Liposuction San Francisco & Bay Area

Overview of Liposuction

Liposuction or suction lipectomy is a technique to remove localized fat deposits that create a disproportionate body contour. Surprising to many, liposuction is not meant to be a form of weight reduction for significantly overweight patients. It is best used to remove localized areas of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. Liposuction can be performed all over the body to improve contour and is most commonly used for the neck, abdomen, love handles, hips, upper back, thighs, knees, and ankles.

Today there are many different liposuction techniques offered to patients including those that use laser and ultrasound energy making it difficult to know what treatment is best for you. To add to the confusion, companies that develop the technology flood the media with advertising and unsubstantiated claims that one method surpasses all others. In reality it has not been shown scientifically that any one type of liposuction technique is superior to another in any way. The good news is that in the hands of a well-trained plastic surgeon, many of these techniques can produce excellent results.

What all techniques share in common is the use of very small incisions that allow the insertion of a cannula which is a hollow rigid tube. This is then attached to a machine that produces a strong vacuum allowing the surgeon to maneuver the cannula in the various fat layers below the skin to suction out fat. To prevent blood loss and numb the tissues, all the techniques require infusing a special fluid into the fat layers prior to suctioning. In general, all techniques share these features and only differ in the method used to assist with the removal of fat.