Liposuction removes fat from specific areas to change the outline of the body. It is a contouring operation: the scale barely moves, and what changes is where the fat sits.
The two things that decide the result are how much fat there is to remove and how well the skin will retract afterwards. The second is the one patients underestimate.
Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity and not a substitute for weight loss. If there is a lot of weight to lose, losing it first gives a better and safer result. If the skin is already loose, removing fat from under it makes the looseness more obvious — that is a case for skin removal, not for more liposuction.
All liposuction works through small incisions with a cannula. The difference is how the fat is loosened before it is aspirated, and how much area is treated in one session.
A large volume of dilute local anaesthetic and adrenaline is injected first, which numbs the area, narrows the blood vessels and reduces bleeding. Fat is then aspirated through a cannula. The standard technique, and the one most others are built on.
Ultrasound energy is used to loosen the fat before it is removed. It is claimed to be gentler on the surrounding tissue and to help skin retract, particularly on the back and flanks. It is slower, costs more, and carries its own risk of burns under the skin.
The abdomen, flanks and back are treated as one continuous unit, so the transition around the waist is smooth rather than a series of separate patches. A longer operation and a larger volume removed, so it is planned with more care and more recovery time.
The areas are marked standing up, skin elasticity is assessed, and the expected volume is discussed honestly — including what will not change. Blood tests, and a cardiology opinion where relevant, before a date is set.
Smoking stops four weeks before, blood thinners and some supplements about ten days before, and you fast for six to eight hours. Compression garments are measured and ordered in advance. Arrange help at home for the first two to three days.
Under sedation or general anaesthesia, one to three hours depending on the number of areas. Fluid is infiltrated, fat is aspirated through incisions of a few millimetres, and the garment is fitted in theatre. Most patients go home the same day; larger volumes stay one night.
Fluid leaks from the incision sites for a day or two, and the garment is worn day and night. Bruising is extensive and peaks in the first week. Walking from day one; desk work is usually possible after three to seven days.
Swelling reduces over four to six weeks, and the garment continues for that time. Exercise resumes at four to six weeks. The contour firms up over three to six months, and the final result is judged at six to twelve.
Liposuction is common and it is still surgery, with a small number of risks that are serious rather than cosmetic.
Tell us about blood thinners, clotting problems, heart or liver disease, and any previous liposuction in the same area. There is a limit to how much can safely be removed in one session; a surgeon who agrees to any volume asked for is not being careful.
Very little, and that is deliberate: fat is lighter than it looks, and the safe volume in one session is limited. The change is in shape and in the fit of clothes. If the goal is weight loss, this is the wrong operation.
The fat cells that are removed do not return, but the ones left behind can enlarge if you gain weight — and they tend to enlarge evenly, so the shape can change. Keeping weight stable is what protects the result.
Not reliably. Cellulite is a structure of the skin and the fibrous bands beneath it, not simply fat. Liposuction can sometimes make dimpling more visible, because it removes the fat that was filling it out. Be sceptical of anyone selling it as a cellulite cure.
An early change is visible at two to three weeks, but swelling hides the true contour for longer. Most of the result is there at three months, and the final shape at six to twelve — which is also when a revision, if needed, would be considered.
Front, side and rear views are enough to say which areas can be treated, roughly what volume is realistic, and whether the skin will retract. A coordinator replies with a plan and a written quote.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Suitability, technique and risks are decided in a consultation with a surgeon.
