The Liposuction Advantage
One treatment may be all you need to reshape problem areas
Treat more areas—and larger areas—in one procedure
May be performed with either local or general anesthesia
More consistent and predictable result than noninvasive treatments

Liposuction, sometimes referred to as "lipo" by patients, slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits and improving your body contours and proportion.

What liposuction can treat:
Thighs
Hips and buttocks
Abdomen and waist
Upper arms
Back
Inner knee
Chest area
Cheeks, chin and neck
Calves and ankles
Liposuction can be performed alone or along with other plastic surgery procedures such as breast reduction or a tummy tuck.

What liposuction can't do:
Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity or a substitute for proper diet and exercise.

It is also not an effective treatment for cellulite—the dimpled skin that typically appears on the thighs, hips and buttocks—or loose saggy skin.

If you are bothered by excess fat deposits located anywhere on your body that don't respond to diet or exercise, liposuction may be right for you.

During your liposuction consultation be prepared to discuss:

Your surgical goals
Medical conditions, drug allergies and medical treatments
Current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drug use
Previous surgeries
Your liposuction surgeon will also:

Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
Take photographs
Discuss your liposuction options
Recommend a course of treatment
Discuss likely outcomes of liposuction and any risks or potential complications
The consultation is the time to ask your plastic surgeon questions. To help, we have prepared a checklist of questions to ask your liposuction surgeon that you can take with you to your consultation.

It's very important to understand all aspects of your liposuction procedure. It's natural to feel some anxiety, whether it's excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress. Don't be shy about discussing these feelings with your Surgeon.

The liposuction procedure includes the following steps:

Step 1 – Anesthesia
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include local anesthesia, intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your Surgeon will recommend the best choice for you.

Step 2 – The incision
Liposuction is performed through small, inconspicuous incisions.

First, diluted local anesthesia is infused to reduce bleeding and trauma. Then a thin hollow tube, or cannula, is inserted through the incisions to loosen excess fat using a controlled back and forth motion. The dislodged fat is then suctioned out of the body using a surgical vacuum or syringe attached to the cannula.

Problem areas that can be addressed with liposuction

Step 3 – See the results
Your improved body contour will be apparent once the swelling and fluid retention commonly experienced following liposuction subside.