Liposuction is the removal of localised unwanted lumps and bulges of fat by the use of thin straw like metal tubes, called cannulaes. In women and men, these localised fat deposits may be formed virtually anywhere on the body but are more commonly deposited on the abdomen, hips, flanks, inner and outer thighs, knees and chin. In men a condition called gynaecomastia (localised fatty breast enlargement -see below) is commonly encountered.

These cannulaes are placed into the body fat through small incisions. A vacuum is subsequently applied through a hose attached to the cannula and the fat is drawn out of the body. Liposuction is not an alternative to weight loss and exercise, but a means of resculpting the body into a slimmer profile by removing the fat not responsive to the most diligent efforts. It is currently the only available method for removing fat cells in certain areas.

Though liposuction is a relatively new form of cosmetic surgery, it has nevertheless become the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure. Dr. Giorgio Fischer, a gynaecologist infact, first devised liposuction in 1974 in Rome, Italy. It was taken to Paris by Dr. Illouz a Plastic Surgeon in 1978 and subsequently popularised. Since this time it has undergone a number of refinements, including the development of smaller finer cannulaes, the advent of tumescent liposuction and, newer forms of liposuction including Ultrasonic and Power assisted and laser assisted liposuction.

Only a consultation will be able to determine if you are an acceptable candidate for a liposuction procedure. A consultation preoperatively accomplishes several objectives. A thorough medical history and appropriate physical examination will be taken to ascertain your health status. If you are a smoker you will be asked to stop smoking well in advance of surgery. Smoking seriously constricts blood vessels and therefore decreases blood flow to a given area resulting in poor healing.  Aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory drugs and other medications (discussed in DO'& DON'TS section) can cause increased bleeding, so you must avoid these.
Determining your suitability will partly be defined by the quality of your skin. In most cases the skin being a dynamic organ, is able to shrink and reaccomodate to the new body contour after liposuction. In the some cases however, patients may have decreased skin elasticity as witnessed by loose, hanging, or crepey skin in the affected area. In these cases liposuction alone will not produce the desired result and you may therefore require some form of skin removal/reduction instead (i.e. tummy tuck) or perhaps in combination with liposuction.
The best patients for liposuction are those individuals who are active and healthy, of average or near average weight(within 12-15% of their ideal weight), and have reasonably good skin tone and elasticity. Age by itself is not a significant factor and in fact patients from age 16 -65 have benefited from liposuction.

You should also understand that liposuction by itself will not improve the dimpled skin condition known as cellulite.

The most significant refinement in liposuction over the last decade has probably been the development of the Tumescent Technique, devised by Dr. Klein in the United States. The tumescent technique of liposuction involves the injection of relatively large volumes of a saline solution containing dilute local anaesthesia and adrenaline into the fatty tissues, thus forming a safety cushion on which the cannulas can slide. More importantly, these elements contribute to the loosening of bonds between the fatty cells, thereby facilitating their removal. As a result of the adrenaline there is a decrease in the bleeding from blood vessels thus allowing us to remove larger quantities of fat more safely. Less bleeding also means less bruising. The infiltration of large volumes of dilute anaesthesia also allows the procedure to be performed under local anaesthesia with or without sedation if desired.

More recently newer instruments have been approved and used. One of these is the new ultrasonic liposuction device. Since its inception, Ultrasonic liposuction has been changing rapidly and new news comes out every month. Some news is good; unfortunately some news is not so good. Ultrasonic means high pitched sound and this property has already been in use outside the operating room in "shaking things loose" as in the new ultrasonic toothbrushes. The ultrasonic principle is to loosen the fat so that the fat can be vacuumed out of the body faster than it might with other methods. Unfortunately as a result of the high frequency generated by these instruments(20,000Hz), the ultrasonic cannulaes used may overheat and there have been a number of reports of burns to patients. Recently ultrasonic cannulaes have, in inexperienced hands, even perforated patient's kidneys and gallbladders.

