Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Buttocks

In general the buttocks themselves are rarely, if ever, liposuctioned. To get a better butt shape, I liposuction around the buttock -- outer thighs, hips, posterior, upper thigh also known as the banana roll. This, along with building good muscle tone (which is important almost everywhere) gives a smaller, rounder, tighter buttock. I will liposuction the buttock when the area is very protuberant and fat. Liposuction to the buttocks that are just flabby will tend to flatten and drop them. It is especially important to remember not to confuse fat with just flab, which is usually from poor muscle tone. In those rare individuals where I feel they are a good candidate for buttock liposuction, I stay deep (as this is an area prone to dimpling) and define the buttock being careful not to flatten it. When it is done properly on the right candidate, the buttocks will simply look smaller and slightly lifted due to decreased weight.

Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Calves / Ankles

This is one of the more challenging areas to do as the surgeon must shape the whole lower leg, essentially all the way around from the knee to the ankle, to achieve a well-shaped contour. Many less-experienced surgeons avoid this area. Like other areas, I feel that where one places the incision points are crucial to a great result. The only way I have found it was possible to be consistently complete without jabbing the skin from underneath was to place two upper incision points toward the posterior lateral, knee and two lower incision points toward the lateral ankle.

Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Arms

A gravitationally prone area like the back, the posterior upper arms tend to become flabby and drop if there is fullness. For this reason, I try to encourage women to do liposuction earlier, as opposed to later in their lives, if there is disproportion in this area. By reducing the amount of the fat in the area and getting skin tightening with proper technique the posterior upper arms stay tighter and more defined as time passes. This is important not only in the short term, but even more so in the long term, because an arm lift almost always leads to an unattractive scar.

Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Back

This gravitationally prone area is a wonderful area to do if there is fullness. The skin is thick and prone to drooping, so I usually liposuction the mid and upper back as a unit. This is one area where the spatula cannula is used to scrape the dermis from underneath to get maximum skin tightening and lifting. The degree of skin tightening achieved is a blessing because there is no ‘back lift’ or back tuck.

Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Abdomen

Another gravitational prone area, where I approach is the abdomen in one of two ways.

1. Central Abdomen - The upper and lower abdomen are done as a unit. In many individuals, if only the lower abdomen is done, the upper abdomen will not tighten from the liposuction and gets looser with time. When the entire area is done as a unit, not only does it blend well, but it a stays tight and firm. The central abdomen is prone to irregularities if not done well. Common mistakes are poking the skin with the cannula from underneath, which causes dimpling. Another mistake is being overly aggressive in individuals with poorer skin elasticity, causing loose, sagging skin. I find that I am able to still get a perfectly smooth result and achieve skin tightening in patients with poorer elasticity by having a lot of respect for the skin. In these patients, I recommend staying deeper in the fat layer and generally being more conservative. In all patients, I always crisscross the tunnels from either two or four directions, then finishes with a very small spatula cannula for a smooth skin surface. It is great mistake to approach the abdomen from only one access point. This will increase the risk of irregularities and leave a doughnut of fat around the belly button.
   
   
2. Upper, Lower Abdomen, Waist and Flanks - The other half of patients that I perform liposuction on in these areas have the abdomen done all the way around, as these individuals waists essentially need to be more defined.

Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Flanks

Also known as the love handles, this is an area that is gravitationally prone where liposuction can be done as a preventative measure. The flanks or love handles are the most common problem area in men. This is a relatively straight forward area to do, as it is usually well-defined with good skin elasticity. It is a very important area to be treated preventatively as this area sits at the bottom of the back. Over time, this area can begin to bulge out over the jeans or waistband because of the weight of the back skin and muscle. This is an area where through liposuction I can create a sheet of fibrous tissue under the skin that causes tightening and pull back of the skin. This fibrous tissue keeps the area tight in the future.

Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Hips

This area lies just below the flanks toward the upper, outer area of the buttock. In most women, it transitions into the flank area. I usually do the hip-flank as one unit in patients with disproportionate fullness. The hip-flank mound makes the buttock look square or boxy and takes away from the nice feminine contour between the waist and the buttocks. This area, as well as the outer thighs and saddlebags regions; are the most important areas to shape properly and result in a rounder, more well-defined buttock.

Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Inner Thighs

This is a gravitationally prone-liposuction procedure and another very common problem area for women. Unfortunately, this area is also more prone to irregularities if not done properly. The skin of the inner thighs is much thinner and if the surgeon does not have respect for the elasticity of the skin in this area, irregularities will result. It is important not to be aggressive by poking or jabbing the skin with the cannula. Also, proper patient positioning is crucial to ensure a natural result. Some patients only need the upper, inner thighs done. But, in others, it is important to contour the whole inner thigh down to the medial knee to obtain a natural, well proportioned result.

Liposuction - Learn About Each Area - Outer Thighs

Also known as saddle bags, this is probably the most common problem area for woman. This area defines a woman's width in her lower half. Even small differences in the outer thighs can make a great improvement to a woman's silhouette. When done properly this area gives a smaller, rounder shape to the buttocks. I can choose to remove more fat in this area, because the skin is thicker. Technique-wise, it is important to approach this area vertically; otherwise horizontal bands can result and cause a rippling look to the skin. The surgeon must be careful to not be overly aggressive otherwise a "masculinized" or scooped shape can result. It is extremely important to pay attention to symmetry in this area, as it defines the outer silhouette.