Liposuction: Principles and Techniques

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure to remove unwanted fat, which may be performed under local or general anesthesia. It requires three-dimensional (3D) understanding of the anatomy, of the adipose tissue, precision, skill, and artistry that is attained only with hands-on experience. There are many terms used to refer to this procedure, such as suction-assisted lipectomy, suction lipoplasty, liposculpting, and liposculpture. The concept of liposuction, suctioning out unwanted fat, traces its origins back to the early 1900s, but it was not until the 1970s that Illouz really popularized liposuction as we know it today (Table 4.1) [1, 2]. With the constantly growing worldwide body mass index (BMI), and given the fact that aside from using implants, fat contouring is the only way to really sculpt the body, it is not surprising that liposuction continues to grow and slowly become a major component, or an add-on to most procedures cosmetic plastic surgeons perform today. It is the second most common surgical procedures performed by board-certified plastic surgeons in the USA and is performed by 92% of all plastic surgeons. Overall, 289,261 liposuction procedures were performed by ASAPS member surgeons in 2018 [10]. If we add to it liposuctions performed by dermatologists and other cosmetic physicians, liposuction is likely the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure worldwide. These numbers as evidenced by the last decade will only continue to increase every year.