What happens during the procedure?

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.

Your physician will make a small incision in the skin and insert a small instrument under the skin in 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 aids in easier removal of the fat by distending the fat cell and separating them from their surrounding structures. Some surgeons use this fluid, a local anesthetic, to numb the patient as their only means of anesthesia. 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 blunt instrument 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 the end point of your procedure. The amount of removal is projected 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, measuring that the remaining thickness is equal on the right or left side of the anatomy. Your surgeon will discuss with you prior to surgery the volume of removal that is acceptable at the location where your surgery is being performed.

In some instances a small drain may be inserted to remove blood and fluid that accumulate the first few days after surgery. This is more common when other procedures are combined with your liposuction.