Commonly used terms – Saddlebags (outer thigh/hip fat), Banana rolls (fat under buttocks on upper leg, love handles (excess fat bulging from the sides and back of the abdomen), muffin top, Abdominal Lipodystrophy.

Liposuction is one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed around the world. The technique involves removal of localised areas of fat from the body via small inconspicuous incisions with the use of a canula, which is connected to a negative pressure device. This technique is able to remove fatty tissue whilst preserving the architecture of the skin and other important structures such as nerves and blood vessels.

​The scarring is fairly minimal as it is usually possible to locate incisions in an inconspicuous area. In most cases, liposuction is done under a general anaesthesia for patient comfort purposes, although small areas can be done under local anaesthetic.

For small areas of liposuction it is often possible to be discharged from hospital the same day, however, for larger areas it is usually wise to remain in hospital overnight so that fluids can be monitored and adequate pain relief can be given.

The patients who benefit most from liposuction procedures are those who have well-localised areas of excess fatty tissue that do not change significantly with weight loss.
Examples are:
  • the “saddlebag” areas on the outer thighs.
  • the “love-handle” areas on the hips.
  • other localised areas such as inner thighs, the neck and under the chin and on the outer chest area under the arms etc.
It is not a technique that is useful in cases where there is excess skin (such as in patients who have lost large amounts of weight or when the excess fatty tissue is associated with a large amount of excess skin) since removal of the fat in these cases tends to makes the excess skin appearance worse.

It is also important to note that this technique is not a weight-loss tool. It is purely a technique used to remove specific localised areas of fatty tissue.
The recovery from this procedure is fairly rapid with some temporary bruising for approximately 2 weeks and some residual swelling in the area treated for approximately 2-4 months, depending on the age of the patient and the area that was treated.
All dressings changes are carried out by our highly experienced nurses.

 * Any surgery or medical procedure carries risks and individual results may vary. Consider seeking a second opinion from a qualified doctor.