Liposuction is a body contouring surgery that requires not only an artist's eye, but also the insight to determine which patients are likely to benefit from the procedure, and which specific areas of a patient's body are appropriate for liposuction. When artfully and appropriately applied, liposuction can produce dramatic contour improvements. As with all plastic surgery, the goal should be to produce a natural contour.
Some liposuction patients that I treat seek a 'total body makeover', and undergo circumferential liposuction of the trunk, thighs and lower legs. The soft tissue contraction and resulting contour enhancement that is achieved by circumferential liposuction of a given area can be truly amazing. At the same time, I am increasingly seeing patients who come in for what I refer to as 'finesse' or 'refinement' liposuction, where very fit individuals seek refinement of specific areas that they feel are resistant to further improvement with diet and exercise.
To achieve ideal results, the skin tone overlying the area to be suctioned must have adequate tone in order to 'snap back' and redrape in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing. Areas with significant skin excess or redundancy generally require some manner of skin excision in addition to the reduction in the volume of subcutaneous fat by means of liposuction.
It is important to understand that liposuction is not designed to be a weight loss surgery, but rather a body contouring procedure. Patients undergoing liposuction ideally need to be at or near their goal for their long-term weight, and their weight needs to have been stable for several months.
