Depending on the type of liposuction you are undergoing, the procedure may be performed as an outpatient procedure at the doctor's office or surgery center, or if large amounts of fat are being removed, the procedure will be done in a hospital and may require an overnight stay. Before the procedure begins you will be given an anesthesia. Again, depending on the degree of fat being removed and the type of liposuction being performed, anesthesia varies and may only be locally applied or it may required a general application in which case the surgery will be done while you are sleeping. Once the anesthesia has taken effect, the liposuction procedure is performed using a suction device attached to a small, stainless steel instrument called a cannula. Through small incisions, the cannula is inserted into fatty areas between skin and muscle where it removes excess fat either using a suction pump or a large syringe. This results in a smoother, improved body contour. The length of the procedure will vary with the amount of fat needing removed. Types of Liposuction Though the basics of liposuction described above remain the same, there are a couple of different techniques that can be used during liposuction. These include: Tumescent liposuction. During this technique, the surgeon will inject a solution is injected into your fatty areas before the fat is removed. It is made up of a saline solution, a mild painkiller and epinephrine, a drug that contracts your blood vessels. The solution not only helps the surgeon removed the fat more easily but it helps reduce blood loss and provides pain relief during and after surgery. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction. During ultrasound-assisted liposuction, ultrasonic energy is used to liquefy the fat, after which it is removed from the body. Source
