Liposuction as Part of Plastic Surgery

Depending on whether you believe the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), liposuction is either the most popular or the second most popular form of plastic surgery, after breast augmentation. What makes liposuction so popular? Liposuction is popular because it targets the fundamental elements of the aesthetic form of the body, making it both effective and universally applicable.

The Rare Human Body

The human body has a number of unusual features. Not only does it feature the commonly- praised large brain and the opposable thumb that are ostensibly responsible for our evolutionary rise from animals to civilized beings, but it has another less commonly praised anomalous structure: a layer of subcutaneous fat which is currently shared by only one other class of terrestrial mammals: pigs. This layer of fat, partly responsible for the wick effect that is behind so-called "Spontaneous Human Combustion," is shared by many aquatic mammals (although in them it is called "blubber"), leading some evolutionary theorists to postulate for an aquatic phase in human evolution that would also account for the relative hairlessness of the human body.

However, despite the oft-touted affinity of the human baby for water, it is more likely that the subcutaneous layer of fat has another purpose in common with hairlessness: it is aesthetic in purpose. The subcutaneous layer of fat gives shape and softness to the human body, a cushion for the visible and tactile surface that makes humans attractive to one another. Because this subcutaneous layer of fat is specifically there to make us look good, liposuction, which targets this layer of fat, becomes a key element in what is known as body contouring, the shaping of the body. In liposuction, a narrow tube, or cannula, is inserted into the fat layer, then suction is used to remove fat through the tube.

Universal Applicability

Nearly every cosmetic surgical procedure that is performed today can be enhanced or accented with the use of liposuction. In the face, a facelift or necklift can either be enhanced or even replaced with a liposuction, which can provide proper definition for a neck area in which fat has accumulated, leading to a poor definition of the jawline and chin. The aesthetic effect of a breast augmentation can be enhanced by the reduction of fat deposits in the abdominal area, and any tummy tuck procedure would most likely provide incomplete results without some measure of liposuction. Liposuction can be used on the arms, the legs, the upper and lower back, the flanks, virtually everywhere. The majority of cosmetic surgeons will not use it on a woman's breasts, although they do use it for the reduction of swollen breasts (Gynecomastia) in men.

Diverse Techniques

Liposuction is also not a single, unified field of practice. There are many different forms of liposuction available, including:

· Traditional liposuction, which is performed as above

· Tumescent liposuction, in which the area to be treated is injected with a high amount of fluid intended to make the procedure more effective with less ancillary tissue damage

· Power-assisted liposuction, in which a moving gouge on the end of the cannula breaks up the fatty tissue, making the procedure faster

· Ultrasonic liposuction, in which ultrasound is used to cause the fat cells to burst, ideally removing fat preferentially without doing too much damage to surrounding tissues

· Laser-assisted liposuction, in which a laser is used to burst fat cells during suction

All these liposuction techniques are designed to perform some parts of the liposuction process better, whether the removal of fat, or the minimizing of damage to surrounding tissues, or the speed of the procedure. While all liposuction will lead to you experiencing some pain and needing downtime for recovery, the type of procedure and your doctor's technique can make a big difference in the area. Before working with any plastic surgeon, talk to former patients about their experience in terms of not only the effectiveness of the procedure (which can be seen in before and after pictures), but also about the patients' experiences with the doctor and with recovery.