Liposuction of the Body

There is no area across the broad expanse of all of plastic surgery that is more popular, more appealing, more sought after, and more satisfying than liposuction.

Patients who see me in consultation are to varying degrees profoundly discouraged by their contours, shape, silhouette, and size. They have commonly tried all sorts of diet and exercise programs with limited success. I understand how these features can be so undermining to one’s confidence, self-esteem, and activity level, and I would love to be able to treat this issue for you once and for all.

The presenting fundamental features and complaints for liposuction are mostly similar but vary in great degree. I see patients wanting removal of fat and smaller contour or better shape in virtually any area where there is present superficial fat (that is, fat just beneath the skin). They all desire to fit better in clothing, wear smaller clothes, tuck in shirts, and look better in swimsuits. What is different is how much fat; some patients have quite a lot and others not too much, and there are all stages in between. So my standard success in liposuction is critically dependent on careful patient selection, managing expectations, thorough evaluation, systematic preparation, and very precise surgery. The way liposuction works is completely related to the ability of the skin to shrink and contract down around the reduced fatty [liposuctioned] framework. Once the fat is removed, it does not grow back, and you can expect the result for the rest of your life. I do things before and after the surgery to enhance this contraction process. Since this fatty area and all of its contents are essentially on the surface of the body, the area is not closely related to muscle, tendon, bones, or other vital structures that hurt, so the recovery is quite comfortable. Surgery involves infusion of a dilute anesthetic into the tissues (tumescent anesthesia) combined with a light general anesthetic and is performed where I do surgery, which is in a hospital setting with an MD anesthesiologist. The surgery is safe and predictable. There will be very mild swelling and almost no bruising after surgery. There are only a few stitches, and you can return to work in as little as one to two days and to some physical exercise in the first week. The areas I treat with liposuction are:

• Face and Neck: Please see the Liposuction—Face and Neck section for more information on this procedure.
• Chest and Breast: Liposuction works well for both breast reduction in women and chest reduction in men. See the Breast Reduction with Liposuction and Gynecomastia sections for more information on each of these.
• Arms: This can be done in all areas from the wrist up.
• Folds in Front/Rear Armpits (Axillae): These are the annoying pockets of fat that may be just above the breast and bra or in the back of the axilla in women. Men get these too.
• Abdomen: This is the entire area from the chest to the pubis.
• Hips: This is the area all around the waist from the abdomen edges to the spine.
• Back: These are the rolls under the bra straps in women. Men get these too.
• Pubis: This can be reduced.
• Thighs: I divide this into front, back, inner, and outer. All of these areas can be done.
• Knees: This includes the inner knees, but also some fat that can appear in a horseshoe shape above or below the kneecap.
• Legs: This is usually for thick ankles, but I can treat all the way from the knees down.
• Feet: Yes, I have seen some weird fatty accumulations on the dorsum of feet that I have treated.

Liposuction of the above areas is very common in my practice. I have performed thousands of these procedures with consistently beautiful and natural results. I have special expertise in this procedure, and I spend a great deal of time discussing your anatomy, listening to your expectations, and interpreting for you what your anatomy and body will safely and predictably allow me to do. In addition I build a system into every surgery that, initially, allows you to recover much more quickly and, secondly, preserves your surgical results. This system includes a special diet, vitamins, supplements, skin products, physical training, and knowing what to avoid. Together all of this allows me to create results that are consistently very beautiful, quick to heal, and exceptionally natural. I use minimal incisions. I am delighted to surgically provide you with such a profound body-image change, one that has so consistently pleased my male patients and changed their lives.

PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES to read a very technical and informative article by Dr. Romano on liposuction in the Educational Articles section of the website. Please also view his video on ultrasonic liposuction in the Videos section of the website.