Liposuction is a procedure that can help sculpt the body by removing unwanted fat from specific areas including the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms and neck. Although no type of liposuction is a substitute for dieting and exercise, liposuction can remove stubborn areas of fat that don’t respond to traditional weight loss methods.

Liposuction can enhance your appearance and your self confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.

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Beauty for life:
Enhancing your appearance with liposuction

Despite good health and a reasonable level of fitness, some people may still have a body with disproportionate contours due to localized fat deposits. These areas may be due to family traits rather than a lack of weight control or fitness. Liposuction slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits, improving your body contours and proportion, and ultimately, enhancing your self-image.

Liposuction techniques may be used to reduce localized fat deposits of the:

  • Thighs
  • Hips and buttocks
  • Abdomen and waist
  • Upper arms
  • Back
  • Inner knee
  • Chest area
  • Cheeks, chin and neck
  • Calves and ankles

In some cases, liposuction is performed alone, in other cases it is used with plastic surgery procedures such as facelift, breast reduction or a tummy tuck.

What it won’t do: Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity or a substitute for proper diet and exercise. It is also not an effective treatment for cellulite, the dimpled skin that typically appears on the thighs, hips and buttocks, or loose saggy skin.

What to expect during your consultation

The success and safety of your liposuction procedure depends very much on your complete candidness during your consultation. You’ll be asked a number of questions about your health, desires and lifestyle.

Be prepared to discuss:

  • Why you want the surgery, your expectations and desired outcome
  • Medical conditions, drug allergies and medical treatments
  • Use of current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drugs
  • Previous surgeries

Dr. Foley may also:

  • Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
  • Take photographs for your medical record
  • Discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment
  • Discuss likely outcomes of liposuction and any risks or potential complications

Preparing for surgery

Prior to surgery, you may be asked to:

  • Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
  • Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
  • Stop smoking well in advance of surgery
  • Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding

Special instructions you receive will cover:

  • What to do on the day of surgery
  • The use of anesthesia during liposuction
  • Post-operative care and follow-up

Dr. Foley will also discuss where your procedure will be performed. Liposuction may be performed in our accredited office-based surgical center or a hospital.

You’ll need help
If your liposuction is performed on an outpatient basis, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night following surgery.

Procedural Steps:
What happens during liposuction?

Step 1 – Anesthesia
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedures. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Dr. Foley will recommend the best choice for you.

Step 2 – The incision
Liposuction is performed through small, inconspicuous incisions. First, sterile liquid solution is infused to reduce bleeding and trauma. Then a thin hollow tube, or cannula, is inserted through these incisions to loosen excess fat using a controlled back and forth motion. The dislodged fat is then suctioned out of the body using a surgical vacuum or syringe attached to the cannula.




Step 3 – See the results
Your improved body contour will be apparent when the swelling and fluid retention commonly experienced following liposuction subside. With continued practices of healthy diet and fitness, the loss of excess fatty tissue should be permanently maintained. However, substantial weight gain can alter an otherwise permanent result.

Important facts about the safety and risks of liposuction

The decision to have liposuction is extremely personal and you’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable. Dr. Foley will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo and any risks or potential complications.

Possible risks of liposuction include:

  • Uneven contours
  • Rippling or loose skin
  • Skin or nerve damage
  • Irregular pigmentation
  • Infection
  • Fat clots
  • Blood clots
  • Excessive fluid loss or fluid accumulation
  • Unfavorable scarring
  • Anesthesia risks
  • Bleeding (hematoma)
  • Change in skin sensation
  • Skin discoloration or swelling
  • Asymmetry
  • Pain, which may persist
  • Damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs
  • Poor wound healing
  • Persistent swelling in the legs
  • Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
  • Possibility of revisional surgery

Important facts about the safety and risks of liposuction

Is it right for me?
If you are bothered by excess fat deposits—located anywhere on your body—that don’t respond to diet or exercise, liposuction may be right for you. Ideal candidates for liposuction are:

  • Adults within 30% of their ideal weight who have firm, elastic skin and good muscle tone
  • Healthy individuals who do not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing
  • Non-smokers
  • Individuals with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for body contouring

Be sure to ask questions: It’s very important to ask Dr. Foley questions about your liposuction procedure. It’s natural to feel some anxiety, whether it’s excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress. Don’t be shy about discussing these feelings with Dr. Foley.

Be careful
Following Dr. Foley’s instructions is key to the success of your surgery. It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, swelling, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing. Dr. Foley will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself.

My recovery

Once your procedure is completed, a compression garment or elastic bandages may cover treatment areas. These help to control swelling and compress the skin to your new body contours.

You will be given specific instructions that may include: How to care for the surgical site(s), medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your general health, and when to follow up with Dr. Foley.

A special note: Secondary procedures may sometimes be recommended to reduce excess skin. Special considerations are needed when large amounts—usually more than 5 liters of fat—are suctioned.

Be sure to ask Dr. Foley specific questions about what you can expect during your individual recovery period.

  • Where will I be taken after my surgery is complete?
  • What medication will I be given or prescribed after surgery?
  • Will I have dressings/bandages after surgery? When will they be removed?
  • Are stitches removed? When?
  • When can I resume normal activity and exercise?
  • When do I return for follow-up care?

When you go home
If you experience shortness of breath, chest pains, or unusual heart beats, seek medical attention immediately. Should any of these complications occur, you may require hospitalization and additional treatment.

The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.

The results will be long-lasting

It may take several months for the swelling to fully dissipate. As it does, your new contours and enhanced self-image should continue to develop.

The fulfillment you feel from the initial results of liposuction should continue as long as you control your weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. A significant weight gain can reverse your results. Following liposuction, your slimmer and better-proportioned body should more accurately reflect the healthy and active life you lead.

How much will liposuction cost?

Cost is always a consideration in elective surgery. Prices can vary greatly depending on the extent of the procedure, the combination of multiple procedures, and the time involved. You will receive a detailed quote following your consultation. Talk with the Foley Plastic Surgery Center staff about your payment options.

Cost may include:

  • Surgeon’s fee
  • Hospital or surgical facility costs
  • Anesthesia fees

Your satisfaction involves more than a fee
When choosing a plastic surgeon for liposuction, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or here are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.

Most health insurance does not cover cosmetic surgery or its complications.

Words to know

Breast reduction: Also known as reduction mammoplasty, reduction of breast size by surgery.

Cannula: A Thin, hollow tube used during liposuction to loosen excess fat.

Facelift: A surgical procedure, also known as rhytidectomy, to reduce sagging of the mid-face, jowls and neck.

General anesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.

Hematoma: Blood pooling beneath the skin.

Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.

Lipoplasty: Another term for liposuction.

Liposuction: Also called lipoplasty or suction lipectomy, this procedure vacuums out fat from beneath the skin’s surface to reduce fullness.

Local anesthesia: A drug injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.

Suction lipectomy: Another term for liposuction.

Sutures: Stitches used by surgeons to hold skin and tissue together.

Tumescent or super-wet liposuction: Involves an infusion of saline solution with adrenaline and possibly anesthetic prior to removal of excess fat.

Tummy tuck: A surgical procedure, also known as abdominoplasty, to correct the apron of excess skin hanging over your abdomen.