Liposuction

Liposuction is the removal of fat from underneath the skin. It is normal to find fat underneath the skin but the thickness varies considerably in different zones of the body. The shape of the body can be altered and improved by removing fat from selected areas.

If you want to change the profile of your body and this has not been achievable with diet and exercise then liposuction may be helpful for you. ‘Love handles’ above the hips, ‘saddle bags’ overlying the hips, inner thighs, inner knees, back rolls, tummy and ‘man-boobs’ may all be reshaped with liposuction. Liposuction is not wholly appropriate for patients who have body mass greater than 30.

Liposuction relies on your own skin being elastic enough to shrink once fat has been removed. If skin is very stretched or thin, liposuction will result in folds or uneven skin. A special probe is passed into the fat layer through small cuts in the skin. Moving the liposuction probe systematically backwards and forwards breaks up the fat layer and suction removes fat. The procedure stops when the desired contour is achieved – this is difficult to judge because of surgical swelling and also because operations are done with a patient lying flat.