Liposuction, perennially one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries performed in the United States, has been shown to remove fat from the body. Despite a conflicting report in 2011 that cast doubt on the results of the procedure, a study recently published in the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons indicates that fat neither migrates to other areas of the body nor regenerates in areas that were treated with liposuction.
That’s great news for more than 200,000 Americans who chose body contouring through liposuction in 2011, including many of our own patients. Most lipo patients come to us with complaints about stubborn fat deposits that won’t respond to exercise or diet, no matter how hard they’ve tried. Liposuction—also known as liposculpture, which reflects the surgeon’s ability to shape the body with the treatment—targets just these areas of fat. In traditional liposuction, fat is vacuumed from the body through a small device called a cannula, which is inserted in the body with tiny incisions.
A variety of different liposuction techniques have been developed that include the use of laser and ultrasound technologies. Our team of surgeons prefers to perform power-assisted liposuction because this technology benefits both patient and surgeon—less recovery time and discomfort for the patient with less physical fatigue and more control for the doctor.
While liposuction is commonly performed on the lower torso, thighs, and arms, many areas of the body can be successfully treated with liposuction, including the breasts, face, and neck. Liposuction can also be combined with the following cosmetic procedures to further refine the results of the surgeries:
- Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
- Breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty)
- Breast lift (mastopexy)
- Breast augmentation (augmentation mammoplasty)
- Facelift (rhytidectomy)
- Neck lift
Liposuction is performed on an outpatient basis; it is a minimally invasive procedure with a relatively short recovery period, making it an attractive option for fat reduction. It is not a weight-loss tool, however; candidates for the procedure need to be close to their normal weight. Contact us today to get rid of those pesky fat deposits forever!
