Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes fat from selected areas of the body. The surgeon uses a small incision and inserts an instrument with a narrow tube attached to it. Then your plastic surgeon makes cuts in the skin and connects most of these cuts, leaving one end open through which a suction pump removes fat through the tube. The removed fat can be processed into other substances and re-injected into other areas of your body. Liposuction can improve your appearance by sculpting your figure or removing unwanted bulges.
Liposuction isn’t typically considered an overall weight-loss method or a weight-loss alternative. If you’re overweight, you’re likely to lose more weight through diet and exercise or through bariatric procedures (such as gastric bypass surgery) than you would with liposuction. Liposuction is often used in conjunction with other procedures, such as tummy tucks, thigh lifts and breast lifts. It may also be used on parts of the body where fat deposits are localized but very large.
You may be a candidate for liposuction if you have too much body fat in specific spots but otherwise have a stable body weight. Over time, small deposits of fat can accumulate in areas such as your abdomen, thighs, buttocks and flanks (love handles). Eventually, small pockets of fat or dimples appear. Liposuction removes these deposits through targeted suctioning or surgical cuts. Liposuction removes excess fat through the use of a surgical cannula, which is inserted through a tiny incision in the skin. The surgeon may choose to remove more or less fat depending on your desired shape and size.
Liposuction can also be used for other cosmetic procedures such as face-lifts and breast lift by removing fat from the under chin. In addition to being used for general cosmetic procedures, liposuction can be used to treat breast augmentation, breast reduction and gynecomastia.
