Liposuction Procedure

Liposuction should be done only by a doctor who has special training in liposuction and surgery of the skin and in how to respond to complications during surgery. During liposuction, small, thin, blunt-tipped tubes (cannula) are inserted through tiny cuts in the skin. Fat is suctioned out through these tubes as the doctor moves the tubes around under the skin to target specific fat deposits. Liposuction is usually done as a daycare procedure in a properly equipped doctor's office, ambulatory surgery center, or hospital. In general, it does not require an overnight hospital stay unless a large volume of fat is being removed. However, liposuction of large areas of the body should only be done in a hospital or licensed surgical center.