Are your curves in all the right places and in the right proportion? Or do you find some of your "curves" are more like bulges? If you find yourself wishing that certain areas of your body were thinner, flatter or smaller because of excess body fat, liposuction might be an ideal cosmetic choice.



Qualified surgeons are able to contour and sculpt your body so that it more fully reflects how you would like to look. Liposuction can provide men and women alike with newer and better body proportions and take care of those pesky areas that neither exercise or weight loss ever seem to help.

In 2005, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), liposuction - liposplasty, liposculpture, or even just "lipo" - was the number one cosmetic procedure performed in the United States.

It is a tried and true cosmetic procedure that has been around for about thirty years. An Italian doctor developed the original form of liposuction in 1974; by the early 1980's liposuction became very popular in the United States and today it continues to reign as the top cosmetic procedure sought by patients.

Liposuction should not be regarded as a weight reduction solution and is not a substitute for diet and exercise. Someone who is close to their ideal weight is the best candidate; this gives the surgeon the ability to "sculpt" rather than "defat" and the happiest patient results are achieved. The best liposuction patient is one with localized excess fat who has tight smooth skin. However, the procedure works well even for patients without perfect skin, who wish an area or two thinned or contoured.

Liposuction is most commonly done on the lower torso, thighs and upper arms. Other areas that liposuction can also benefit are breasts (both female and male) and the face and neck. Normally liposuction is done under general anesthesia unless the area being treated is very small. This is for both the comfort and the safety of the patient.

Liposuction surgical techniques have progressed dramatically since the early '80's, and the equipment used has progressed at the same time, helping help surgeons to create better contours with less blood loss. The several methods of performing liposuction all use powerful suction to remove fat through tubes (called cannulae) that are inserted under the skin through small incisions. There are proponents for both the power-assisted cannulae and the use of ultrasound to "break up" fat. The type of equipment however, is of less importance than the skill of the surgeon.

Of course, there are risks and potential complications to all surgical procedures so before committing to liposuction a patient needs to make sure he or she is in excellent medical hands. You'll want to find a well qualified, board certified plastic surgeon to perform your procedure, and a good place to start is by checking to see if he or she is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Then, interview two or three of those doctors to determine the one you feel is most qualified and with whom you feel most comfortable. After all, it's not just your appearance that concerns you, but your safety and general health, over all else.

Note: The specific risks and the suitability of liposuction for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation with a surgeon. All procedures have some degree of risk. The information provided here is not a substitute for a consultation.