Articles

Lipoplasty, the removal of localized collections of fatty tissue from different parts of the body, is currently the most sought after cosmetic surgery procedure in the world. Lipoplasty can be performed on areas such as the abdomen, hips, arms, inner and outer thighs, buttocks, knees, calves, the back and the chin. The two main types of lipoplasty procedures are liposuction and liposculpture.

Liposuction is primarily a technique for the removal and elimination of medium to large amounts of subcutaneous fat using cannulas (hollow metal tubes) attached to vacuum devices. Under general anesthesia, the surgeon begins the procedure by inserting cannulas into the subcutaneous fat through tiny incisions made in the area being treated. Force and direction are applied to the cannulas to disrupt and loosen the fatty deposits which are then aspired or vacuumed by a powerful vacuum pump attached to the cannula.

This enables the surgeon to shape and sculpt the area under treatment more effectively. If a patient's skin has lost much of its elasticity and is lax, the surgeon may recommend a skin tightening procedure or lift to be carried out at the same time. Depending on the amount of fat to be removed and the number of areas being treated, the procedure can take anywhere between one to three hours.

A relative amount of bruising and swelling is to be expected after the surgery and a support garment should be worn for a number of weeks after the operation.
Liposculpture is the technique in which a syringe is used to infuse a tumescent fluid consisting of dilute local anesthesia and saline into the superficial layers of the areas to be treated to remove small to medium amounts of fat. Cannulas are then used to vacuum out bloodless mixtures of fat and fluid.