Don’t be confused by the terminology – liposuction is exactly the same as liposculpture or lipoplasty. Many clinics try and differentiate themselves by using more descriptive terms however we at Horizon Plastic Surgery like to tell it to you straight and call a spade a spade.
So we will call it liposuction which literally means to remove fat by suction. It is a minimally invasive way of fat removal with negligible scars. It does not involve removal of skin although it is often used in conjuction with operations that remove skin in order to produce a better result. It can be used for fat anywhere on the body from the face and neck down to the ankles yet it has its best results in areas of stubborn localised areas of fatty excess. Similarly the better skin quality that you have, the more likely that the skin will tighten. The skin tightening is due to taking pressure off the undersurface of the skin and also producing controlled scarring underneath the skin. The natural tendency of a scar is to contract and this then contracts the skin as well.
The most common sites are:
- Abdomen and love handles
- Neck
- Inner thighs
- Outer thighs
- Inner knees
- Gynaecomastia (Male breasts)
- Back rolls
It should not be considered a weight loss alternative even though the fat that is removed will be gone forever. Without the healthy approach of moderate diet and exercise the fat can be redistributed to other places on the body. It is performed as a day-case under general anaesthetic in accredited hospitals.
