The most common type of liposuction is tumescent liposuction. Your surgeon will start by injecting a fluid mixture—of salt water, a local anesthetic, and a drug called epinephrine—into the part of your body we’re treating. That causes the area to swell and become firmer, prepping it for fat removal. (This solution will also reduce blood loss during the procedure and bruising, pain, and swelling afterward.) Then, your surgeon makes small cuts in your skin and inserts a cannula, a thin tube connected to a vacuum that’ll suction fat out of your body.
Other methods include:
- Power-assisted liposuction: This procedure uses a cannula, moving quickly back and forth to pull out tough fat more easily. This can be used if you want to remove larger amounts of fat or if you’ve had liposuction before.
- Ultrasound-assisted liposuction: This can be used with tumescent liposuction. Your surgeon will insert a metal rod that gives off ultrasonic energy under your skin, breaking apart the fat cells.
- Laser-assisted liposuction: The surgeon inserts a laser fiber through a small incision in the skin and your fat deposits are liquified. They can then be removed using a cannula.