Liposuctions

Liposuction is invasive surgery in which deposits of fat are removed to reshape or reduce volume in one or more areas of the body. It can be done for reconstructive or cosmetic reasons. Common areas targeted include the thighs, buttocks, abdomen, arms, neck and under the chin. This operation is also known as suction-assisted lipectomy, liposculpture or lipoplasty.

Liposuction is not a substitute for weight loss or a cure for obesity. Having liposuction will not help prevent cardiovascular disease or improve your general health. It is also not an effective treatment for cellulite (dimpled skin that typically appears on the thighs, hips and buttocks) or for loose, saggy skin.

Body image concerns are the main reason people consider liposuction. Some people who are in their healthy weight range have localised pockets of fat that don’t respond well to diet or exercise. These areas of fat deposits may be due to family traits rather than a lack of weight control or fitness. Liposuction slims and reshapes these specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits and improving body contours and proportion.

Some people with diabetes may seek suction-assisted lipectomy to treat contour problems from repeated insulin injections. Other people have liposuction performed on them to remove breast tissue (gynaecomastia) or treat post-traumatic pseudolipoma (swelling that resembles a lipoma – a slow-growing fatty lump under the skin).