Calf reduction, what are my options? (Photo)

Liposuction is the gold standard for treatment of large calves and ankles and generally provides excellent results.

While this is not the most common areas for liposuction, improvement of the calves and ankles can be dramatic after liposuction in carefully selected patients, and in experienced hands. But if a plastic surgeon such as myself, who does have the appropriate training and experience, does the procedure, ankle and calf liposuction can have very dramatic results in properly selected patients. Patients that have had knees, calves and ankles are some of my happiest.

Based on your photos you appear to be a good candidate for liposuction which would also be determined upon exam. Ankle (and Calf) liposuction is not the most common liposuction done, such as that of the abdomen and/or waist area, and many plastic surgeons do not have the training and experience and they do not perform this procedure.

It is most important to find a place and a surgeon with the training and experience to help you get the results that you desire. One of my patients even started a blog, The Calf Lady, all about her calf liposuction experience.

Thank you for sharing your photos! Although it is difficult to say without an in person examination, liposculpture as an outpatient procedure under I.V. sedation can reduce the bulge that some people have in their calves and ankles and restore a more shapely leg. Unlike other areas of the body the ankles and calves require a certain delicacy which is why I use several innovative forms of liposuction, including SmartLipo, to contour and resculpture the area while providing the most beautiful results with minimal scarring. SmartLipo, used in combination with other forms of liposuction or alone, is a procedure that uses laser light to liquefy fat and tighten the surrounding skin. It’s thought to involve less downtime and side-effects than traditional liposuction and is particularly good for small areas of fat deposits like the ankles. New technology that's gentler and faster than ever before not only allows the removal of fat, but also resculpts the legs. When looking for a surgeon for something very specific, such as liposuction of the calves and ankles, it is important to find a doctor who routinely performs the procedure and who can show you before and after pictures of patients that they have operated on. These images will not only give you a sense of the surgeon’s skill, but will help you to better visualize the procedure for yourself. I suggest making an appointment with an experienced board certified plastic surgeon who can explain in detail to you what your options are.

Thank you for the question and pictures.  Many women express concerns related to the shape of their legs and I often hear the phrase "radish legs" used to describe hypertrophic calfs.Your options include the following: treatment with neuromodulators -- such as Botox to induce atrophy (reduction in size) of the muscle; RF nerve ablation to denervate the muscle and induce atrophy or surgical resection of the lateral portion of the gastrocnemius muscle.  Since you do not appear to have much fat, liposculpting is unlikely to be of benefit.I hope this answer is helpful.

Thanks for sharing your pics. From the pics it seems like you have calf muscle hypertrophy. There are a few options available. Botox for calf muscles, Selective neurectomy for Gastrocnemius muscle, Radio frequency ablation of muscle. Kindly consult a board certified plastic surgeon.