Liposuction is a surgical procedure used to eliminate fat that cannot be eliminated despite exercising and a healthy diet.

This cosmetic procedure can be performed through tiny incisions that leaves inconspicuous scars, highly desirable but patients often "consent" to liposuction based on unrealistic expectations and a lack of understanding about the procedure, risks and outcomes.

As a procedure, liposuction involves removing diet-resistant fat from various parts of the body, such as the abdomen, buttocks, hips, flanks, thighs, arms, neck and breasts, through a hollow metal tube inserted into a small incision. Using negative pressure fat is removed and the area treated is thinned. To allow this to happen anaesthesia is required. This can be under a full general anaesthetic or under local anaesthetic with or without sedation.

Regardless of the type of anaesthesia or whether the pocedure is performed in an accredited hospital, day surgery hospital, or an office based surgical facility, liposuction needs to be viewed as surgery and not something to be seen as insignificant or risk-free. Surgery, generally speaking, is a physical procedure used to create benefit to the patient, but this benefit must be balanced against potential risk.

Liposuction must be used only for specific indications. It is not a weight loss tool, a common public belief, but does remove excess fat and improve body contours. The best liposuction patients are those that have done everything through exercise and diet to optimise their weight but are still left with a pocket (or two or three!) of resistant fat. This resistant pocket can then be liposuctioned and removed to give the desired and final body contour.

Cellulite is not a good indication, but sometimes by removing fat the cellulite appearance can be improved but this cannot be guaranteed. Another common belief is that if you have liposuction the change is permanent, however if a patient gains weight after liposuction then the previously treated area can again become full and undesirable.

While complications from liposuction surgery are rare, it is essential for those considering the procedure to ensure their doctor is a FRACS trained Plastic Surgeon. Those undergoing it should also discuss their recovery with their doctor to ensure a safe and favorable outcome. If you have any specific requests regarding cosmetic surgery topics that you would like discussed on this blog, please feel free to email me: chris@breast-body.co.nz


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