In some people, fat tends to accumulate as pockets that increase slowly but steadily in volume. These pockets—often incorrectly called cellulite—can noticeably and unpleasantly alter the body’s silhouette.
With ultrasonic liposuction/lipoaspiration, microliposuction, and liposculpture it’s possible to remove excess fat from well-defined body areas such as the hips, double chin, abdomen, knees, thighs, and buttocks, giving the body a more harmonious, attractive profile.
The goals of liposuction and liposculpture
Body contouring with liposuction, microliposuction, and ultrasonic liposculpture aims to regularize the body outline as much as possible, restoring the proportions of a given area.
These techniques are used to achieve better proportions among the various elements of the body figure. In practice, they refine the balance between concavities and convexities with more proportional volumes.
For example, excessively fatty buttocks or overly wide hips can be reduced with liposuction/lipoaspiration, which decreases adipose tissue and delivers a more pleasing aesthetic effect.
During surgery, different types of liposuction/lipoaspiration, microliposuction, and ultrasonic liposculpture may be used and combined as needed, depending on the case and the area being treated. The best results occur on localized fat deposits that resist diet and exercise.
Diet or liposuction?
Liposuction is not an alternative to a weight-loss diet
Whereas dieting reduces fat mass uniformly—across both subcutaneous and deeper sites—lipoaspiration reduces excess fat only in the areas that are suctioned.
Therefore, in cases of generalized obesity, patients should first follow a weight-loss program. When adipose bulges are localized (e.g., hips, buttocks, thighs, shoulders, ankles, double chin), liposuction, microliposuction, and ultrasonic liposculpture are indicated.
Surgery: how liposuction and liposculpture work
Liposuction, microliposuction, and liposculpture are true surgical procedures. They must be performed in a sterile operating room by an experienced aesthetic plastic surgeon familiar with surgical principles and the relevant anatomy.
Preoperative selection
General and local health conditions must be assessed before proceeding with liposuction.
Patients who are unsuitable include those with:
- Coagulation disorders
- Heart disease
- Varicose veins
- Hypertension
- Uncontrolled diabetes
Anesthesia
Depending on the amount of fat to be removed, ultrasonic liposuction, microliposuction, and liposculpture can be performed under:
- Local anesthesia without hospitalization
- Local anesthesia with mild sedation in short day-hospital care
- General anesthesia with 1 day of hospitalization
Liposuction: how the procedure works
A tiny skin incision of a few millimeters is made in a crease near the fat pocket to be removed, or in a concealed area. A thin cannula with one or more suction ports near its tip is introduced. Under the surgeon’s constant control, the cannula moves back and forth through the adipose tissue, removing small fragments of fat with each pass.
The cannula is hollow and connected via a sterile flexible tube to a suction device (lipoaspirator), which collects the removed fat, allowing step-by-step monitoring of the amount aspirated.
The reduction in adipose tissue achieved with liposuction is permanent because the removed tissue does not regenerate. The procedure removes clusters of fat cells (adipocytes) along with their contents, so the correction achieved by lipoaspiration is considered definitive.
If weight is gained in the future, fat can accumulate in the remaining adipocytes, but not in a disproportionate manner, since the body’s contours have been permanently re-balanced. Any increase will occur more harmoniously across non-treated areas as well.
Will cellulite disappear?
Liposuction, microliposuction, and ultrasonic liposculpture do not directly cure the “orange-peel” appearance of cellulite, which has complex metabolic causes, but they may indirectly improve it by reducing microcirculatory compression and the pressure that excess fat exerts on the skin’s connective and vascular framework.
Post-operative: what to expect
Bruising in the treated areas is quite common immediately after surgery; it is usually mild and resolves spontaneously within a few days.
In expert hands, complications from ultrasonic liposuction, microliposuction, and liposculpture are uncommon and manageable. A careful preoperative evaluation is essential to confirm suitability. If performed properly, only minor contour irregularities or asymmetries may rarely appear later and can be corrected with a small touch-up.
An elastic-compression garment should be worn for 2–4 weeks after surgery.
FAQ
Want to learn more about liposuction and liposculpture?
Read this first.
With modern techniques, both deep fat and the layer just beneath the dermis can be addressed, allowing the skin to readapt to its new shape and volume thanks to its elasticity.
Liposuction is indicated when the silhouette is altered in specific, localized areas. It is not an alternative to diet for patients with generalized obesity.
Adipose tissue is made up of cells that store circulating fat. When lipoaspiration removes fat, it actually removes clusters of fat cells from that area; those cells will not grow back there. If you are predisposed to gain weight, fat may increase again in the future, but in a more harmonious way, because the procedure permanently improves body shape.
Adipose tissue has very few nerve endings. After surgery you may feel mild soreness and a sense of swelling in the treated area.
Normal daily activities can be resumed right away. Strenuous physical exercise should be paused; sports can typically be resumed about 1 month after surgery.
Wear a specific elastic-compression garment over the treated area to support recovery and protect tissues. It can be removed for washing and worn again the next morning.
Wait until any post-surgical bruising has fully resolved before sun exposure.
When performed correctly, the procedure is very safe. In experienced hands, complications are uncommon and usually minor. Careful preoperative assessment helps select appropriate candidates and minimize risks.
