The complete guide to Surgical Vs Non-Surgical weight loss treatments

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2023-05-19 05:30 AM | By Tamira Scientific Committee
Weight Loss
Surgical Vs Non-Surgical weight loss treatments

If you are reading a newspaper or browsing social media, be rest assured that a ‘weight loss ad’ will pop up now. Weight loss articles are all over the internet. From diets to exercise to surgeries, a lot could be found to read. So, is weight loss easy and guaranteed? Not really!! If weight loss was as easy as a pill, we would not have had umpteen number of articles around it. And given that weight loss is spoken everywhere and by everyone, it is quite evident that the pain is real. Some of you would be looking at getting your overall weight down by a few kilos while some others might be just aiming at reducing their thighs or abs.

To reduce weight, you first need to declutter the information you have been receiving from all over. You first need to analyze your own body, your weight loss needs, diets, medical conditions and much more. For weight loss – a holistic approach can be the right answer.

A change in diet and regular exercise could help individuals get to the desired weight. However, it is important to be diligent and watchful of your eating habits and activities. It is also important to lose weight in a slow and steady manner, in order to help the body lose out on excess fat. Additionally, the results of these methods depend on your age, health and ability to do rigorous exercises. Even if an individual gets good results, there could be certain areas of the body that are stubborn that the other. In order to achieve good results, surgical or non-surgical weight loss treatments from cosmetologists could be the right option.

In the aesthetic world, weight loss can be achieved from non-surgical treatments where the excess fat is removed using heat (laser treatments), cold (cool sculpting), light (red light therapy), ultrasound and injectable. These advanced treatments aim at reducing the fat from certain parts of the body such as chin, stomach, arms, thighs and other regions without the need for invasive procedures.

Wondering what is the best weight loss treatment? A cosmetologist might suggest surgical or non-surgical treatments based on the patients need and level of excess fat. Surgical weight loss would work well for individuals looking at a drastic weight loss or removing excess or sagging skin/fat. For lesser demanding fat loss needs such as removal of excess tissue and others, non - surgical options would be best.

Some of the most common non-surgical weight loss treatments include:

CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting or Cryolipolysis is a technique of using extreme cold to pull apart fat cells which are later naturally destroyed by the liver. The word cryolipolysis means breaking down of fat using ice cold substance. It is also referred to as the fat freezing technique. This technique works best as a solution for body contouring and not as a weight loss treatment. Hence, the most apt patients would be those that are not obese but have extra bulges and fat deposits at particular regions. A cosmetologist would use a device/applicator that releases temperature as low as 4 degrees Celsius which is pressed against the targeted fat cells. This cools the fat cells without causing any harm to the surrounding tissues or to the blood. There could be a mild pinching and numbing sensation during and after the procedure.

Fat freezing treatments offer permanent reduction of the fat cells in the treated region. One could notice results in about two weeks’ time and the complete result could take about 3 months. Individuals often share positive experiences of coolsculpting since it is a more convenient option to traditional treatments. As there is no cutting or surgery that is required, it takes a very minimal time for recovery and comes with lesser risks and complication. CoolSculpting takes about 30-60 minutes for treatment and patients are discharged soon after as it requires very minimal hospital stay.

This procedure works best for:

  • Loosing stubborn fat in a particular region like the chin, abdomen, thighs and others
  • Healthy individuals looking for eliminating only extra flabs of fat and not a dramatic change in weight
  • Body toning

Some of the temporary side effects of the procedure includes redness, swelling, pain in the treated site, bruising and itchiness. Most of these subside by time and the patient would get well in a few days’ time. Some of the rare complications include hyperpigmentation, frostbite, scarring, dizziness, muscle weakness and others. Such complications are quite rare and one must ensure that they are under an experienced professionals care to avoid severe complications.

The coolsculpting procedure costs begin from about INR 4000. The exact cost of the procedure will depend on how many inches of the area is to be treated, the number of sessions needed, age, location of the clinic and others. Coolsculpting is one among the low-cost procedures for body contouring with a high success rate. Studies show at least 82% individuals have seen desirable results with the procedure.

Liposuction

There are many types of surgeries to remove fat. Liposuction is a minimally invasive weight loss or body contouring procedure that helps with excess or stubborn fat removal. Like the name indicates, in liposuction, fat is sucked out by using a suction device. The cosmetologist will mark out the area where the procedure is to be done. He/she will then make a small incision for the cannula or suction device to be used. The device creates tunnels by sucking fat cells and hence reduces excess fat in the region.

