Liposuction

LiposuctionLiposuction, also known as suction-assisted lipectomy, is a body-contouring procedure that removes localised deposits of fat. No matter how much some people exercise, they simply cannot shift weight from certain areas of their body. The goal of liposuction is to create beautiful and harmonious contours.

The areas that are commonly treated are the 'love-handles', 'saddlebags', upper and lower abdomen, thighs, inner knees, calves, ankles and double-chin. Liposuction is also used to correct enlarged male breasts, known as gynaecomastia.

Some patients undergo liposuction to multiple areas at one operation to achieve a more proportioned overall shape.

Am I A Good Candidate For Liposuction?

The best candidates for liposuction are those;

• Who are healthy but have localised deposits of excess fat
• Whose weight has not changed significantly during the last 6 months
• Who do not have a medical condition that could impede healing
• Who do not smoke
• Have realistic expectations of the results and willing to follow all pre-op and post-op instructions

What Will Liposuction Not Do?

While liposuction can sculpt the body, it is not a treatment for obesity and does not replace regular exercise and a healthy diet. However, after removal of diet and exercise-resistant fat, many patients are inspired to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Liposuction cannot stop future weight gain and the improvement in body contour may be lost if there is significant weight gain.

Traditional liposuction involves removal of excess subcutaneous fat through a very narrow hollow tube, known as a cannula. With each pass of the cannula, fat is removed leaving behind a 'tunnel'. The intervening connective tissue and blood vessels are left intact, resembling a 3-dimensional lattice. As the overlying skin is no longer supported by the fat, it flattens to produce the slimmer contour.

Mr Karri performs both tumescent power-assisted (Microaire) liposuction and water-assisted (Bodyjet) liposuction. With tumescent liposuction, saline solution containing local anaesthetic and adrenaline is first injected into the fat. This serves to soften the fat and the adrenaline minimises bleeding and bruising by constricting small blood vessels. With water-assisted liposuction, the fat is loosened by a jet of fluid (similar to tumescent liposuction fluid) emitted from the end of the cannula. This allows for less bruising and better real-time evaluation of the treated area.

Mr Karri has extensive experience with both techniques and will advise which one is best for you.

Fat removed with water-assisted liposuction is less traumatised compared with other techniques, and is ideally suited for transfer to other areas of the body. The face and breasts are two areas that Mr Karri commonly augments with fat.

After liposuction, you will be required to wear a compression garment which helps minimise swelling and facilitate skin tightening. It is important the compression garment is worn as instructed to ensure the skin over the liposuctioned area adheres tightly and smoothly. You can shower 72 hours after surgery.

Some swelling and bruising is expected and settles over several weeks. The swelling is usually gone by 6-12 weeks. The final result will not be apparent until a number of weeks have passed.

Prior to surgery, Mr Karri and his team will give you detailed aftercare instructions. This will include how to care for the incisions, pain relief and when you may resume normal activity.

Risks of liposuction

Complications following liposuction depend on numerous factors such as skin quality, general health and smoking history. Mr Karri will explain how risks apply to you and will send you detailed pre-operative instructions to minimise these risks.

Over-correction / under-correction

Asymmetry

Bruising and swelling

Skin laxity

Irregularities

Infection

Collection of fluid (seroma)

Blood clots (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism)

Water-Assisted (Bodyjet) Liposuction

Water-assisted liposuction (WAL) is a technology that uses the power of water to dislodge and remove fat cells from the body. Removal of the fat cells is permanent, resulting in an improved contour. Water-assisted liposuction is gentler than the traditional liposuction techniques, as there is minimal trauma to the tissue supporting the fat, such as blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue septae. As there is less trauma to supporting tissue, patients can benefit from less bruising, swelling and quicker recovery.

One of the great features of WAL is that the jet of water contains local anaesthetic. This allows a treated area to be made numb and fat removed simultaneously. The treated area does not require infiltration with a large volume of anaesthetic solution as in tumescent liposuction. This means there is less swelling and Mr Karri can accurately contour an area.

Another benefit of WAL is the gentle manner in which the fat is removed. The harvested fat is less traumatised and therefore ideally suited for fat grafting.

Medically reviewed by

Mr Vasu Karri

BSc(Hons), MBBS, MRCS, MSc, FRCS(Plast)
Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Last updated 30th September 2026

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Breast Fat Grafting

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