Ultrasonic liposuction also results in more seroma formation than other methods. Seromas are collections of fluid, which are made in the tissues as a response to injury.
Finally, the ultrasonic cannulae presently available are rather bulky and cumbersome and cannot be bent to customise the approach. On the plus side however there have been reports which say that it is better in removing fatty areas which have a high content of dense tissue as well(such as breast tissue in the male chest). Allegedly it is also safer in the removal of very large amounts of fat (20 litres plus!) because of less bleeding.

Finally, sufficient comparisons and follow-ups of more than 3 years are few in number. Thus proper long-term comparison with the already established and accepted methods of liposuction cannot be made as of yet. In light of the aforementioned qualities, side effects, and uncertainties, Mr. Karidis does not therefore offer this form of liposuction to his patients, despite having formally trained in the use of such equipment.

A newer technique has recently been developed over the last 2 years called  Power Assisted Lipoplasty(PAL) using the  Micro-Aire power handle. This we feel is the best of both worlds having all the benefits of Ultrasonic Liposuction without however the associated side effects. As a result Mr. Karidis is pleased to be able to offer this latest technology for the benefit of his patients.

The cannulaes used to remove the fat in this technique are of a conventional type. The difference lies with the Micro Aire power handle which  allows the cannulae to be mechanically as opposed to manually driven. The results are a vibrating cannulae with a frequency of about 100 times a second(much lower frequency and heat generation than the Ultrasonic device) which progresses through the fatty tissue which much more ease. In doing so, this also allows the surgeon to channel his efforts and concentration into sculpting the treated area much more reliably and efficiently, rather than expending his energy into manually pushing the cannulaes back and forth. This technique can be used to great benefit in all areas of the body. Power assisted Lipoplasty is especially of benefit in male patients who desire reduction of their chest. In these patients, the nature of their firm, dense breasts, makes the improved penetration of the Micro-aire power handle an asset.

In Mr. Karidis’s opinion, the Micro-aire power handle, being in use now for over 8 years, has now become the accepted and established standard in liposuction.

SmartLipo TM, is a laser-assisted lipolysis (fat destroying) procedure. This technique has received significant media attention as a popular ‘fat-melting' treatment with a celebrity following and claims to be a “lunch hour” lipo procedure with reduced pain and bruising.  
This procedure is performed with injections similar to the tumescent technique and involves the insertion of a fiber optic laser probe through very small incisions. This fiber optic laser light seems to “melt” only the yellow material in the body - the fat. After the fat is lasered, then amounts totaling up to about 500 cc (a little over 1 pint) of fat can usually be absorbed and naturally excreted as waste by the body. Although Laserlipolisis was not initially designed for higher volume applications, larger volumes of fat can be liquefied and suction aspirated in the traditional method, once the fat has been lasered. Occasional audible popping sounds are often heard during the procedure which can be disconcerting for any patient having it done under local anaesthesia. Although SmartLipo received FDA clearance in late 2006, alarm bells rang for many experts based on the recent publication of data from a prospective randomized study published in 2006 by Dr. Arturo Prado, MD, in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal that compared suction-assisted lipoplasty and laser-assisted lipoplasty. It showed that laser assisted lipoplasty (Smartlipo) was:
a) no more effective than traditional liposuction,
b) associated with an increased operative time,
c) slightly more costly.
Furthermore this study showed that it may present some risks to the liver and kidneys due to the way it releases free fatty acids when destroying the fat cells. This study did however show that the procedure was associated with somewhat less pain than the conventional liposuction.

Mr. Karidis’s opinion is that this procedure probably works best for small areas i.e. chin fat and that it is not suitable for larger areas of fat removal. He also feels  that we need to sit back and evaluate this new technology as scientists with more controlled trials and studies before we can wholeheartedly recommend it to patients. It remains to be seen if this technique establishes itself within the armamentarium of plastic surgeons.

The following is a description of the classic liposuction method utilising the tumescent technique.

