subject: Diabetics Must Watch Their Weight. Can Liposuction Help With That? [print this page] For many Type 2 diabetics, the struggle to maintain a healthy weight is not just a matter of looking good; it's vital to controlling their diabetes. With all the hype about liposuction (or lipoplasty), some diabetics may wonder if this procedure can help them lose the weight that they need to lose. The answer, unfortunately, is no; it's not safe for diabetics to have liposuction.
But why? To understand, one must know a little about diabetes and its symptoms. One way to think of diabetes is in terms blood sugar. Diabetics have sugary blood. Every person has sugar in his or her blood stream that is then put into the cells to be used as fuel. The pancreas releases insulin in amounts appropriate to how much food has been eaten and the insulin opens up the cells to allow the sugar in.
Either because their bodies make no insulin or because their cells resist the insulin, diabetics are not able to get the sugar from their blood stream and into their cells. The result is an unusually high amount of sugar in the blood stream. High blood sugar can cause many symptoms, but one of them is a decreased circulation to the skin, and this symptom in particular makes liposuction a bad idea for people with diabetes.
Decreased circulation can slow and even inhibit healing of the skin and surface tissues of the body. The lipoplasty procedure involves making small incisions in the skin and using a cannula (like a straw) to first break up the fat cells and then remove them. It is essential for the affected area to be able to heal properly to avoid lasting damage and scarring. At worst, a slowly-healing wound can become infected and lead to illness or death.
Although such drastic outcomes are rare, it is important to be aware of the body's role in healing itself. Generally, liposuction is not for people with circulation problems or with a number of other health problems.
People who are obese, for whatever reason, are not good candidates. The amount of fat to be removed is too great. It is neither healthy or safe to remove more than ten or fifteen pounds of fat at one time.
For the procedure to be safe and effective, the patient must be in good health and already within the healthy weight range. (Incidentally, many Type 2 diabetics are not within the healthy weight range, even aside from the circulation problem.) Considered to be "cosmetic," lipoplasty is most useful for improving appearance rather than health. It cannot take away a chronic disease or replace good lifestyle choices.
Diabetes is one of many factors that may determine whether liposuction is right for you. When talking with your healthcare provider about the possibility of getting this kind of surgery, it is important to be honest about all health-related conditions that you may have. It is not safe for everyone and should be considered a serious choice.
by: Christian Heftel
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