Liposuction, is a procedure that is performed to remove the fat under the skin of certain body regions by using special cannulas. The fats removed in liposuction are those that remain between skin and muscle tissue. Visceral fat (internal organ fat) cannot be removed with liposuction.

Liposuction is generally performed under twilight sedation or general anaesthesia. If liposuction is planned to be performed for a single, small region, local anesthesia can also be preferred. During liposuction, some special fluids are injected to the regions from which fat will be removed. These anaesthetic fluids are injected to reduce blood loss during liposuction and numb the area to provide pain relief. The adrenaline in the fluid shrinks the blood vessels at the surgical site, allowing removal of fat cells with liposuction cannulas while blood loss is drastically reduced. Today, various assistive technologies are used in liposuction procedures.

Today, original liposuction techniques are superseded.The main aim of liposuction procedures is to create an ideal body shape through the removal of fat. It is a body contouring procedure. Therefore, various technologies are utilised for liposuction procedures in recent years. The most common ones are vaser liposuction and power assisted liposuction methods. Vaser is an ultrasonic device that generates heat to separate the fat cells, turning them into liquid. This allows for easier extraction and less trauma to the tissues, with less blood loss and scar tissue formation. Vaser has also been shown to improve skin tightening by up to 54% over traditional liposuction.

Vaser Liposuction uses an ultrasound probe that is inserted into the fat layer under the skin to “shake” (or “melt”) the fat layer before suction. Traditionally, liposuction techniques were less refined, used higher suction pressures, and separating the excess fat before suctioning was much like trying to shatter a brick into pieces before its removal. This meant more trauma to the body, more pain for the patient, and a longer recovery time post operation.

Vaser is an additional step within the procedure and can be likened to transforming the “brick of butter” into “molten butter”– thus allowing the fat to be more gently and evenly removed. The ultrasound energy also promotes skin tightening following the procedure, which offsets skin looseness and laxity: the thermal energy created by the ultrasound creates contraction and proliferation of the collagen fibres which results in tightening of the skin. Indeed Vaser liposuction has been shown to offer up to 54% more skin tightening than traditional liposuction results.

Three advantages are subsequently obtained after having performed this step: 1. 54% more skin tightening than traditional liposuction, due to the thermal effect of the Vaser stimulating a surge in collagen production in the skin and remaining tissue. 2. More fat cells can be removed with less fatigue to the operator. 3. Vaser has less bleeding and therefore less trauma to the tissues.

Firstly, modern day liposuction is considered primarily as a body contouring procedure through the removal of fat cells in unwanted areas. The aim of this surgery is to remove fat and provide a more beautiful and shaped body appearance especially for patients with regional fat accumulation.

Vaser Liposuction is not a replacement for diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle and must not be confused with weight loss treatments or bariatric surgery. However, we do offer Mega Liposuction at Aventus Aesthetic but it is important to understand that we do not remove more than 5 litres of fat during any one procedure, in accordance with international safety guidelines. A second session if required (to remove up to another 5 Litres of fat) can be arranged no earlier than 1 week later.

Loose skin after surgery is a common concern amongst potential liposuction patients: the removal of volume will typically “deflate” an object (imagine letting air out of a party balloon). Fortunately, Vaser Liposuction has been shown to offer up to 54% more skin tightening than traditional liposuction, which helps to offset looseness and laxity. That said however, patients with poor skin elasticity may still experience some degree of skin wrinkling or looseness after the procedure, and it is very important to understand that Vaser liposuction does NOT represent a replacement for abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck”) when needed. Your clinician will be able to offer an honest insight and opinion into your options and likely outcomes in this regard once your skin type is assessed.

The body parts where liposuction are commonly performed differ between men and women. Women tend to gain weight in different regions than men. Women generally gain weight in the abdomen, back, legs, arms and hips. Therefore, liposuction is most commonly performed in these regions for women. Men more commonly gain weight in the trunk. Liposuction is most commonly needed for breasts (due to gynecomastia), abdomen and low-back region for men.

People who decide to undergo a liposuction procedure should know that it is a body contouring procedure rather than for weight loss and expectations should be reviewed accordingly. Another important issue to consider before liposuction is that this surgery can remove only fats located between skin and muscles. In other words, liposuction cannot remove fats found around abdominal organs. Therefore, liposuction is not a viable option for patients with intra-abdominal fat deposition. In this case, a gastric balloon, gastric sleeve or diet/exercise are better options.

