Liposuction, simply speaking, is a surgical procedure for the removal of subcutaneous fat.

All humans have a tendency to store fat under the skin. However, in some people the storage of this fat can exist to the extent of being considered unattractive; such as when it collects in large quantities in the abdomen, or in other specific places on the body.

The reason for this excess collection of stored fat may be genetic in nature, that is, it can be found in some present in some people who are careful in their diet and exercise properly and regularly. In such cases, it may be removed by surgery known as "liposuction." Generally considered to be a procedure in what we commonly refer to as "plastic surgery", liposuction is always elective, and is reported to be the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States according to ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery).

Literally, the procedure consists of making a surgical incision at the location of the excess fatty deposit and removing the fat by use of a vacuum attached to a long hollow tube called a cannula.

In its original or traditional form, the procedure of liposuction is performed under general anesthesia and the incisions may be longer. The fat deposits are dislodged from their position by the surgeon moving the cannula back and forth over them, and then employing suction to remove the fat tissue. This procedure was usually done in what is now referred to as a "Dry" procedure. In a dry procedure, no wetting agent is injected into the area to be reduced and a substantial amount (as much as 45%) of the entire material removed is actually blood. Dry procedures frequently result in greater swelling and bruising and a longer recovery time. In a "Wet" procedure, a wetting agent which may include additional anesthetic, as well as salt water and epinephrine to reduce bleeding by constricting nearby blood vessels. The surgeon infuses 100 to 300 milliliters of the solution into the surgical site with a result that only approximate 20-25% of the material removed is blood. The post-surgical bruising and recovery time is usually reduced.

Today, some surgeons employ a "Super-wet" technique in which the liquid is infused in a ratio (to matter removed) of 1:1 or even 1.5:1. In such cases blood accounts for only approximately 1% of the substance removed.

In addition to improving the surgery and results by using wetting agents, improvements in the cannula also have helped revolutionize liposuction. A cannula used earlier might have been as large as 10-12 millimeters in diameter. Today the average cannula is 3 millimeters in diameter. A modern cannula may be motorized to break up the fat deposits, or use ultra-sound or laser to assist the surgeon. In all cases the excess tissue is then removed by suction. Some critics of laser liposuction contend that the use of a laser is more cumbersome and adds nothing to the final result other than greater expense. A patient should discuss the surgeon's choice of cannula prior to the surgery and review the differences in outcome by reason of such a choice. The choice of a surgeon to perform such a procedure should be made with great care by the patient.

Several liposuction procedures may be performed on different areas of the body as one surgery.

An ultra-wet procedure known as "tumescent liposuction" may be performed under local anesthesia. In it, much larger quantities of wetting solution (as much as 6 times the volume of matter to be removed), are infused into the area.