Liposuction

Liposuction is a popular operation in plastic surgery which removes fat from certain places of the human body (typically abdomen, thighs, buttocks) by liquefying it and removing it through a hollow needle. In some cases, more extreme measures, such as abdominoplasty, may be needed.

While exercise and dieting may be useful for ridding oneself of unwanted weight and fat, some fat deposits may not respond to an individual's efforts at weight loss. Applying liposuction techniques may be an option in these situations. Liposuction is not a low-effort alternative to exercise and diet. Liposuction can be painful, expensive, and like all surgery carries certain health risks. Also, liposuction is mainly a form of body contouring and not a weight loss method.

The amount of fat removed varies by doctor, method and patient, however, the average amount is typically less than 10 pounds (5 kg). There is some blood loss during liposuction and this limits the amount of fat that can be safely removed. Ultimately, the operating physician and the patient make the decision. Reports of people removing 50 pounds (25 kg) of fat are highly exaggerated, however, because the contouring possible with liposuction may cause the appearance of weight loss to be greater than the actual amount of fat removed.