Liposuction

Why It Is Done

The main purpose of liposuction is to reshape one or more areas of your body, not to reduce body weight. Liposuction is typically used on "problem" areas that do not respond well to diet and exercise, such as the outer thighs and hips on women ("saddlebags") and the waist and back on men ("love handles"). The face, neck, abdomen, back, buttocks, legs, and upper arms are all commonly treated areas.

Liposuction is sometimes used in combination with other cosmetic surgery procedures, such as a "tummy tuck" (abdominoplasty), breast reduction, or face-lift.

Liposuction may also be used to treat certain medical conditions, including:

Benign fatty tumors (lipomas).

Abnormal enlargement of the male breasts (gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia).

Problems with metabolism of fat in the body (lipodystrophy).

Excessive sweating in the armpit area (axillary hyperhidrosis).

Liposuction is not used to treat obesity. It will not get rid of cellulite or stretch marks.

How Well It Works

Liposuction is usually very effective at removing fat deposits in small areas.

Some improvement in body contour is usually noticeable right after surgery, but improvement may continue for several weeks or even months as the swelling goes away. The full effects of having liposuction may not be visible for several months to a year.

Liposuction generally does not tighten the skin over the treated area. After fat has been removed, the skin around the area may be somewhat loose. It may take up to 6 months for the skin to tighten around the treated area. Some people's skin is very elastic and retracts more quickly than other people's skin. Younger skin tends to have greater elasticity than older skin.

People who expect liposuction to help them lose weight are usually disappointed.

Risks

Liposuction performed by an experienced doctor in a properly equipped facility is usually safe. Having more than one area treated, or having a very large area treated, may increase the risk of complications during or after the procedure. Tumescent liposuction is considered the safest technique. 3

Common side effects of liposuction include:

Temporary swelling, bruising, soreness, and numbness in and around the treated areas. Tumescent liposuction minimizes these effects in comparison to traditional liposuction.
Irritation and minor scarring around the incision sites where the cannulas were inserted.
Baggy or rippling skin. The skin will usually tighten and retract after a few months. In some people, however, the skin may remain somewhat loose.
Other complications are not common, but they may include:

Permanent color changes in the skin.
Uneven skin surface over the treated area.
Infection. In some cases, antibiotics may be given before or after liposuction to help prevent infection.
Damage to the nerves and skin. The heat generated during ultrasonic liposuction may burn the skin or damage the tissue under the skin.
Excessive blood and fluid loss, leading to shock. This is extremely unlikely with the tumescent and ultrasonic techniques, because they usually result in very little blood loss.
Fat clots or blood clots, which may travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism) and become life-threatening.
Buildup of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). This is most likely to occur with tumescent liposuction, during which a large volume of fluid may be injected into the body.
Toxic reaction to the injected solution (lidocaine toxicity).
Liposuction should not be done in people with severe heart problems, blood-clotting disorders (such as thrombophilia, a disorder in which the blood clots easily or excessively), or during pregnancy. 1

Although life-threatening complications—fluid loss leading to shock, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary edema, and lidocaine toxicity—are very rare during liposuction, some deaths have been reported.

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