It is also not a viable option for patients with loose skin wanting to look better without clothes. In this case, a tummy tuck is a better option. Patients with morbid obesity are also not suitable for liposuction.

Early postoperative mobilisation makes patients feel better, prevents post operative complications, and assists with healing. Tight compression garments need to be worn for at least 3 weeks full time and 3 weeks part time to help reduce the swelling. Pain relief is important for patients to stay comfortable as liposuction can be painful. Antibiotics will help prevent infection. Anti-vomiting medication is prescribed if needed and constipation relieving tablets are also recommended.

Compression garments should be used for 6 weeks after liposuction, 3 weeks full time and 3 weeks part time. The compression garment ensures that the skin shrinks and adapts to its new position more easily. Moreover, it mitigates fluid accumulation and swelling.

Drains are generally used when the procedural site is large, such as when doing the abdomen. A small drain is placed at the same hole used for liposuction and this allows for excess fluid to be removed from the area. This makes postoperative recovery a more comfortable experience for patients. The drain will typically drain fluid for approximately 3 days and drains are removed at the 4 to 5 day mark after the procedure. In many areas of the body, drain placement is not required. Your doctor will be able to explain if drains are required for the area you are seeking to have liposuction.

Lymphatic massage is one of the most important post operative therapies that affect the outcome of liposuction. We start our patients on lymphatic massage one day after the procedure. The massage is gentle and short on the first day, but sessions can be lengthened when the pain alleviates. We recommended a minimum of 4 sessions of lymphatic massage at intervals of 1 session every 2 to 3 days after the procedure. Lymphatic massage not only relieves swelling at the procedural site, but it also helps skin recover and adapt to its new position better.

If the patient maintains weight control after surgery, outcomes of liposuction will be permanent as liposuction is a permanent change in shape. One should always remember that there is no limit of weight gain in human body. Therefore, we inform my patients before the surgery in detail about the modifications they should do in their postoperative life.

The intended areas of liposuction vary for men and women. Liposuction is often performed for abdomen, love handles, back, arms and legs in women. On the other hand, liposuction is mostly considered for breasts (due to gynecomastia), abdomen, love handles and low back in men. Liposuction is also very popular for double chin and neck.

Liposuction is generally performed under twilight sedation or general anaesthesia. You can opt for either.

If performed by experienced proceduralists, liposuction surgery does not differ greatly from other surgeries in terms of risk. The most important consideration is the fact that liposuction is performed under the skin, in a non-visible area. This means that the hands of the doctor function as the eyes during the procedure. Therefore, depth of cannula and thickness of skin should be continuously checked with palpation of the body part, where liposuction is being performed.

The most common postoperative complication is irregularity of skin. Irregularity was traditionally a very common issue in original liposuction techniques, which utilised alot of mechanical force. The irregularities had been the most common reason for the patients to avoid liposuction.

Today, there are many technological devices and treatment options to reduce and prevent irregularities. In vaser liposuction, also called ultrasonic liposuction, fat cells are fragmented and liquefied with ultrasound energy. It is easier to remove liquefied fats, and as a byproduct, more even skin outcomes are obtained. In addition, we use power assisted liposuction (Microaire) to remove fat cells that we liquefy with vaser liposuction and thus, we can create a smoother appearance. We also try to tighten skin with Renuvion-J Plasma in order to prevent sagging of skin after liposuction. Today, a combination of Vaser, Microaire and Renuvion-J Plasma for liposuction procedures is the most novel liposuction technique that offers the best outcome.

J Plasma is a device that converts helium into plasma energy. When subcutaneous fat tissue is removed in liposuction, the connective tissue between the skin and muscles shorten and the skin attaches to the underlying muscle.

J Plasma delivers plasma energy to the connective tissue to ensure shortening and thus, the skin tightens and adapts over the muscle more easily. In summary, J Plasma tightens the excess skin that develops as a result of the procedure or in other words, it reduces excess skin after liposuction.

Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure. The purpose of liposuction is to eliminate regional fat deposition and provide a better body shape for individuals who are of almost ideal body weight. Thus, we do not recommend liposuction as a weight loss method.

