A guide to liposuction

What is liposuction?

Liposuction is a procedure designed to remove deposits of fat from the body to help the patient achieve a more sculpted and improved shape.

How to choose a liposuction surgeon?

The best results from liposuction often come from choosing an expert surgeon. We advise anyone considering liposuction to fully research surgeons to find one that not only will perform liposuction safely but also help you achieve the results that you desire. You should be looking for their qualifications, ask how many procedures they have performed, ask about their commonly performed areas and ask to see their before and after photos and seek out patients that have a similar ‘before’ body to you to see what results to expect.

Who is suitable for liposuction?

Liposuction is suitable for both male and female patients who want to reduce the appearance of stubborn areas of fat. Ideally, patients should be close to their ideal weight as although liposuction does remove fat, it is not designed to be a weight loss method.
Patients considering liposuction should also have good skin elasticity in order for the skin to contract to the new contours of the body once the fat is removed. For patients with large areas of sagging skin especially after weight loss, a tummy tuck or body lift procedure may be more suitable.

For other patients who may decide Liposuction is not for them, we offer CoolSculpting at our clinics in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Northampton, London Marylebone and Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire.

CoolSculpting is a non-surgical fat reduction treatment that uses controlled cooling to target fat cells in the areas being treated which once frozen, the body will then naturally process and remove from the body. To find out more, book a free consultation at a clinic near you.

What are the Different types of liposuction?

There is a huge variety of different liposuction treatment and techniques out there to choose from. The main differences between them are the technology used to assist with the fat removal process. Different surgeons may favour one technique over another but which one gives the best results often purely comes down to the expertise of the surgeon performing it.
At The Private Clinic we offer;

• Surgical Liposuction – Surgical liposuction is also referred to as liposculpture, suction-assisted lipectomy and traditional liposuction as it was one of the first techniques used for liposuction. Surgical liposuction uses a suction technique to remove fat from the body. It can be performed at the same time as a tummy tuck for example which would be a Brazilian Tummy Tuck.
• Vaser Liposuction – Vaser liposuction is one of our most commonly performed procedures. It uses ultrasound technology to liquefy the fat cells before they are then removed through a gentle suction process.
• Vaser Hi-Def Liposuction – Vaser Hi-Def is best for patients who want to achieve a more sculpted and athletic appearance to their body. The technique removes both superficial and deep fat surrounding the muscles to enhance the visibility of the underlying muscles.
• Vaser Mid-Def Liposuction – The Vaser Mid-Def technique is midway between standard vaser liposuction and hi-def. It works to bring out a slight bit of definition and shadowing but with a much softer finish in comparison to vaser hi-def.
• Vaser 4D – Vaser 4d Liposculpt is an advanced form of vaser liposuction. The technique carefully removes fat whilst defining your underlying muscles and significantly improving your overall proportion.
• Vaser 360 – The Vaser 360 technique is best for patients who are having liposuction on their legs. The treatment targets the buttock crease, thighs, upper legs and knees for a full circumferential toned and firmer appearance to the legs.
• Micro Lipo – Micro lipo is a technique that can be used in the majority of the liposuction procedures mentioned above. Micro lipo refers to the size of the cannulas used to perform the procedure. For a procedure to be classified as micro lipo, the cannulas need to be within 0.9mm and 3mm wide.

Where can you have liposuction?

Liposuction can be performed in a variety of areas including the neck, chin, arms/bingo wings, male chest/gynecomastia, back, tummy/abdomen, male torso, flanks/love handles, buttocks crease / banana fold, hips, knees, ankles and the inner and outer thighs.
It is possible to treat more than one area at once although generally no more than 3 litres of fat should be removed within one session.

What does Liposuction involve?

Liposuction is performed in theatre either within the clinic you had your consultation at, or at a separate hospital. The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and most often with sedation so you should not feel any pain or discomfort throughout the procedure.

Small micro incisions will be made close to the areas that are being treated and in most cases, tumescent fluid will be injected to expand the tissue layer.

During vaser liposuction, a small probe will be inserted which will emit ultrasonic energy which will vibrate and selectively break apart the fatty tissue on contact.

Cannulas are then inserted and moved in a back and forth motion to remove the fat with a suction device.

Once the treatment is complete, bandages will be applied to the incisions and a compression garment will put on the areas treated on which will need to be worn 24 hours a day for the first 3 weeks following the procedure, and then for at least 6 hours a day for another 3 weeks.

In some cases, drains may be used to remove any pus, blood or other fluids from the wound. These will remain in place for up to 5 days before being removed by the surgeon or their nursing team in clinic.

Liposuction Aftercare

Every patient will heal differently and we encourage patients to slowly get back to their usual routines as soon as they feel fit to do so following surgery.

Overall, we usually advise patients to allow 2-3 weeks of general recovery for liposuction.

Patients should try to keep their activity levels up during the recovery of liposuction, for example, taking a daily walk to help to assist in the drainage of any fluid.

We also recommend MLD massage treatments or Body Ballancer to help aid your recovery which can be organised with your surgeon.

Exercise and other more strenuous activities, however, should be avoided for at least 4-6 weeks following surgery based on the advice of your surgeon.

Why choose The Private Clinic for Liposuction?

The Private Clinic’s Doctors have performed over 11,000 VASER Liposuction treatments to date, more than any other clinic in Europe.

Vaser Liposuction

• Mr Michael Mouzakis, M.D., MSc, GMC Number: 7237640
• Mr Giuseppe Di Taranto, MD, GMC Number: 7614248

Surgical Liposuction

• Mr Davood Fallahdar, BSc, MB ChB(Hons), MD FRCS(Plast), MicroSurg (Hons), ORL H&NSurg. GMC Number: 4686602
• Mr Roberto Uccellini, MD. GMC Number 7416337
• Mr Navid Jallali, BSc, MB ChB(Hons), MD FRCS, MicroSurg(Hons), ORL H&NSurg. GMC Number: 4686602
• Mr Dario Rochira, BS, MD. GMC Number: 6130664
• Mr Adel Fattah, FRCS(Plast). GMC Number: 4764599
• Ms Helena Antoniadou, MBBS, MD & Surg (Hons), FRCS (Eng), GMC Number: 3700956

The Private Clinic prides itself on ensuring you have the best quality and most comprehensive care:

• Consultations with your specialist surgeon and expert doctor.
• 24-hour patient helpline to ensure you are always in the best of hands.
• As many post-operative care and appointments with your surgeon, doctor and nursing team as required.
• One year cover for all surgical, hospital and nursing care, in case of any medical issue giving you peace of mind.
• Comprehensive patient information, every step of the way
• Highly accomplished surgeons and doctors who have years of experience in vaser liposuction.
• Outstanding hospital facilities.
• Competitively priced for our expertise and experience.
• With over 35 years’ experience of Cosmetic medical Excellence, you are in expert hands.
• Our excellent reputation for patient safety and satisfaction, honest advice and outstanding care means your journey with The Private Clinic will be an exciting experience to a newfound shape.
• View our before and after photo galleries on Liposuction and Vaser Liposuction
• View our patient stories
• View our extensive FAQs on Liposuction and Vaser Liposuction.

We are able to offer liposuction consultations at our clinics nationwide:

• Lipo clinic London Harley Street
• Lipo clinic Birmingham
• Lipo clinic Leeds*
• Lipo clinic Manchester*
• Lipo clinic Northampton

*Consultations with a patient coordinator only

To find out more about Liposuction at The Private Clinic call 0333 920 2471 or click here to use our liposuction online contact form to book an appointment.