The procedure can "sculpture " your body by removing extra fat from tummy, buttocks, arms, knees, cheeks and neck.. You must remember that liposuction is not an alternative for diet and exercise, it's main target is to help remove extra fat from areas in which fat reduction cannot be done successfully by dieting.
The ideal candidates for the surgery are people with normal weight, elastic skin and areas of "fat pockets" in their body. There are no age limits but older people has less elastic skin and therefore might get results that are worse then the younger patients.
Liposuction can be done by several techniques: solution injection - in which the surgeon injects a special solution to the fat tissue. The solution consists of anesthetics to reduce pain. Adrenalin to reduce bleeding and fluid to help separate the fat from the tissue.
The tumescent technique - much larger amounts of solution is being injected. Surgeons use this method, which allows to inject large amounts of anesthetics, and therefore this kind of procedure can be done with local anesthetics. The operation usually takes longer than the first one (4-5 hours).
The super wet technique in which the amount of solution injected equals the amount of fat tissue removed. This method also takes longer time and has to be done with general anesthetics.
Ultrasound assisted lipoplasty is another technique in which sound waves targeted to fat tissue. The waves break the connection between the fat cells, which are then being removed by suction. This method can be used in areas with connective tissue like the back and male breasts and also in areas that require more precise suction.
After the surgery to avoid swelling the areas of the suction will have elastic bandages. The surgeon may also leave draining tubes to prevent fluid collection. You might also receive antibiotics to prevent an infection.
Every surgery has its complications. In liposuction of 5 liter of fat and more there is a risk of fat or clot emboli to the lungs and even death. Extra fluids might be difficult to remove. The suction tube may cause skin necrosis or alter sensation in the area due to nerve damage. The ultrasound technique regarded as relatively safe produces, but it is a new one therefore the long term damage still unknown. In general, the surgery presents an extra rick for patients with diabetes, lung and heart disease and for those who had similar procedure in the past.