Liposuction

Liposuction, also known as lipo, is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to remove stubborn fat deposits. 

The fat cells are broken up by way of vibrations or high pressure water jet and an incision is made for a cannula. Sometimes more incisions are needed if a large area is being treated. A vacuum machine is used to loosen and suck out the fat. Any excess blood and fluid is drained away before the treatment area is stitched up and bandaged.

After liposuction, patients are given a compression garment to wear for several weeks to help with the swelling and bruising.

For the right patient and with the correct planning, a tummy tuck and liposuction can be carried out simultaneously. Liposuction is used for fat removal, but on occasion, loose, excess skin can be left behind. During a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, a surgeon will remove this extra skin, leading to a tighter, flatter stomach.  A tummy tuck can also help with other problems, such as stretch marks, weak stomach muscles and uneven fat distribution. 

Abdominoplasty is a highly effective procedure which can achieve immediate results with very little downtime.

The Cadogan Clinic was founded by Mr Bryan Mayou, the surgeon responsible for introducing liposuction into the UK more than 40 years ago.

We now have the country's leading team of liposuction experts working here at the Clinic, and more experience than anyone else in the various techniques available. We perform more liposuction surgeries than any other private clinic in the UK.

We carefully evaluate all available liposuction techniques and are able to offer different kinds, depending on your specific condition and needs. We currently offer Lipomatic, MicroAir, BodyJet and MicroLiposuction techniques. We also offer SmartLipoMPX, which is liposuction done via ultrasound.

Liposuction provides a quick, safe and effective solution for permanent removal of unwanted excess fat deposits from the body. When you lose weight, by diet or exercise, all your fat cells shrink in size, but they do not disappear. Liposuction is perfect for exercise-resistant fat deposits in areas like under the chin, in the cheeks, saddlebags, ankles, and others.

The fat cells themselves are removed by liposuction and are therefore not available to become enlarged again under any circumstances. Even if you put on a lot of weight the new relative shape remains. This procedure makes your clothes fit better, gives you a more ideal shape, and uses small incisions that will not leave major scarring.

The amount of weight you lose is directly proportional to the amount of fat removed from your body. This means if you have a single procedure removing five pounds of fat, your weight will be down by five pounds.

The liposuction operation targets a specific area of the body, but if you are looking for significant reshaping in multiple areas on your body, you can address multiple problem areas during one larger procedure.

Liposuction is a predictable and low-risk solution for fat removal. At the Cadogan Clinic, the procedure can be done under general or local anaesthesia, and as a result, puts your body under relatively little stress. It’s done as a day case procedure and you’re able to go home afterwards to rest.

You should be aware that liposuction is not an effective solution to cellulite or obesity. If you need treatment for cellulite you should discuss combining procedures with your expert surgeon. Consult with your surgeon if you are looking for major weight loss. Liposuction may be part of a long-term treatment plan.

Make sure you follow all directions provided to you by your surgeon at the Cadogan Clinic to ensure you see the best results. These may be as simple as wearing your specialized compression garment, staying hydrated, and maintaining a healthy diet.

Liposuction recovery is relatively swift due to the relatively straightforward nature of the surgery.

Liposuction recovery starts the moment you come around from sedation. We use advanced TIVA anaesthetic techniques to ensure that you wake up quicker and with less nausea, and your liposuction recovery can start immediately.

We recommend taking a week of work to allow for slight bruising and swelling to subside. Pain should be fairly minimal and you can usually resume normal daily activities and exercise within a few weeks. Strenuous activities are discouraged during this period. Light walking before your procedure prevents blood clotting and minimizes swelling.

Liposuction recovery involves minimal pain, but any excess pain can be managed with over the counter painkillers. You will be issued with a compression garment to reduce the swelling, and this should be worn for 6 weeks.

Liposuction recovery is finally complete form around 6 weeks when results should start to be visible. Full results will take between  6 – 12 months.  

When it comes to choosing which provider or surgeon to select as your chosen preference for your Liposuction procedure, safety and quality of care are typically the most important considerations to think about, alongside any Clinic and surgeon’s level of experience with Liposuction procedures.

That said, the cost of your surgery does of course also play a big part in any calculation.

Why Does Price Play An Important Role In Who To Choose For My Liposuction Procedure?

Costs are important factors to take into account when deciding which Clinic to proceed with for your surgery. There is a wide diversity in prices across the UK, with the key driving factors including:

• Reputation, experience and quality of the Clinic
• Reputation, experience and quality of the Surgeon
• Reputation, experience and quality of the specialist Nursing staff
• Quality of Clinical pre-and post operative care
• Safety track record of Clinic and surgeon
• Location of Clinic 

At the Cadogan Clinic we only work with the very best surgeons and nursing staff at our specialist facilities in Chelsea. Our emphasis is on providing safe, high quality surgery and excellent value for money to all of our patients.

How Much Is A Liposuction Procedure In The UK?

A Liposuction procedure starts from £3,950 for one area at the Cadogan Clinic. Two areas of liposuction costs £6,000 and three areas of liposuction costs £6,900.

All quoted costs online are guide prices only, and subject to confirmation following your in person consultation. Costs are also dependent on whether you have your liposuction under local or general anaesthetic.

Liposuction costs in the UK are not subject to VAT as they are medical procedures.

What Is Included In The Price?

Included in the cost for Liposuction treatment at the Cadogan Clinic is:

• Up to two 30 minute – 60 minute consultations with a leading specialist plastic surgeon at our award-winning premises in Chelsea
• Your procedure carried out at London’s leading specialist cosmetic surgery centre of excellence
• Return home on the same day to recover in comfort in your own home
• 24/7 on call nurse assistance
• Dedicated Patient Co-ordinator, as a personal point of contact through your journey with Cadogan
• A pre-operative medical assessment to ensure you are fit for surgery
• Comprehensive post-operative aftercare courtesy of our specialist cosmetic nurses

Do You Offer Finance At The Cadogan Clinic?

