Dubai is a top destination globally for medical tourism, which entails travelling overseas to obtain treatment or undergo clinical procedures. Reasons include the excellent calibre of doctors, high quality of care, cutting-edge medical technology, government support, and lower costs compared to those in other countries like the United Kingdom, Canada or the United States.

Cosmetic surgery is particularly popular, so liposuction in Dubai can be a good option if you’re considering getting some body contouring or shaping done. However, before you buy your aeroplane tickets, book your hotel stay and get an appointment with a cosmetic surgery clinic in Dubai, you may want to learn more about liposuction first. 

Read on to understand what it is and what it’s for and see if it’s the correct procedure for you.

What Is Liposuction?

The word liposuction is a portmanteau of 'lipo-' and 'suction'. Lipo- is a prefix that relates the succeeding word with fat (the original Greek word lipos means fat), while suction is a verb that means to suck off or out. Liposuction is also known as lipoplasty; plasty is a combining term that means moulding, grafting or forming.

Liposuction literally means the ‘suction of fat’, while lipoplasty translates to ‘fat shaping’. Therefore, liposuction is a surgical procedure that uses a suction force generated by a vacuum pump to remove fat cells from specific parts of the body. It’s done for aesthetic body-shaping purposes.

Which Parts of the Body Can Be Shaped With Liposuction?

Liposuction can be performed in various areas of the body, including the following:

• Stomach
• Waist
• Abdomen
• Hips
• Buttocks
• Cheeks
• Thighs
• Calves
• Ankles
• Inner knees
• Arms
• Chin
• Face
• Neck
• Chest

Is Liposuction a Weight Loss Procedure?

Liposuction removes stubborn fat deposits, so it will help you attain your desired shape. However, it is not a weight-loss method. It is typically indicated only if a person has a relatively stable body weight but needs help removing stubborn fat cells that diet and exercise won't eliminate.

Is Liposuction for You?

Liposuction is not for everyone. Before a doctor agrees to perform this procedure, they will assess you for fit. The specific requirements include the following:

• Age: You must be an adult.
• Body weight: You must have a stable body weight, and it can’t be more than 30% of the average or healthy body weight range indicated for your height and age. This is vital for long-term success because if you cannot stick to a healthier lifestyle after the surgery, the remaining fat cells may grow bigger.
• Skin elasticity: Your skin must be firm and elastic. Elasticity is crucial to the success of liposuction because, if the procedure were to be done on someone with low-elasticity skin, the removal of the fat may undermine the skin structure and lead to droopiness, sagging and a worse shape or contour than before the liposuction.
• Muscle tone: You must have good muscle tone. Liposuction removes fat, but you will appear leaner (and thus be more likely to achieve your desired shape) if you have good muscle tone underneath.
• Overall health: You must be in generally good health. Liposuction is a surgical procedure, so it's incompatible with medical conditions that inhibit blood clotting, that surgery could trigger (e.g., coronary artery disease) or that make you more prone to infections (e.g., diabetes, immune system disorders).
• Purpose: You have isolated pockets of fat that do not respond to diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.
• Smoking: You don't smoke. Nicotine inhibits oxygen supply to individual cells and has a restrictive effect on blood flow.
• Expectations: You understand that liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure. It’s intended for body shaping, but its results are subtle.

What Liposuction Techniques Will Your Doctor Use?

Liposuction involves inserting a thin tube or cannula into the treatment area to suction off fat. The following are specific liposuction techniques:

• Traditional liposuction: In traditional liposuction, the surgeon inserts the cannula into the treatment area and moves it around to break up fat deposits and suction them out.
• Tumescent liposuction: In tumescent liposuction, the surgeon injects a tumescent solution of salt water, lidocaine and epinephrine into the treatment area before using a cannula to suction the fat. The solution causes stiffening and swelling that temporarily constricts blood flow and, thus, reduces bleeding.
• Ultrasound-assisted liposuction: Ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL) uses ultrasonic energy to induce fat breakdown, making fat easier to remove with the cannula. A variant of UAL is VASER (aka vibration amplification of sound energy at resonance). This technique uses a special grooved stainless-steel cannula to generate ultrasonic waves. VASER can improve shaping outcomes.
• Laser-assisted liposuction: In laser-assisted liposuction (LAL), a flexible fibre is inserted into a small incision. It yields pulses of laser light; these energy bursts accelerate fat breakdown.
• Power-assisted liposuction: In power-assisted liposuction (PAL), the cannula moves back and forth rapidly over the fat deposits. Its vibration dislodges fat and makes it easier to remove.

Contour and Shape With Liposuction

Liposuction is a body-contouring surgical procedure. 

It’s a great option if you’re of average or slightly higher-than-average weight and simply need that extra help to lose stubborn fat deposits in isolated areas of the body. If you’re a good fit, consider getting this procedure done in Dubai.