Vaser Liposuction shapes the body by eliminating any uneven fat pockets using ultrasound technology to separate the fat cells for easier removal. This ultimately gives a slimmer, toner look to the body. Vaser High Definition Liposuction goes one step further in the process of body sculpting. This technique removes fat from around and on top of the muscle groups to enhance the visibility of underlying muscles. This form of liposuction produces ultra-defined results with a more athletic appearance. The best candidates for this treatment have thick skin, good skin tone, and can feel the muscles underneath the skin when contracting. For example, Vaser High Definition would remove the small amounts of fat in-between the abs to bring out a perfect six-pack.

Today, men want to have well-built abdominal, chest and arm muscles. Women aim to have a athletic-looking body particularly for abdominal region. So, the purpose of liposuction now includes providing a well-developed and athletic appearance at the procedural site as well as removal of fat cells from relevant areas. Liposuction applied for this purpose is called high-definition (or 4D) liposuction.

The best example of this procedure is “six pack” surgery performed by removing part of the abdominal fat cells and creating deep lines to make muscles look defined. Thanks to High-def (4D) liposuction method, it is now easier to have muscular abdomen, chest and arms.

Cells removed through appropriate techniques can be processed and transformed into pure fat cells. These cells can be injected into different body regions to increase volume. This is known as fat grafting. The most common areas for fat injection are buttock (commonly referred to as Brazilian Butt Lift) and breast/chest in both men and women.

Mostly, liposuction is combined with BBL and abdominoplasty in women and with abdominoplasty and gynecomastia surgery in men.

A general upper limit of 5L fat cell removal is accepted around the world but this amount can be too much for a smaller individual. During liposuction, the maximum extraction limit of fat is equal to 6-8% of body weight (Gerald Illouz). So, for example, a maximum 4.8 liters of fat can be removed in a person with body weight of 60 kg. These values are known safe upper limits. The upper limit also depends on the patients health and intraoperative bleeding at the time of the procedure. If the limit is reached, we perform liposuction a minimum one week later once the body’s fluids have re-equilibrated.

Liposuction can be repeated. However, removal of fat in the same area that has been operated on before is more difficult than the first session. Subcutaneous healing in the postoperative course causes connective tissue to increase. Thus, fat removal during a second procedure on the same area is more difficult. 5% of patients will need a touch up procedure to correct irregularities.

While you can expect to see some subtle improvements immediately after your liposuction procedure, it will take some time for the final results to appear. You will need to wait for post-operative swelling to subside and give the skin time to retract and tighten up in the treated area. Neither of these happens overnight, and the time it does take can vary from patient to patient. Some liposuction patients are able to see their results within three to six months after surgery, while others find that their results continue to improve for up to a year. To speed your recovery and see results sooner, be sure to follow all of your doctor’s post-operative instructions.

Liposuction results can be permanent, in the sense that once the fat cells are removed, they cannot return. However, the remaining fat cells can still grow in size, meaning that it is still possible to regain weight in the future, although likely in different areas of the body. You should keep in mind that external factors can also impact your results. Liposuction does not pause the ageing process, and things like inflammation, weight fluctuations and gravity can all affect the way your results look over time.

Gerald Illouz the inventor of tunneling liposuction stated that one should not exceed more than 6-8% of body weight when performing liposuction. So, for a 70 kg person the most that should be removed is 5L. If the full volume is reached, we stop and perform the next procedure one week later.

Sound surgical judgement is needed if >5L is removed considering factor such as:

• Percentage of body weight (6-8%)
• Blood loss during the operation and colour of fat
• Blood levels on the table (Hemocue)
• Heart rate and blood pressure

Some surgeons require overnight stay for their patients who have large volume liposuction but Kim et al 2015, found there was no evidence that overnight stay would reduce complications.

How well the skin contracts following liposuction can vary from person to person, typically depending on the quality of skin elasticity. You will find that your skin will naturally contract to some degree after a liposuction procedure as a result of the skin’s natural healing process. However, patients with good skin elasticity often find themselves with smooth, firm skin after liposuction, while patients with poor skin elasticity may find themselves with looseness or wrinkling of the skin.

A meta-analysis of large volume liposuction (>5L) in healthy obese women found that there was a significant reduction in fasting insulin levels (Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2014). However, liposuction is not performed in morbidly obese individuals (BMI>35).

See below for liposuction prices. The cost of liposuction varies depending on your weight and the number of regions.

Liposuction prices include all of the following pre surgery and post surgery services;