Liposuction  > Procedures

Also known as lipoplasty, liposuction slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits, improving your body contours and proportion, and ultimately, enhancing your self-image.

Beauty for life:

Enhancing your appearance with liposuction

Despite good health and a reasonable level of fitness, some people may still have a body with disproportionate contours due to localized fat deposits. These areas may be due to family traits rather than a lack of weight control or fitness.

Liposuction slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits, improving your body contours and proportion, and ultimately, enhancing your self-image.

Liposuction techniques may be used to reduce localized fat deposits of the:

Thighs
Hips and buttocks
Abdomen and waist
Upper arms
Back
Inner knee
Chest area
Cheeks, chin and neck
Calves and ankles

In some cases, liposuction is performed alone, in other cases it is used with plastic surgery procedures such as a facelift, breast reduction or a tummy tuck.

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What to expect during your consultation

The success and safety of your liposuction procedure depends very much on your complete candidness during your consultation. You’ll be asked a number of questions about your health, desires and lifestyle.

Be prepared to discuss:

Why you want the surgery, your expectations and desired outcome
Medical conditions, drug allergies and medical treatments
Use of current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drugs
Previous surgeries

Your surgeon may also:

Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
Take photographs for your medical record
Discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment
Discuss likely outcomes of liposuction and any risks or potential complications

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Preparing for surgery

Prior to surgery, you may be asked to:

Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
Stop smoking well in advance of surgery
Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding

Special instructions you receive will cover:

What to do on the day of surgery
The use of anesthesia during your liposuction
Post-operative care and follow-up

Your plastic surgeon will also discuss where your procedure will be performed. Liposuction may be performed in an accredited office-based surgical center, outpatient or ambulatory surgical center, or a hospital.

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Procedural Steps:

What happens during liposuction?

Step 1 – Anesthesia

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedures. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.

Step 2 – The incision

Liposuction is performed through small, inconspicuous incisions.

First, sterile liquid solution is infused to reduce bleeding and trauma. Then a thin hollow tube, or cannula, is inserted through these incisions to loosen excess fat using a controlled back and forth motion.

The dislodged fat is then suctioned out of the body using a surgical vacuum or syringe attached to the cannula.

Problem areas that can be addressed with liposuction:

Step 3 – See the results

Your improved body contour will be apparent when the swelling and fluid retention commonly experienced following liposuction subside.

With continued practices of healthy diet and fitness, the loss of excess fatty tissue should be permanently maintained. However, substantial weight gain can alter an otherwise permanent result.

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Important facts about the safety and risks of liposuction

The decision to have liposuction is extremely personal and you’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable.

Your plastic surgeon and/or staff will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo and any risks or potential complications.

Possible risks of liposuction include:

Uneven contours
Rippling or loose skin
Skin or nerve damage
Irregular pigmentation
Infection
Fat clots
Blood clots
Excessive fluid loss or fluid accumulation
Unfavorable scarring
Thermal burn or heat injury from ultrasound with the ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty technique
Anesthesia risks
Bleeding (hematoma)
Change in skin sensation
Skin discoloration or swelling
Asymmetry
Pain, which may persist
Damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs
Poor wound healing
Persistent swelling in the legs
Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
Possibility of revisional surgery

Is it right for me?

If you are bothered by excess fat deposits - located anywhere on your body - that don’t respond to diet or exercise, liposuction may be right for you.

Ideal candidates for liposuction are:

Adults within 30% of their ideal weight who have firm, elastic skin and good muscle tone
Healthy individuals who do not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing
Non-smokers
Individuals with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for body contouring

Be careful

Following your physician’s instructions is key to the success of your surgery. It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, swelling, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing. Your doctor will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself.

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My recovery

Once your procedure is completed, a compression garment or elastic bandages may cover treatment areas. These help to control swelling and compress the skin to your new body contours.

In addition, small temporary drains may be placed in existing incisions beneath the skin to remove any excess blood or fluid.

