Liposuction

Liposuction is the cosmetic surgery procedure to remove unwanted fat deposits from your body. Liposuction abroad is becoming one of the top procedures for medical tourists wishing to find lower prices.

With Liposuction, the most commonly targeted areas of the body are the abdomen, buttocks, hips and thighs, but the chin, neck and cheeks, upper arm and shoulders, knees, calves and ankles can also benefit from the liposuction procedure. What these areas have in common is that they often do not respond well to diet and exercise.

Suction assisted lipectomy, or liposuction, should not however be used as merely a weight control measure or a substitute for exercise and diet control as weight reduction options. In addition to the financial cost, liposuction is potentially risky.

Medical tourism is one option for reducing the cost of Liposuction. Getting Liposuction abroad can be as much as 50% to 70% cheaper than in the UK. So, even if you add travel and hotel costs, you still end up with a bargain. Just make sure you choose the doctor and the clinic after checking their track record, specifically in liposuction cases.

Check the registration and credits of both the doctor and the facility, especially if you are going abroad, and check the quality of service they offer, as well as the infrastructure. Alternatively, a reputable cosmetic surgery referral service can be very helpful.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Liposuction

What is Liposuction?

Who Can Benefit from Liposuction?

How is Liposuction Performed?

What Options Do I Have?

How Much Fat Can Be Removed?

Can I Combine Lipo with Other Procedures?

How Permanent are the Results?

What Are the Risks?

How Long Does it Take to Recover From Liposuction?

How Much Does Liposuction Cost?

What is Liposuction?

The Liposuction procedure is a way to remove localised fat deposits that don’t respond well to normal diet and exercise regimes. Because of the loss of volume, some loose skin can be expected with a more extensive liposuction treatment. Many people choose to combine liposuction with a tummy-tuck or a buttock lift for the maximum results. Liposuction is also sometimes used as part of the Neck Lift surgical procedure, to remove excess fat deposits from the neck and lower chin.

Who Can Benefit from Liposuction?

A typical candidate for Liposuction will have already tried dieting and exercise to get rid of fat deposits on the body, but without success. Some less reputable clinics may take on a patient who has not made serious attempt to lose weight, but it is not to be recommended.

Liposuction is an increasingly popular procedure, among men as well as the women who have traditionally been the biggest market for cosmetic surgery. The procedure can trim all the unseemly areas of flab that nothing seems to get rid of, and enhance both the way you look, and the way you feel about yourself.

How is Liposuction Performed?

Liposuction, in its most basic form, is performed with a hollow tube, called a cannula, and a suction device, known as the aspirator. All liposuction techniques use this set-up, but with variations to facilitate the process.

Anesthesia is required, and may be general or local, depending on the extent of Liposuction. The liposuction is performed through a small incision, with the cannula moved back and forth to break up the fat cells, which are then sucked out by the aspirator.

What Options Do I Have?

Originally, there was the one kind of Liposuction, which was dry liposuction. This is rarely used nowadays, and all Liposuction is a variation of wet liposuction, where fluid is injected into the fat, to assist the fat breakdown. The fluid injected is a mixture of local anaesthetic, saline solution and a chemical to contract the blood cells, to minimise bleeding. Tumescent Liposuction falls under this category.

For higher-volume Lipo, super-wet liposuction is the preferred choice, as it minimises the trauma to the patient.

You will see several different options and names given to liposuction, such as Vaser Liposuction, Ultrasound, Smart Lipo, and Laser Lipolysis. These methods of Liposuction are becoming extremely popular at home and in many countries abroad, although there are those cosmetic surgeons who question whether they are much more effective than traditional methods, or whether they are an excuse for increasing the price tag.

The principle of technologies such as Smart Liposuction is that thermal or photomechanical energy is better for localised areas of fat, and also for tightening the skin, while Ultrasound Liposuction and Laser Liposuction are believed to help break down fat cells, effectively melting them before they are suctioned out.

How Much Fat Can Be Removed?

The is a limit to how much fat can be safely removed by liposuction, and a reputable Lipo doctor will not exceed this. Any more than 5 litres should be regarded as too much, and there is evidence that the fat removed by Liposuction should not exceed 3 litres.

The more fat that is removed, the greater the risk of the Liposuction procedure.

Can I Combine Liposuction with Other Cosmetic Surgery?

Liposuction is one of those surgeries which is frequently combined with other procedures. After Liposuction the patient may be left with loose skin in the area operated on, so abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), thighplasty (thigh lift), or Brachioplasty(arm lift) are all commonly performed after the Liposuction procedure. However, because this dramatically increases the risk of complications, it is advisable to wait until you are fully recovered.

The Brazilian Butt Lift is actually the removal of localised fat deposits, which are then implanted into the buttocks, for a larger butt, while some experimental breast enhancement procedures also transfer fat to the breasts. This technique is technically known as "autologous fat transfer".

Liposuction is also sometimes combined with Bariatric or Weight Loss Surgery, which allows the patient to remove unwanted fat, while helping to prevent weight-gain afterwards. It stands to reason that combining procedures can greatly increase the risk of complications, so you must discuss this with your surgeon.

How Permanent are the Results?

It is possible to make the results permanent, if you stick to sensible eating, and get enough exercise on a regular basis. At the end of the day, it is down to the patient how permanent the results are.

What Are the Risks With Liposuction?

In general, liposuction is now a safe and reliable process, with a low rate of complications. However, it is important to understand that no surgery is completely without risk, and you should make sure that your surgeon discusses these with you, thoroughly. Also see our article "Risks of Cosmetic Surgery", for general advice.

How Long Does it Take to Recover From Liposuction?

Liposuction usually has a fast recovery rate. Hospitalisation is short, and you can often resume a normal schedule in a few days. Sometimes it is possible to go home on the same day, if the anaesthetic used was a local one. Bruising and swelling should be expected, which will often subside within a couple of weeks.

For a period of up to four weeks after Liposuction, you will wear bandages or a compression garment, and you will need to keep the area of incision clean and dry.

How Much Does Liposuction Cost?

The actual cost of liposuction depends on a number of factors, such as the area of liposuction, and also the amount of fat being removed. However, within the UK, the costs for liposuction are high. For UK citizens, wishing to save on costs for Liposuction, European countries like Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Croatia are particularly popular destinations.

Cosmetic Liposuction surgery abroad is a viable option for people who do not mind travelling to find lower rates, and many places further afield, like South Africa, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico and Argentina are now firmly on the UK medical tourism map.

A fairly typical price for Liposuction in the UK is around £3,400, whereas if you shop around it is possible to get the same treatment for closer to £1,000, if you are prepared to travel abroad.

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