Does the flank area extend around the sides of the waist to include the low back underneath the rib cage?

When I do my contouring I do circumferntial torso, which includes stomach, sides/flanks and back.  Most doctors do not do hip/crest defining when they are doing flanks and most do not also do the back/bra roll if needed. I do all this with my torso liposuction.  Best, Dr. Emer.

All
of these areas you have described can be addressed with liposuction. What they
are called and what someone charges for these areas may vary from practice to
practice. Usually we speak in terms of upper and lower abdomen, hips, waste,
back bra roll, tailbone etc. Flank is not a very descriptive term. Consult with
your surgeon.

The anatomic areas for liposuction are somewhat variable and are surgeon dependent.  The flanks are generally considered to be the love handle region.  The inclusion of the posterior flank closer to the ribs is frequently included.   Ask your plastic surgeon to determine his/her preference. 

Each surgeon or office may have slightly different definitions of how far an area should be covered. In our practice, the trunk is divided into the back bra roll, waist, hips, lower back, upper abdomen and lower abdomen. The back bra roll typically covers the entire back down to the back bra roll crease, the waist is from the back crease to thinnest part of the waist, and hips is considered anything below that down to the pelvis. Most people do not have substantial amounts of fat on their lower back, so the lower back is only added on certain patients. In our practice, we rarely perform liposuction on a single area of the trunk. It typically leads to unbalanced results. We typically sell or promote the treatment of a full abdomen. This will cover everything from the lower back down to the pelvis. It allows us to deliver the best results.  I recommend that you ask your plastic surgeon to specifically draw out which areas would be included in the flank.  Regardless of the nomenclature, treating only one area of the trunk typically leads to an unnatural look except in certain circumstances.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.