Liposuction was introduced into the United States in 1983 following its inception in Italy, and its refinement in France. Two of our group were privileged to hear some of the original presentations on liposuction in early 1983 and were fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to learn the technique that same year. In the intervening 15 years we have performed many liposuction procedures on various parts of the body with a high degree of patient satisfaction.The amazing reason that liposuction is effective is that by the time a person reaches puberty they have all of the fat cells that they will ever have. Through tiny incisions in hidden body creases, in a very precise manner with small instruments that are rarely larger than 4 mm in diameter, these fat deposits are extracted in an orderly fashion. Once removed the fat cells never return. Fat distribution on the human body is genetically predisposed and therefore the definition of the ideal candidate for liposuction has not changed over the past 15 years. The ideal candidate is that person who desires removal of fat deposits that diet and exercise will not remove. If one has seen a demonstration on television, it often gives a false impression of how precise the operation must be. It is, in essence, a body sculpture and must be performed with a high degree of skill and accuracy by an experienced surgeon. Our group chooses to perform liposuction in a sterile operating room environment and virtually always as an outpatient.

A word should be said about ultrasonic assisted liposuction. One of our group traveled to Europe learning this technique from the European plastic surgeons, and at present we are all trained in the use of ultrasonic liposculpture. Ultrasonic liposculpture is not a replacement for the traditional safe tumescent liposuction but rather an enhancement to be used in selected cases.

It should be emphasized that liposuction is not a weight loss technique, since a quart of fat only weighs slightly more than 2 pounds. It is a body contouring procedure which over these 15 years has evolved into not only the most popular but also one of the safest cosmetic surgical procedures performed when done by an experienced surgeon. Our group has remained on the cutting edge of technology and has extensive experience in all aspects of liposuction. One of our experienced staff would be happy to answer any more specific questions.