Liposculpture

Also known as liposuction or suction assisted lipectomy, is a technique to remove unwanted fat deposits.

The unsightly distribution of body fat is usually due to an inborn tendency to deposit fat in one particular area of the body, most commonly the hips. Other areas include the neck, arms, tummy, loins, thighs, inner side of the knees and the ankles. The growth of a benign fat tumour (lipoma) can also be a disfigurement, and in men fatty swellings can develop under the nipples to look like breasts (gynaecomastia).

What can be done?

If you have a localised area of fat it is possible to reduce its bulk by an operation called Liposuction. A narrow metal tube is inserted through a small incision in the nearby skin. It is attached to a strong vacuum pump which is drawn back and forth within the area of excess fat. The process removes tunnels of fat leaving the small blood vessels and nerves intact. The skin will then retract.

There are some minor variants in the techniques. Some surgeons inject the area to be treated with solutions (wet or tumescent technique), others do not. Suction is usually applied with a powerful vacuum machine, but it is sometimes perfectly adequate to use a simple syringe for small areas. Ultrasound assisted lipectomy is another variant.