Liposuction surgery requires a skilled surgeon for successful body sculpting. The procedure demands total attention to detail from the surgeon and meticulous care for the patient. The utmost care must be taken by the patient when choosing a doctor to perform the liposuction surgery.

The most common choice of liposuction surgery by women is first the outer thigh area, followed closely by the abdomen area. For men, the most common request for liposuction surgery is the flank area or the "love handle" region. Some other areas of choice for surgery include hips, face, neck, sides of the knees and the lower leg area.

Liposuction surgery will aid in the removal of fat that has proven stubborn to diet and exercise. It should be noted that liposuction surgery should not be promoted weight control treatment or obesity. It cannot remove stretch marks or reduce cellulite.

There are limitations to the extent of fat the liposuction surgery can remove. Generally, no more than 3 liters can safely be removed from one area. It may not be healthy to remove as much fat as desired.

It is important to have open communication with the surgeon performing the liposuction surgery. There are some key items that will need to be discussed prior to the surgery date. Before surgery, patients need to be sure to stop taking the contraceptive pill at least six weeks prior to surgery. It is also recommended that patients give up smoking and stop taking aspirin prior to the surgery date.

Liposuction surgery most often takes place under a general anesthetic. The patient will be asleep throughout the entire procedure and will not feel any pain. There are some kinds of liposuction performed under a local anesthetic that will numb the area to be worked on.

After the operation, patients are given pain killers to lessen any discomfort as the anesthetic wears off. The doctor and nurses will offer assistance in various deep breathing exercises that will help reduce chest infections. The nurses will also give instructions regarding caring for stitches, keeping the liposuction surgery area clean and bathing techniques.

For some patients, it may be several months before full results are realized. Swelling from the liposuction surgery can take quite a long to go away. Patients that come into the liposuction surgery with good skin elasticity to start with generally recover at a better pace.