Liposuction is an invasive procedure and comes with most risks associated with any surgical cosmetic procedure. It is important for the patients to be aware of all the pros and cons and must ensure treatment under a qualified professional. The cost of a liposuction procedure would vary between INR 90,000 to INR 3.5 lakhs.

Unlike coolsculpting, patients would require at least a few weeks to recover from the post-operative symptoms. For the first two months’ post operation the patient must take good care for the procedure to show results. There will be pain and swelling for a at least four to five days. Moreover, not all candidates are eligible for liposuction especially those with a history of bleeding, other medical conditions and if on medications such as blood thinners.

Success rate of surgical and non-surgical fat loss

There is a high success rate of 77% for surgical weight loss procedures. It offers long-term benefits and an overall longer lifetime to the patients as compared with obese individuals who have not taken any treatment at all. Non-surgical weight loss has a success rate of 90% with about 20-30% of fat cells being removed after the procedure.

 

FAQ

What is the best treatment for weight loss?

Weight loss treatments and results are dependent on the need of the patient. It might not be possible to call out one treatment as the best. All treatments suit a specific need and what works well for one might not for the other. Hence professional help is what one must be look for to decide on the best treatment.

When and at what age is it hard to lose weight?

 A person’s age and weight are related to each other. As we age, our metabolism slows down along with other changes such as hormonal, lifestyle, pregnancy and others. After the age of 35, individuals would find it harder to lose some extra pounds in spite of diet and exercises. This is where aesthetic clinics could offer help to stay trim.

What is the best surgery to lose weight?

The best treatment for you could be decided by the doctor based on your needs and medical conditions. Liposuction, abdominoplasty, gastric bypass surgery are just a few surgical methods for losing weight.

How long after weight loss surgery would you lose weight?

For minimally invasive surgeries such as liposuction, the results could be seen in about 3 months. For more invasive procedures, the results would take close to 12 to 18 months.

What are the alternatives to weight loss surgery?

There are quite a few alternatives to the surgical treatments. Some of these include laser fat reduction, ultrasound, red light therapy, injectable, coolsculpting and others.

What is the best non-surgical method for weight loss?

 CoolSculpting is considered to be the most reliable and safe non-surgical weight loss procedure.

How can one get rid of belly fat without surgery?

 To remove fat without surgery, CoolSculpting could be the best bet. For targeted fat removal, especially that of the belly, thighs, chin, arms without surgery, this method would be the most apt.

Does non-surgical liposuction really work?

Non-surgical liposuction works well for body contouring and not for massive weight loss. If you are looking at loosing stubborn fat cells, then non-surgical fat removal would work well.

Is CoolSculpting worth the money?

Coolsculpting will be worth the money if you have a specific body part that has not lost fat by other means such as diet or exercise. This procedure would not be worth the money if you are looking at losing tremendous fat but can work well only for body toning.

How can one get rid of deep fat cells or visceral fat?

Deep fat cells or visceral fat cells are fat around the abdominal organs that have settled deep within. In this case, a person might look on the outside but would still have fat cells. This type of fat is easier to burn and would reduce with dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes.

How many inches can you lose with CoolSculpting?

The results of any weight loss treatment vary from one individual to another. In CoolSculpting, a person could reduce 20 to 30% of fat within two weeks after the procedure. The area would continue to loose excess fat and stay slim till about 3 months.

Is CoolSculpting better than liposuction?

CoolSculpting is the better option to liposuction if you are an individual with moderate weight who is struggling to loose stubborn fats in specific areas. Both liposuction and CoolSculpting have their own benefits and results, it is up to the patient and the practitioner to decide on which procedure would give the desired results.

How many CoolSculpting treatments are needed for stomach?

CoolSculpting of the abdomen would yield good results within 2 sessions. Each session might take an hour and usually the second session is done after 30 days of the completion of the first session. Some individuals look for more additional sessions to lose more fat.

Does fat come back after liposuction?

The good thing about liposuction or any fat removal procedure is that the fat would not grow back once removed. If a person maintains good diet and exercise post treatment, there is a high chance that the individual would not put on new fat cells. Liposuction can be considered a permanent treatment, provided the patient continues efforts to be on the moderate side of weight.

Can you permanently remove fat cells?

Yes, fat cells once sucked or removed from the body are gone permanently. They do not grow back on the site of treatment on their own. A good lifestyle is extremely important to not allow excess weight gain in the future.

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