Fact and fiction about liposuction Liposuction enables the surgeon to remove areas of fat that you have not been able to shift with diet and exercise, so called “storage fat” areas. It is probably the most misunderstood operation within the field of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery , since a lot of patients still view liposuction as a replacement for exercise and weight loss. Where is liposuction effective ? Liposuction can done on your abdomen, hips, thighs, inside of the knees, ankles, upper arms, neck and back. These are all possible areas, regarding patient happiness and effectivity of the procedure probably love handles, outer thighs and lower abdomen are the favourites Where is it less effective ? I wouldn´t say less effective, but problematic are especially the inner thighs and inner arms, because patients have to understand that there is an imminent risk of saggy skin in these areas, should too much fat be removed. I would also report certain limitations in the area of the ankles ,and calves, where liposuction can absolutely be beneficial, but gross fat deposits ar fairly uncommon. How much fat can be removed ? There are safety limits regarding the maximum amount of liposuction. There are different formulas to calculate this, depending on your body weight. This would have to be discussed individually, just bear in mind you cannot push it endlessly. Will removed fat come back ? This is a tricky question. Your body won’t replace the fat cells that are removed, so you should have a long-lasting change in your body shape, especially if you exercise, eat a healthy diet, and maintain a healthy weight after your operation. However, other fat cells can enlarge enormously, so the burden of responsibility for your lifestyle cannot be taken of your shoulders. How long do I have to stay in hospital ? Most liposuction cases can be done as a day case, but this will of course depend on the amount of fat removed. There are no clear guidelines by Spanish health authorities, Healthcare commission guidelines seem to suggest that the limit for a day case is in the area of two litres. What are the complications ? Generally, the larger the amount of fat removed the higher the incidence of small irregularities that may require a small touch up to perfectionise the result. Like in any operation, infection is always a possibility, in very large liposuctions systemic complications like embolism and thrombosis have to be taken into account. There might be drainage of irrigation fluid for a few days after the operation from the stab incisions, which is normal and normally ceases quickly.