The Cadogan Clinic offers and accepts finance via an array of high street providers. Please speak to one of our patient advisors, who can guide you to a trusted finance provider, accepted by the Clinic.

The procedure can be done under local or general anaesthesia, but can be uncomfortable, slower and more difficult to obtain good results under local anaesthesia.  We would reserve this for small areas, such as the neck, or smaller pockets of fat.  We use a variant anaesthesia called TIVA (Total Intravenous Anaesthesia) that is delivered by our team of top anaesthetists.  Intravenous delivery enables our anaesthetic team to monitor the depth of anaesthesia more closely using a measurement of the brainwaves. The result is that you will wake up feeling much better than traditional anaesthesia and will be ready to go home the same day. 

Both men and women undergo liposuction every year to achieve a variety of different goals. For men, liposuction can often successfully treat gynecomastia and other fat areas around their chest and torso, while women use it more commonly around the stomach, hips and thighs. If one or more of the following apply to you, liposuction is an option to consider:

• You have excess fat deposits on your hips, belly, thighs, neck or chest that won’t respond to diet or exercise.
• You feel like certain areas are out of proportion with the rest of your figure. Reducing excess fat on one area of the body can bring it into better balance with your natural features.

Liposuction is excellent for reducing areas of fat and sculpting a beautifully natural contour, and using liposuction to remove excess fat on one area of the body can make you seem more in proportion. The ideal liposuction patient has localised fat deposits & good skin tone.

However, it’s important to have realistic expectations about what liposuction can achieve. If any of the following apply to you, then liposuction may only offer limited success in helping you achieve your goals. Your cosmetic surgeon can recommend the options best suited to your needs.

• You have loose, sagging skin. Liposuction is designed specifically to target fatty tissue, it will not significantly improve the appearance of loose skin. Other body contouring procedures, such as a tummy tuck or body lift, may be better options for you.
• You want to lose a significant amount of weight. Liposuction can improve your shape, which can help you look thinner and more fit, but it’s not a weight-loss method. While some overweight patients can benefit from the reshaping effects, the most satisfied patients tend to be happy with their weight prior to surgery.
• You are just looking to address cellulite. While liposuction can remove fat, it cannot always remove the appearance of cellulite. If it is just cellulite and not fat removal that is your main concern, we recommend Cellulaze.

Liposuction alternatives do exist, although for substantial areas of fat reduction we would recommend traditional liposuction. This is because this technique is more effective at removing fat cells, tightening the skin and permanently changing the shape than other liposuction alternatives.

Liposuction alternatives include:

• Surgical Fat Excision - the fat is removed, but it is not easy to thin large areas via this technique without multiple operations. This is really only useful if one is also removing the skin as in a breast reduction
• Chemical injections  - Desoxycholic acid (Kybella, Lipodissolve, Aqualyx) destroys fat but is painful and requires multiple treatments. There is also little control as to where the injected drug will spread, again potentially causing irregularities. We do not use them at the Cadogan Clinic for these reasons.
• Non-surgical treatments – good for those who do not want a surgical operation. These are significantly less effective when it comes to achieving meaningful results, and are not recommended for those looking for significant outcomes

Liposuction scars are caused by the tiny incisions required through which the very fine cannulas are inserted to perform the fat removal procedure. These are typically very small, and liposuction scars are typically very minimal as a result.

At the Cadogan Clinic we have many years experience with liposuction scars and are able to make these tiny scars as inconspicuous as possible.

We also use as few incisions as possible, and employ a gentle technique to avoid unnecessary trauma at the incision.

For those who naturally scar badly, such as keloid and hypertrophic scar formers, we have a comprehensive after care scar management programme that is designed to help manage liposuction scars as effectively as possible via the use of high energy devices and lasers.

Liposuction side effects are limited due to the relatively straightforward nature of the procedure. That said, liposuction side effects and risks do exist and it is important to be aware of them before going ahead with surgery

Liposuction side effects and risks, include (but are not limited to):

• Numbness
• Infection
• Embolism
• Edema
• Allergic reaction

We have over 40 years of experience of liposuction at the Cadogan Clinic and we take extensive steps to manage these.

Our 24/7 nursing on call service is available for anyone experience liposuction side effects following surgery.        

Vaser Liposuction is liposuction that uses ultrasound waves to break up and liquify fat cells, in order to make them easier to extract.

We do not offer Vaser at the Cadogan Clinic given the very limited outcomes possible via this technique.

Before you decide to go ahead with your liposuction procedure, it is important that you choose a surgeon who is experienced and qualified to carry out this particular type of surgery. A good surgeon should be able to explain the procedure in great depth, as well as the recovery period and any potential risks or complications. These will vary depending on which part or parts of the body you are having treated. A good surgeon will also be honest about potential outcomes and help you to manage your expectations.

You should check that the surgeon is a specialist in lipo and when you have your initial consultation, make sure the surgeon has an extensive portfolio of liposuction before and after photographs that they can share with you so you can get a good idea of how the results of your surgery will look. Be sure to check out testimonials from previous patients.

A good liposuction surgeon will always put the patient’s mental and physical wellbeing ahead of everything else. If you are not physically and psychologically fit and healthy, an ethical surgeon will not attempt to perform the procedure.

Only registered doctors can perform cosmetic surgery in England. You can check if a liposuction surgeon is a registered doctor or surgeon on the General Medical Council (GMC) online register.

Some surgeons may be members of professional associations, such as the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) or the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS). However there are some qualified surgeons who are experts in their field but choose not to sign up to a trade body for their own reasons.