Who is a good candidate for liposuction?

The best candidates are patients who have more elastic skin and who have firm areas of fat to be removed. A firm lower abdominal pouch or lateral thigh fat area can be liposuctioned with nearly perfect success every time. However, if the abdominal skin is relaxed from two or three pregnancies, the fat does not mobilize as well through the liposuction cannula and therefore the result is not as good. If the skin is elastic when the fat is removed, it shrinks down to tighten and look like normal, more youthful skin. Liposuction is excellent for those who have a near-ideal weight, who have tried to exercise certain areas such as the abdomen, thighs, or hips to make the fat go away and who have not been successful. It is these patients that liposuction was really designed for, and their body contour can be improved a great deal. The patient who is grossly overweight and who wants to use liposuction for weight loss is not the ideal candidate, and it is these patients who tend to have complications after surgery because of removal of large amounts of fat.

What is liposuction?

Liposuction is a procedure which has been in use for about 25 years and is designed to allow removal of fat from certain parts of the body using small incisions. This is accomplished by the use of a suction machine and small tubes (cannulas) with holes in the end to remove fat in the tissue by vacuum extraction. It can also be done by laser melting of fat with concomitant removal of the melted fat by suction. Ultrasound can also be used to perform the same function as the laser. Liposuction itself either with or without laser or ultrasonic assistance gives a definite and absolute result at the time it is done. The mechanism of action of a suction cannula is basically simple. When the suction is turned on and connected to the cannula with plastic tubing, a small incision is made in the skin. The cannula is introduced into the opening and is moved back and forth to extract the fat from the area desired. The most common areas include hips, thighs, abdomen, neck, flanks, posterior arms, jowls, and breasts. Anterior thighs, knees, an ankles can be liposuctioned as well. In summary, liposuction is usually a very safe procedure in the hands of a board certified plastic surgeon with a good accredited operating room and a good anesthesiologist. You can feel secure in the safety of this procedure when done under these circumstances.