Browse the site to learn more about liposuction, including abdominoplasty, arms and fat pads, and gynecomastia.
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Abdominal Liposuction Abdominal liposuction is the most common form of liposuction, and is especially popular among women whose stomachs have become bulging or disfigured after pregnancy or Caeserian-section complications. It is also popular among obese people with pendulum-like lower stomachs, as in this situation a tummy tuck isn’t possible. Helpful Liposuction Links: • About liposuction • The procedure • Types of liposuction • Liposuction results • Side effects • Recovery • Common treatments • Lipo terms Before undergoing abdominal liposuction, patients should note that abdominal fat occurs in two different levels: superficial and deep. Superficial abdominal fat is located just below the skin and above the abdominal muscles. The deep abdominal fat is located inside the abdominal cavity on the intestines. Removing superficial fat is perfectly safe; removing intestinal fat is dangerous, and no surgeon will do it. Fat on the intestines can only be diminished by weight loss through diet and exercise. Thus, if you have more deep fat than superficial fat, liposuction cannot remove all of the abdominal fat. Most patients have more superficial fat than intestinal fat, so they will see a good improvement with abdominal liposuction. Abdominoplasty This type of liposuction is more commonly known as a “tummy tuck.” A tummy tuck involves the removal of excess fat and skin from the abdomen and tightening the abdominal muscles. Usually, excess tummy fat can be removed through tumescent liposuction. However, patients for whom this procedure is not successful often opt for a tummy tuck. Several surgical steps comprise the tummy-tuck. First, the subcutaneous (superficial) fat is removed by liposuction or excision with a scalpel. Next, the surgeon removes a large piece of skin from the lower abdomen just above the pubic area. Then, the surgeon uses sutures, or stitches, to tighten the abdominal muscles. Finally, the large wound where the skin was excised is closed with staples or sutures.
If you and your surgeon agree that a tummy tuck is the best solution for you, do the abdominal liposuction first, then the tummy tuck in a separate procedure. Gynecomastia Liposuction can relieve gynecomastia, or excessive “breasts” in men. This procedure involves removing as much fat as possible from this area without causing any damage to the surrounding skin or muscles. Male patients with excessive fat in their breasts can expect significant improvement with tumescent liposuction. The normal male breast contains both adipose (fat) tissue and fibrous glandular tissue. True breast tissue in males is typically a small, localized mass under the nipple, firmer than the surrounding fatty tissue. Fatty breast tissue can be easily removed by liposuction; glandular tissue poses a challenge. A mammogram can help the surgeon determine how much of each tissue the patient has. Pseudo-gynecomastia is an enlargement of male breast(s) caused by an excessive amount of fat tissue, but a normal amount of glandular breast tissue. Most male breasts that appear unusually large are the result of excessive fat in the region. A slight but aesthetically undesirable degree of pseudo-gynecomastia occurs in a large number of men as they grow older. Excessive breasts are also common in obese or overweight younger men. True gynecomastiais an enlargement of male breast(s) caused by an excessive amount of glandular breast tissue, usually caused by alcoholism, medications, or failure of the testicles to produce sufficient amounts of the hormone testosterone. Liposuctionis most effective for pseudo-gynecomastia. For true gynecomastia, the breast tissue is dense, fibrous and difficult to penetrate and remove with a liposuction cannula. Microcannulas are effective in removing both breast tissue and fatty tissue from the normal male breast. Exceptionally dense glandular breast tissue may require surgical removal using a scalpel followed by a closure using stitches. Breast reduction for women Women who have unusually large breasts that pose medical and/or aesthetic complications may wish to reduce their breasts with tumescent liposuction. Liposuction typically reduces the breast size by 35-45%. Because it removes fat and reduces the weight of the breasts, liposuction allows for the natural elasticity of the breasts. The result is a nice “lift” for the breasts. This procedure is known to offer very rapid recovery; patients can return to work in one to three days. Arm Liposuction Liposuction of the arms is almost exclusively a procedure for women. For women, exercise alone is not enough to reduce the volume of fat on the arms. Microcannular tumescent liposuction of female arms easily and consistently yields satisfying, well-proportioned results—and no visible surgical scars.
“Fat Pads” Liposuction can remove the anterior axillary fat pads, clusters of fat on the chest just in front of the armpit. These can occur in any woman, no matter what her weight. Tight clothing can cause these fat pads to bulge unattractively. These fat pads can be eliminated by tumescent liposuction using microcannulas. Liposuction can also remove the posterior axillary fat pads, located just behind the armpit on the side of the back. For convenience purposes, fat pads are often treated at the same time as the arms. Anterior axillary, and posterior axillary areas require absorptive padding for only one to two days. The absorptive pads are best held in place with a torso compression garment. Liposuction of the Buttocks Note that liposuction will not “lift” the buttocks to any noticeable degree. A skilled surgeon can remove fat uniformly from throughout the buttocks, reducing the overall weight of the buttocks. By removing some of the weight of the buttock, the natural elasticity of the buttocks can sometimes produce a slight elevation. There is usually very little elevation in older patients whose skin has lost some of its youthful elastic qualities. Liposuction in this general area involves the submental (below the jaw) chin, the jowls, and a small area of the cheeks. The submental chin includes the area below the margin of the jaw, and extends onto the front of the neck. An inherited localized collection of excess fat beneath the chin, sometimes referred to as a “double chin,” can give a chubby, older appearance. Similar problems can result from too much subcutaneous fat in the cheeks. This type of fat deposit is usually results from an inherited tendency that is resistant to exercise and diet. Jowls represent a small accumulation of fat on the lower cheek overlying the jaw bone. Prominent jowls give an older appearance. Liposuction is usually the simplest, safest, and least expensive way to treat all of these cosmetic problems. Platysma Bands Platysma bands are prominent vertical folds of skin on the front of the neck. These folds develop in older men and women. In addition to fat, platysma bands contain loose folds of superficial muscles. Tumescent liposuction can improve the appearance of platysma bands. The platysma muscles can also be tightened at the time of liposuction by making a tiny incision under the chin and using sutures to tie the muscles together. The Flanks The male flanks, more commonly known as love handles, are found just above the hip bone crest. The male flanks are a localized accumulation of fat that bulges over the belt-line in an aesthetically unpleasant fashion, especially when the male is wearing tight pants and/or a belt. The love handles are even more apparent when viewed from behind, as most of the fat tends to accumulate towards the back. The female flanksconsist of the area of the below the bra strap, the back below the shoulder blades. This area in the female is a common target for liposuction in overweight women, but poses little concern for men. Note that treatment of the male “love handles” works best when the patient is lying on his side. Thus, it is advisable to use local anesthesia for the procedure, since general anesthesia requires the patient to lie on his or her back for safety purposes. If you have any questions about liposuction please don't hesitate to contact us.
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Many women opt for liposuction to remove “hanging skin,” the pendulous drooping flap of the skin hanging from a fat arm when it is held in a horizontal position. To remove this, it is necessary to do liposuction around almost the entire arm; treating the back of the arm is not enough.
Some cushioning on the buttocks is necessary; it keeps us comfortable when sitting on hard surfaces. However, too much cushioning can create an unpleasant, embarrassing appearance and make shopping for jeans a challenge. With tumescent liposuction of the buttocks, the patient can achieve a pleasant reduction in buttock size and “bulk.” The surgeon must strive for symmetry and avoid excessive fat removal. Because the buttocks are a rounded surface, it is difficult to achieve a smooth rounded result by liposuction using a large cannula with only one or two incisions. Large cannulas can lead to lumpy results. The smoothest results are achieved using microcannulas and multiple tiny incisions that leave virtually no visible scars. 