To begin the operation a number of tiny incisions (about 3-4mm) are made in the skin in the areas to be treated. These slit incisions are made, when possible in inconspicuous places. Subsequently the areas are injected with the tumescent solution mentioned previously. The solution is then allowed to diffuse and take effect (about 10-15mins) throughout the target fat. As mentioned the solution will numb the areas as well as reduce bleeding by temporarily closing down the capillaries. The appropriate cannulaes are inserted into the fat, then through backward and forward stroking motions the fat is loosened and drawn off by a strong vacuum pump.

It is at this point that Power Assisted Lipoplasty (PAL) differs from the conventional. The back and forth motions mentioned, are much gentler and smoother because of the mechanical drive mechanism within the power handle. Since the fat is removed by suctioning small "tunnels" through the fat, the skin remains intimately connected to the underlying muscles by multiple attachments called fibrous septa. These can be described as being the body's "Velcro". It is this process and these structures, which assures that the skin will not hang in loose folds after Liposuction. The fat is removed by doing as little damage to the septa, which also contain blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels. For this fat to be removed without serious damage requires an excellent knowledge of the anatomy, an appreciation of body proportions and of course, surgical and mental stamina.

You'll lose some  fluid along with the fat during liposuction, therefore during the procedure it is normal practise for the anaesthetist to give intravenous fluids to replace those lost in the procedure.

Throughout this procedure Mr. Karidis is always conscious of leaving a smooth layered thin blanket of fat attached to the underside of the skin, in order to minimise the possibility of any irregularities or rippling of the skin.

Watch the procedure in Virtual 3d

Liposuction can be performed successfully either with a local anaesthetic alone, local anaesthesia with mild sedation (twilight anaesthesia) or with a General anaesthetic(completely asleep). If you decide to have it done with a local anaesthetic, you will probably feel some vibration and friction during the procedure. You may also occasionally feel a stinging sensation as the cannulae moves closer to the muscle. Obviously if you are put to sleep then you will not be aware of anything.

The decision very much depends on: the number of areas treated, the amount of fat to be removed, any pre-existing medical conditions or unique circumstances and of course the individual patients desires.

This depends on the number of areas treated and the amount of fat which will be removed. Therefore this can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

This very much depends on the number of areas treated and the amount of fat that is removed. It also depends on the individuals preference and circumstances. Some people prefer day surgery so that they can recover at home whilst others prefer the reassurance of a hospital environment on the first night following surgery. Certainly when small areas, with less that 1.5 litres of fat are removed, day surgery can comfortably be undertaken. When the amount of fat exceeds this, it may then be preferable to decide on an overnight stay.

The decision for this can be made at the time of the consultation visit.

It is important to understand that there is a maximum safe limit to the amount of fat that can be extracted during any one operation. This is usually between 2.5 - 3 litres. In some instances therefore you may want to repeat or have more removed at another time. It is usually best to wait at least three months between procedures.

The answer is very little. In fact in the first few weeks after surgery you may notice a slight increase in weight due to water retention. The reason that you don't lose much weight is because taking out up to 2.5 or even 3 litres of fat (which is the safe maximum limit) is not enough for you to see a significant drop in your weight. This is because fat cells don't actually weigh that much. On the other hand however, depending on the treated area of course, you will notice a significant decrease in girth measurements.

There are very few forms of surgery that are completely painless. Discomfort is a euphemism for pain and many doctors use these interchangeably. In the case of liposuction, the degrees of pain vary from patient to patient and area to area, but this can be controlled by pain killers, which will be prescribed. The initial pain lasts around 1 week however there may be residual soreness in the treated area, mainly upon palpation, for up to 4-5 weeks. Along with the soreness you may experience some stiffness which usually abates as your mobility increases.

The short answer to this is no. As fat cells have achieved their set number in any given part of the body by puberty, increased caloric intake will not lead to volume gains in the treated site. It is important therefore to maintain your weight afterwards by sensible eating and regular exercise.

However if you do put on excess calories after surgery, you will notice that other areas of your body may be then be affected. The only exception to this rule is if there is a massive weight gain. In this case new fat cells can be seen in the previously treated area.

