The concept of liposuction is surprisingly simple. Liposuction is a surgical technique that improves the body's contour by removing excess fat deposits located between the skin and muscle. Liposuction involves the use of a small stainless steel tube, called a cannula (from the Latin word for reed, tube, cane). The liposuction cannula, typically connected to a powerful suction pump, is inserted into the fat through small incisions in the skin, and fat is removed by suction as the cannula creates tiny tunnels through the fat. During the healing process after liposuction, these tiny tunnels shrink and disappear, resulting in an improved body contour.

Liposuction is not a good treatment of obesity. Liposuction is not effective, even as a last resort, for people who are unable to lose weight by dieting and exercise. Obese patients almost always regain the weight that is removed by liposuction unless there is a dramatic reduction in calorie intake (by dieting) or a significant increase in calorie expenditure (by exercising). Whenever large-volume liposuction has been used in an attempt to treat obesity by surgery, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of serious surgical complications. It is not safe to remove huge amounts of fat by liposuction. It is dangerous to remove more than 8 to 10 pounds of fat by liposuction in a single day. Thus, liposuction will not be of any significant benefit for an obese patient who believes that liposuction will aid in the effort to lose weight. 

On the other hand, an overweight person whose weight has been stable for many years and has certain problem-areas of fat may be a good candidate for liposuction. Liposuction in an obese patient is reasonable when the goal is to improve a troublesome body contour area. It is not reasonable to use liposuction as a surgical technique for weight loss.

A liposuction surgery is a success when the patient is happy with the results. The surgeon's goal is to obtain an optimal aesthetic result rather than to maximize the amount of fat removed. One of the most common causes for disappointment in the results of liposuction surgery is the removal of too much fat, which produces an abnormal or unusual appearance. The cosmetic success of a liposuction surgery is often the result of removing an amount of fat equivalent to less than a pound or two of butter from a woman's saddlebag area or from a man's love handle area. While this amount of fat is relatively small compared to a person's total body weight, it does produce a dramatic change in the patient's silhouette.

Liposuction improves the silhouette of the body, but does not necessarily eliminate the pre-existing subtle "puckering" of the skin that is often referred to as "cellulite." Liposuction does reduce the degree of cellulite to a degree but it is unlikely to completely eliminate cellulite.

After liposuction the body's new shape is more or less permanent. If a patient does gain a moderate amount of weight after liposuction, then the figure will simply be a larger version of the new body shape. Fat cells that are removed by liposuction do not grow back. As long as the patient does not gain excessive amounts of weight, the new, more pleasing silhouette is permanent. Of course after liposuction the clock keeps ticking, and advancing age will produce the usual changes in the shape of the body associated with the aging process. If a person gains weight after liposuction, she/he will not accumulate as much fat in the treated areas as would have happened if liposuction had not been done.

If a patient does not gain weight after liposuction, then fat does not accumulate in other areas of the body. However, if a patient gains a significant amount of weight, say more than 10 pounds (5 kg), after liposuction, then the fat must go somewhere. In fact, the fat accumulates in every area of the body in proportion to the amount of fat cells in each area. Areas where fat cells have been removed by liposuction will accumulate relatively little fat, while areas not treated by liposuction will collect relatively more fat. For example, if a woman gains weight after liposuction of her hips, outer thighs, and abdomen, then most of the fat will be deposited elsewhere such as the woman's breasts, face, back and legs.

Dimpling and indentations in the skin is a known risk of liposuction. However skin irregularities are unusual in the hands of a skilled surgeon. The use of large diameter cannulas tends to increase the risk of irregularities, while the use of microcannulas (less than 2.8 mm in outside diameter) reduces this risk. The use of microcannulas and multiple adits (very tiny 1.5 mm round holes placed in the skin) allows the surgeon to make a criss-cross pattern of tiny tunnels throughout the fat which produces smoother liposuction results compared to using larger cannulas and only two or three entrance incisions. When large cannulas are used, any inadvertent passage of the cannula too close to the skin may leave a depression or furrow, whereas one pass too close to the skin with a microcannula will not leave a visible depression.

Liposuction is never absolutely necessary. If you decide that liposuction is not for you, then you may consider the following alternatives to liposuction. Weight loss without liposuction can produce excellent aesthetic results. Weight loss can be achieved by dieting (decreased calorie intake) or by increased exercise (expenditure of calories). An alternative to abdominal liposuction is a tummy tuck.

Mesotherapy is a technique which has been used in France for over 50 years, where small amounts of medication, vitamins and supplements are injected into fat and the connective tissue of the skin (called the mesoderm) for many cosmetic and medical purposes including reduction of cellulite and fat. More about: What is Mesotherapy?

An injection is administered just below the surface of the skin at the location of the problem area. It can be used just about anywhere on the body, but is mostly used to treat the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, knees, and ankles.

The mesotherapy injection is a solution of various vitamins, minerals, enzymes, plant extracts, anesthetics, medications and amino acids. The makeup of the solution varies depending on the needs of the patient and the effect desired while allowing for a greater level of safety when issues such as drug interactions and allergies exist. 
How many treatments are required before the results are visible?
A treatment cycle could require as few as 4 and as many as 10 treatments or more depending on the size of the area being treated and the results desired.

The procedure has minimal discomfort, but if a patient is sensitive to needles, a mild painkiller, local anesthetic or numbing cream can be used. The discomfort level is often compared to that of waxing.

The primary advantage of Mesotherapy over Liposuction is that it is a non-invasive procedure and therefore does not have the risks and downtime associated with surgery. Liposuction permanently removes the fat cells and is arguably a more permanent solution; however, it is a frequent problem with liposuction to have visibly uneven results which can be treated with Mesotherapy.

Mesotherapy is still relatively new to American market, so cost might vary by city and doctor. A treatment may run anywhere from $350-$600 per area per treatment and a fee may apply for initial consultation.
Packages are available and are more economical when multiple sessions are needed. 

The side effects of Mesotherapy are extremely minimal and usually are limited to minor bruising.

There is no need for recovery time and you should be able to return to normal activities immediately.

Patients who make a commitment to maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle following treatment should see their results last. Some patients require some maintenance every six to twelve months.

The original French spelling of the word is mesotherapie, however in the United States it is Mesotherapy. It is often misspelled as mezotherapy, misotherapy, meso therapy or mesatherapy. The correct pronunciation is "mee-zo-therapy."