What is Liposuction?

According to San Francisco plastic surgeon, liposuction or suction lipectomy is a body contouring procedure to remove localized fat deposits to create an improved body shape. Liposuction is not meant to be a form of weight reduction for significantly overweight patients. It is best used to remove localized areas of fat that are resistant to regular dieting and exercise. Liposuction can be performed all over the body to improve contour and is most commonly used for the neck, abdomen, love handles, hips, upper back, thighs, knees, and ankles.

Candidates for San Francisco liposuction include physically healthy men and women who are of normal body weight however have stubborn areas of excess fat. Common areas for liposuction procedure include the chin, cheeks, neck, upper arms, breasts, abdomen, the flanks or “love handles”, buttocks, hips or “saddlebags”, thighs, knees, calves, and ankles. Today there are many different liposuction techniques offered to patients including those that use laser and ultrasound energy making it difficult to know what treatment is best for you.

What all techniques share in common is the use of very small incisions that allow the insertion of a cannula which is a hollow rigid tube. This is then attached to a machine that produces a strong vacuum allowing the surgeon to maneuver the cannula in the various fat layers below the skin to suction out fat. To prevent blood loss and numb the tissues, all the techniques require infusing a special fluid into the fat layers prior to suctioning. In general, all techniques share these features and only differ in the method used to assist with the removal of fat.

The best results tend to be achieved on patients with elastic skin says San Francisco plastic surgeon. Liposuction is not recommended for individuals with certain health conditions such as diabetes, heart or lung disease, or poor circulation.

Other procedures that may enhance liposuction include tummy tuck, San Francisco breast augmentation, or breast reduction. If you are interested in liposuction, the first step is to find a qualified plastic surgeon and schedule an initial consultation who will help you to determine if you are a candidate for liposuction.