the changes the patient wants to make to their body.
• Current weight and how long the person has maintained that weight.
• If significant weight gains or losses have been made recently.
• Current dietary habits and physical activity programs, including the total duration of their maintenance.
• Use of medications or dietary supplements specifically intended for weight loss (if applicable).

The possibility of previous liposuction.

The medical examination is generally followed by a physical examination (which makes it possible to assess the general condition of the patient and the areas to be treated by liposuction). During the examination, the surgeon assesses the thickness of the adipose layer (i.e. the layer of fat) in the affected areas. A pinch test can help the surgeon get an idea of ​​how much fat cells can be removed safely. To perform the pinch test, the surgeon chooses an area of ​​the body intended to be corrected and pinches the skin between the thumb and index finger. The width of the skin between the fingers should be at least 2 cm (or 1 inch) for visual improvement to be truly expected following a procedure. The only exceptions to this rule are the face and neck, for which the pinch test measurement may not give an accurate indication.
If the abdomen area is a part of the body targeted for liposuction, the surgeon will carefully consider the volume of intra-abdominal fat (visceral fat or organ fat), as well as the risk of hernia formation. .
The surgeon will also check the elasticity of the skin during the examination. He will look for a satisfactory level of intrinsic elasticity (and can assess this by manually stretching the skin).
Skin with some natural elasticity is more likely to contract favorably after fat removal and the healing process has completed. The surgeon will be alert to any signs of lack of elasticity, such as the appearance of stretch marks or delayed rebound (retraction) of the skin after physical stretching.
When evaluating the skin, the surgeon will note whether it is necessary to perform multiple procedures in order to effectively correct the problem spots. Excess skin (sagging) can be corrected with procedures such as thigh lift or abdominoplasty (abdominoplasty). Secondary interventions may be recommended as it is entirely possible that the removed fat will accentuate the redundancy of the skin and lead to the formation of fibrovascular tissue (known as pannus). Secondary procedures may be recommended if the surgeon can determine that they are beneficial to avoid dissatisfaction due to abnormalities or irregularities in the contour or structure of the skin.

The message from Doctor Stéphane SMARRITO

Article written by the Doctor Stéphane Smarrito liposuction specialist