After your surgery, depending on which area you've had treated, you will find that a snug elastic compression body stocking or garment will be in place. This must be worn over the treated area to control swelling and bleeding, and to help your skin shrink to fit your new contour. You will need to wear this garment compression continuously for one week (apart from taking it off for a shower) after surgery, then just in the daytime for a few weeks more.

For treatment of the abdominal region however application of a garment very much depends on how comfortable and snug the actual garment feels. The abdominal area is notoriously difficult to apply compression to, due to the lack of any underlying bony support. It certainly needs to be in place however  for the first 72 hours. After this time, it depends on the individual. If the garment feels comfortable and you feel it is providing you with support then wear it for 7-10 days, taking it off for showering. If however, it feels as though the garment is digging into your abdomen it may be preferable to loosen it or not wear it. Ill fitting garments may lead to the development of undesired folds in the skin, which subsequently harden and form ridges, and which can last up to 3 months.

Post Operative Instructions

After the surgery you will notice that you will be draining some fluid from your tiny incisions. This is because there is almost always some fluid build up (usually bloody) that develops in the treated area in the first 24-36 hours postoperatively. Your incision sites therefore will act as"drainage holes" in this instance and are therefore invaluable in reducing overall post operative swelling and bruising.
Drainage of the fluid is possible because, unlike traditional teaching, Mr. Karidis does not use stitches to close the small incisions. As the incisions are very small, these seal off and heal quite quickly on their own and the ensuing scar is no different, if not better, compared to the use of stitches. There is also the obvious advantage in that it negates the need for stitch removal. The down side of this practise is that during the first day or two, your dressings and clothing will usually get soaked quite quickly and therefore you will require regular changes. Thankfully all this usually stops by the end of the first 48 hours after surgery.

Despite wound drainage, you are still likely to experience swelling and bruising to varying degrees. Sometimes this bruising is quite spectacular. Bruising can take up to 3 weeks to disappear although very occasionally a light tinge of yellow can still be seen in the skin up to 2 months following treatment. Tissue swelling, while expected, can last up to 4 weeks. In fact because of this swelling you will probably not notice any change in your size immediately after surgery. It is important to remember that when the abdominal area is treated, the swelling and bruising can migrate downwards to the groin and genital region. In men this would mean substantial swelling, bruising and discomfort of the external genitalia. This usually lasts about 7-10 days, and one may benefit from the use of support underwear instead of boxer shorts, in this instance.

At around 2-3 weeks after surgery, you will discover that the areas treated will feel hard and irregular. This is part of the normal healing response. The body starts to lay down scar tissue (which is hard in nature) in response to surgery in an attempt to "heal" itself. This scar tissue can also block lymph drainage channels temporarily and occasionally cause the skin overlying the treated area to look dimpled or take on an "orange skin" appearance. Thankfully the scar build up ceases and eventually resolves completely, along with its manifestation. However this period of hardening and irregularity can take up to 4 months to resolve.

You will also experience sensory changes in the area treated. This may result in numbness of the skin or alternatively it may feel hypersensitive. Either way this is usually temporary and returns to normal in about 6-8 weeks.

Overall because of these effects, it's not unusual to feel depressed in the days or weeks following surgery. Try to keep in mind that this is normal and will subside as you begin to look and feel better.

Scars are not a complication but a normal event after any surgery. Depending on the area(s) needed to be treated, tiny scars about 3-4 mm in length will form. These are usually placed in natural folds of the skin where possible. Generally about 2-3 incisions are required for any given area.

Thankfully the scars in Liposuction are short and generally heal quite well, gradually  fading with time. However it is important to keep in mind that this may take up to two years to complete. If you are of a darker skin type however, then expect your scars to be darkly colored for a longer period of time (about 3 years). Daily massage of the scars during this time period is advised to expedite and facilitate this process. You must understand however that no responsible surgeon will ever be in a position to predict any scars ultimate appearance.

