Suction-assisted lipectomy – also known as liposuction, fat suction, or suction lipectomy – is a technique to remove unwanted fat deposits from specific areas of the body, including the chin, neck, and cheeks; the upper arms and above the breasts; the abdomen, buttocks, hips and thighs; and the knees, calves, and ankles. Liposuction is not a substitute for weight reduction, but a method of removing localized fat that doesn’t respond to dieting and exercise.

  The best candidates for liposuction are of relatively normal weight but have pockets of excess fat in particular areas. You should be physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in your expectations. Most important, having firm elastic skin will result in a better final contour. Suction lipectomy is not recommended if you’ve had recent surgery on the spot to be sculpted, if you have poor blooed circulation in that area, or if you have heart or lung disease. You should also understand that liposuction by itself will not improve the dimpled skin known as cellulite, though some plastic surgeons offer other techniques that may improve this condition.

Suction – assisted lipectomy is normally safe, as long as patients are carefully selected, the operating facility is properly equipped, and the physician is adequately trained in body contouring as well as genral surgery.

In you initial consultation, the surgeon will evaluate your health, determine where your fat deposits lie, and carefully assess your skin tone. Your doctor should explain any alternative body-contouring methods that may be appropriate – such as abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck – and discuss the options or the combination of procedures that would be best for you.

Suction-assisted lipectomy may be performed in a surgeon’s office-based facility, an outpatient surgery center, or a hospital. If your procedure is not too extensive-that is, the amount of fat and fluid removed does not exceed an amount your doctor will define based on your health, body size, and surgical procedure-liposuction can be performed under local anesthesia.

After surgery, a drainage tube may be inserted beneath your skin for one to three days to remove any fluid build-up that occurs. A snug elastic dressing, girdle, or body stocking must be worn over the treated area to control swelling and beeding, and to help your skin shrink to fit your new contour.

Healing is a gradual process. Your surgeon will probably tell you to start walking around as soon as possible, but to avoid more strenuous activity for two to three weeks. Any stitches will be removed in five to ten days or dissolve, and you should be back at work in 2-3 days, or as much as two weeks after your surgery.

The result can be permanent, providing you eat sensibly and exercise regularly. If you do gain weight, you’ll probably gain it more uniformly throughout your body, not just in the former “bulges”. Most patients are very satisfied with the results of their liposuction-they feel more comfortable in a wide variety of clothes, and more ease with their bodies. As long as your expectations are realistic, you should be happy with your new shape.