What is liposuction?

Liposuction is a surgical procedure by which subcatenous fat is removed through small cannulas which are introduced into the fat compartment though small ( 3-10 millimeter ) incisions in the skin. The cannulas are then connected to a suction source, and sometimes to a laser or ultrasonic source, to help breakdown and remove the fat. Liposuction is most commonly performed to remove unwanted or excess fat in the abdomen, the flanks or love handles, the inner and outer thighs, the neck, hips, chest, back, and knees. Each location is considered a separate area, and each area can be treated independently. Not all patients are good candidates for liposuction. Patients who are morbidly obese or overweight, patients who have serious underlying medical conditions, patients who are on blood thinners, and patients who have unrealistic expectations are not ideal candidates.

Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure, it is a contouring procedure. Patients who are older and who have a lot of loose skin, and many women after a pregnancy may also not be good candidates, because there may be too much excess skin after removing the fat beneath the skin. When laser energy is applied to cannula as part of the procedure, the laser is used to heat the underneath surface of the skin, promoting some skin shrinkage. Still, there is a limit to how much skin retraction you can get by this technique, and you must be evaluated by a qualified surgeon with experience, in order to determine what type of candidate you make. Fat does not come back to the area where you had fat removed by liposuction, but if you continue to gain weight because of diet and lifestyle issues, you will probably deposit fat in other areas. Liposuction can be done in an outpatient surgery center, under local anesthesia, or under general anesthesia. The choice of anesthetic is a personal choice, and depends upon the preferences of both the surgeon and the patient. Recovery from liposuction depends upon how much fat is removed, but is generally pretty short. Patients will wear compressive garments for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and there will be swellng, bruising, and some numbness. The most common complications of liposuctin are surface irregularities or depressions, asymmetry, pigmented scars, and seromas, which are collections of fluid underneath the skin, and bleeding, or hematomas. There is always the possibility of needing a revision surgery. Most of the potential complicatins are minor and infrequent, but serious complications, such as blood clots, pulmonary embolism, or organ perforation, although extremely rare, must also be mentioned.