Broadly speaking there are currently two ways of achieving non surgical fat reduction. One involves the use of one of the external ultrasonic based systems (i.e. and ultrashape) which uses focused external ultrasound to target fat cells leading to their destruction and absorption.
In general these treatments require multiple sessions and are good for only smaller areas of fat removal. On the whole they do not lead to the impressive fat reductions as one sees with liposuction.

The other non-surgical treatment mainly involves the injections (lipolysis or fat busting injection) of small quantities of phosphatidylcholine -a cholesterol lowering drug- into the fat in order to produce a reduction of fat deposits. This technique has been used for a number of years now and although there are clinical reports of significant and positive results, they are all anecdotal, and unfortunately there is currently insufficient scientifically valid evidence to support the long term safety and efficacy of injection lipolysis. Furthermore currently in the UK the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) has banned the use of these injections pending further evidence of safety. Currently however a number of studies are underway which hopefully will provide the data needed to clarify some of the controversy and confusion surrounding this potentially beneficial treatment. The more we know, the better we will be able to educate and inform our patients, and recommend to them, with confidence, the safest and most effective treatments to provide them with the best results.

In general, the success of any body contouring technique, particularly the non-surgical ones,  requires selecting the right treatment for the right patient, and making sure the patient has realistic expectations

All surgery carries some uncertainty and risk. When liposuction is performed by a qualified Plastic Surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Still, individuals vary greatly in their anatomy, their physical reactions, and their healing abilities, and the outcome is never completely predictable.

Thus complications that can occur include thickened, deeply coloured or unattractive scars at the site of the small incisions; irregularities of contour or dimpling of the area treated; unevenness or asymmetry between sides; prolonged numbness and swelling; haematoma or seroma formation (a collection of blood and fluid under the skin that must usually be drained by the surgeon), and infections. In extremely rare cases, skin loss resulting in permanent scarring has been reported.

Risks such as blood and fat clots are rare. You will be asked to wear special stockings (TED) just prior to coming to theatre, to reduce this likelihood. Furthermore during your operation special pump devices (Flowtron) are wrapped around your calves to stimulate continued blood flow to this region and avoid any stagnation of blood which can lead to blood clots. Early mobilisation by moving around as soon after the surgery as possible also reduces this considerably.

Despite any surgeons best efforts, it is possible that a small number of patients  may require a  secondary tidy up procedure, usually after 9-12 months, to correct or improve any residual uneven contour or shape irregularity. This will be determined at the follow up checks.

You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's advice both before and after surgery.

The recovery time varies with how many areas are treated and the type of activity the patient intends to resume. It is important to realise that although only tiny incisions are made, liposuction creates a large wound hidden under the skin and therefore as healing is a gradual process, adequate rest in the days after surgery will be required. However you should start walking around as soon as possible to improve the circulation and avoid stagnation of blood which could lead to the formation of blood clots. Most patients resume light activities within 2-3 days and depending on their work can be back between 5 -7 days. However because of variations in swelling and bruising, sometimes this may be delayed up to 7 -10 days. Exercise is usually recommenced at about 10 -14 days.  Don't be depressed however if it takes you longer to resume your full activities. Remember every individual is different and great variations occur.

In accordance with the National Healthcare commission guidelines, according to the last five years (2002 -2006) of annual audit figures submitted to the Hospital of St. John and St. Elizabeth in London, Mr. Karidis performed on average 300 liposuction procedures per year. In the last 10 years he has performed over 3000 liposuction procedures.

Liposuction is the most popular aesthetic surgery procedure in Great Britain and the United States. It is a highly effective technique for giving you a new body contour with minimal scarring. The results can be permanent, providing you eat sensibly, exercise regularly, and maintain your weight. The chances are excellent that you'll be happy with your surgery, especially if you realise that the results may not be immediately apparent. Most patients are very satisfied with the results of their liposuction - they feel more comfortable in a wide variety of clothes and more at ease with their bodies. As long as your expectations are realistic, you should be happy with your new shape.