What is the Difference Between Regular Lipo and Aggressive Lipo?

     I think the easiest way to answer this is just to look at the before and after pictures.  Some surgeons can create night and day difference and others create changes that are barely perceptible.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of liposuction procedures each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Some patients often come to office asking for aggressive liposuction. Mostly I feel this just means they want the best result they can get. It is important to understand that the more fat removed the greater the chance for skin contour irregularity. The surgeon should always leave a small layer of fat between the skin and underlying muscle. This gives the best contour. In a large person taking out a large volume of fat may also be more risky. When taking out over 5 liters of fat aspirate the American Society of Plastic Surgery suggests that the patient be kept in a medical facility overnight because of the higher risks associated with this large volume liposuction. This large volume liposuction is not necessarily more aggressive, just more risky. You should pick a board certified plastic surgeon who has a lot of experience with liposuction and has various methods at his disposal (i.e. ultrasound assisted liposuction or vaser, power assisted or traditional tumescent liposuction) and is able to utilize the best method for you in the safest facility. Good luck with new body!

These terms are meaningless and do not reflect a proper understanding of liposuction. It sounds to me like regular would be under correction and aggressive would be over correction (with waves, dents and bumps). Neither is appropriate. The best liposuction is done by the most skilled plastic surgeon. It depends on skill and aesthetic sense, which come with practice, practice and more practice. It does not depend on the tool in the hand of the surgeon but rather it depends on the hand that holds the tool. The web reference below is relevant to this question.

Not sure what that even means. In my practice. I speak with patietns who communicate their goals and desires. Based on that a plan is formulated. I would not use "aggressive"  but rather speak about removal of more fat from one area versus another.

Aggressive vs regular?  I did not know there was a difference or even a term like this for liposuction?  Find a good surgeon that is the key.

It would be interesting to know where the term "aggressive" originated. It can mean several things, but if used in relation to the number of areas treated, there is no problem with managing multiple sites What does matter is the total volume that is removed at one time. The general guideline is that if more than 5000cc of  fat is removed, the patient should be kept overnight for observation.

Liposuction results have nothing to do with how much fat you remove, it is all about how much fat you leave behind and the elasticity of the skin.  It is important to leave a variable amount of contouring fat.  If all of the fat is removed it will not look good.  Once you have seen a patient who has been overly liposuctioned you will understand the difference.  If a large defect is created under atrophic skin it will not only look bad but will be almost impossible to correct.  

I would suggest that you do not concern yourself or become confused by the variety of different terms used to describe liposculption surgery procedures. You will find a number of terms used, some of which may be  for marketing purposes, most of which are unhelpful and confusing.

 I would also caution you about anyone using the word “aggressive”;  no doubt, any procedure that is overdone can be associated with increased risk of complications. The more appropriate word may be “judicious”.  Keep in mind, that if the patient is not a good candidate for liposuction surgery, no amount of “aggressiveness” will achieve satisfactory results.

 Select your plastic surgeon carefully based on his/her ability to achieve outcomes safely.

 Best wishes.

There is no plastic surgeon that exactly  can answer this question.  Each surgeon defines his own concept of minimal, medium, and aggressive liposuction.  If too little is done that is not going to make a happy patient.  If extreme liposuction is done, that can cause deformity that is nearly impossible to correct.  I don't like the word aggressive liposuction.  Possibly safely aggressive and appropriate is the best term.  It is your surgeons job to take the correct amount in each area.   If that is not done, the result falls short of expectations.  I will say that if a surgeons is to error,  it best be on the conservative side.  This is easy to repair by taking a little more.  If excessive liposuction was done and deformity results it can be an impossible situation.  In the famous words of Harvey Lash, MD to other surgeons:   My Colleagues, it is not what you take that counts, its what you leave behind!  My Best, Dr C