What is it?
Liposuction is a procedure that can help sculpt the body by removing unwanted fat from specific areas, including the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, cheeks and neck. During the past decade, liposuction, which is also known as "lipoplasty" or "suction lipectomy," has benefited from several new refinements.
Today, a number of new techniques, including ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL), the tumescent technique, and the super-wet technique, are helping many plastic surgeons to provide selected patients with more precise results and quicker recovery times. Although no type of liposuction is a substitute for dieting and exercise, liposuction can remove stubborn areas of fat that don't respond to traditional weight-loss methods.

Though there are several different methods, the principle is the same in each procedure. Your certified doctor will be able to recommend the technique best suited for your specific needs. The basic method removes excess fat from between the skin and muscle using a very small stainless steel tube called a cannula. Connected to a powerful suction pump, the cannula is inserted through small incisions in the skin of the problem area. As suction occurs, the tube removes fat through suction, which creates tunnels in the fatty layers.


Recovery time:
5 to 7 weeks.