Procedures / Face

Neck liposuction

Sometimes after massive weight loss, a patient’s neck may not loose fat. These patients are left with a relatively large neck. This can be unfortunate, because a patient can lose hundreds of pounds and not loose neck fat. Due to the appearance of their neck, this can leave patients feeling distressed. Excess neck fat can either be addressed with a neck lift or neck liposuction. Surgical candidates for neck liposuction need to be carefully chosen. “Older” patients with less elastic skin may respond better to a neck lift, whereas “younger” patients with better skin elasticity may respond better with neck liposuction. During consultation, you and Dr. Katzen will discuss which surgical option would be best for you.

The Procedure

The procedure usually takes about 1 to 2 hours. Neck liposuction is performed under general anesthesia by a board certified anesthesiologist. Once asleep, a small skin incision is placed in a skin crease just behind your chin. Fluid is injected to minimize bleeding and post-operative pain. Then this fluid is aspirated along with neck fat. Strict care must be taken because of the important anatomy in this area. If there are pockets of fat on the outer areas of the neck, another incision is placed just behind the earlobe. The small incisions are closed with sutures and a bandage is placed. Several days later this bandage is changed and a compression wrap is applied. The compression wrap is essential to force the neck skin to stick to the underlying neck structures. The compression wrap worn for about 4 weeks .