The Liposuction Procedure 101

A simple technology with often dramatic results.

Depending on the extent of your surgery, you may be awake or asleep while it is performed. If a larger volume of fat is being removed, you may be asleep during the surgery with a general anesthetic administered by an anesthesiologist or a nurse anesthetist. When smaller volumes are removed, some surgeons will administer a local anesthetic using numbing agent like Lidocaine in the surgical site. They may also elect to insert an IV to administer medications such as intravenous sedative to help you relax during the procedure and/or to manage your fluid levels during treatment.

Now, for the body contouring surgery itself.

Your physician will make a small incision in a fold of the skin and insert a small instrument into the fat layer to inject fluid which often includes a salt solution called saline, epinephrine which contracts the blood vessels and a local anesthetic like Lidocaine. This infiltration solution makes it easier to remove the fat by distending the fat cell and separating them from their surrounding structures. After the solution is injected, the physician uses another small instrument called an aspiration cannula to remove fat from under the skin using suction. The cannula is a wand with a rounded or blunt end with holes near the tip. The cannula is directed by the surgeon in a back and forth method through the fat layer to break up the fat cells. The fat is pulled into the cannula by use of suction and captured in a collection system.

Your physician will use a few methods to determine when the procedure is complete.

The amount of removal is estimated prior to surgery, so the volume removed during the procedure is monitored, as well as the amount of fluid that was injected. The physician will likely do a pinch test to determine symmetry of the areas being treated; making sure the remaining thickness is equal on the right or left side of the anatomy. In some instances a small drain may be inserted to remove blood and fluid that accumulate the first few days after surgery. This is mainly used when other cosmetic procedures are combined with your Liposuction.