A special note: Secondary procedures may sometimes be recommended to reduce excess skin. Special considerations are needed when large amounts - usually more than 5 liters of fat - are suctioned.

Be sure to ask your plastic surgeon specific questions about what you can expect during your individual recovery period.

Where will I be taken after my surgery is complete?
What medication will I be given or prescribed after surgery?
Will I have dressings/bandages after surgery?

When will they be removed?


Are stitches removed? When?
When can I resume normal activity and exercise?
When do I return for follow-up care?

When you go home

If you experience shortness of breath, chest pains, or unusual heart beats, seek medical attention immediately. Should any of these complications occur, you may require hospitalization and additional treatment.

The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.

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The results will be long-lasting

It may take several months for the swelling to fully dissipate. As it does, your new contours and enhanced self-image should continue to develop.

The fulfillment you feel from the initial results of liposuction should continue as long as you control your weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

A significant weight gain can reverse your results. Following liposuction, your slimmer and better-proportioned body should more accurately reflect the healthy and active life you lead.

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How much will liposuction cost?

Cost is always a consideration in elective surgery. Prices for liposuction can vary widely. A surgeon’s cost for liposuction may vary based on his or her experience, the type of procedure used, as well as geographic office location.

Many plastic surgeons offer patient financing plans, so be sure to ask.

Cost may include:

Surgeon’s fee
Hospital or surgical facility costs
Anesthesia fees
Prescriptions for medication
Post-surgery garments
Medical tests

Your satisfaction involves more than a fee

When choosing a plastic surgeon for liposuction, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.

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Words to know

Breast reduction: Also known as reduction mammaplasty, reduction of breast size by surgery.
Cannula: A thin, hollow tube used during liposuction to loosen excess fat.
Facelift: A surgical procedure, also known as rhytidectomy, to reduce sagging of the mid-face, jowls and neck.
General anesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.
Hematoma: Blood pooling beneath the skin.
Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.
Lipoplasty: Another term for liposuction. Liposuction: Also called lipoplasty or suction lipectomy, this procedure vacuums out fat from beneath the skin’s surface to reduce fullness.
Local anesthesia: A drug injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.
Suction lipectomy: Another term for liposuction.
Sutures: Stitches used by surgeons to hold skin and tissue together.
Tumescent or super-wet liposuction: Involves an infusion of saline solution with adrenaline and possibly anesthetic prior to removal of excess fat.
Tummy tuck: A surgical procedure, also known as abdominoplasty, to correct the apron of excess skin hanging over your abdomen.
Ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty: Uses ultrasonic energy to liquefy excess fat prior to surgical suctioning.

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Questions to ask my plastic surgeon

Use this checklist as a guide during your consultation

Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
Are you a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons?
Were you trained specifically in the field of plastic surgery?
How many years of plastic surgery training have you had?
Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure?

If so, at which hospitals?

Is the office-based surgical facility accredited by a nationally- or state-recognized accrediting agency, or is it state-licensed or Medicare-certified?
Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
What will be expected of me to get the best results?
Where and how will you perform my procedure?
What surgical technique is recommended for me?
How long of a recovery period can I expect, and what kind of help will I need during my recovery?
What are the risks and complications associated with my procedure?
How are complications handled?
How can I expect my body to look over time?

After pregnancy?

What are my options if I am dissatisfied with the cosmetic outcome of my liposuction?
Do you have before-and-after photos I can look at for this procedure and what results are reasonable for me?

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Related Links

View a 3D animation of an arm liposuction

View a 3D animation of a buttocks liposuction

View a 3D animation of a neck liposuction

View a 3D animation of a thigh liposuction

View a 3D animation of a tummy liposuction

Browse before and after photos of liposuction patients

Read patient stories

Educate yourself on plastic surgery patient safety

View a full glossary of plastic surgery terms

Learn about other plastic surgery procedures

View other 3D procedure animations

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