Liposuction in Memphis, TN with Dr. Roberto Lachica
Liposuction is a surgical body-contouring procedure that selectively removes unwanted bulging pockets of fat. While it is not a weight-loss treatment, liposuction permanently eliminates excess fat from specific areas of the body, such as the flanks, hips, abdomen, thighs, and arms, resulting in sculpted body lines.
To learn more about liposuction, contact The Langsdon Clinic today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Roberto Lachica. Dr. Lachica is a board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeon in his 24th year of practice. His certification is from the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
How Does Excess Fat Develop?
“Lipo” is derived from lipocyte (fat cell). “Fat” as we know it is actually composed of lipocytes and their surrounding structural tissue (stromal cells). During weight gain, the number of lipocytes in a specific area (for example, the flank or “love handle”) remains constant. Gaining weight (or “getting fat”) in a particular area is caused by the fat cells enlarging and not from their numbers increasing. For biological reasons, certain areas are prone to enlargement and are resistant to diet and exercise—such as the outer thigh in women (“saddlebag”) and the circumferential trunk in men (“spare tire”).
How Does Liposuction Work?
Liposuction is performed by suctioning fat through a thin metal tube(cannula) that is placed under the skin through a small incision. Prior to suction, the area is infiltrated with a solution (tumescent) that provides anesthesia and decreases bleeding. More fat is suctioned from the thicker central areas and less from the thinner outer edges. The overlying skin conforms to the underlying tissues to create a slimmer, flatter contour. The fat cells removed by liposuction do not regenerate, and the results are long-lasting. In general, stubborn fat deposits do not return in suctioned areas.
Different Technologies are Used in Liposuction
Tumescent liposuction procedures use injections of a sterile saline solution mixed with lidocaine (numbing anesthetic) and epinephrine (blood vessel constrictor) to make the fat easier to remove while minimizing bleeding and postoperative pain.
- Suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL) is the general term for using a negative-pressure cannula (suction device) to remove fat.
- Ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL) uses ultrasound energy transmitted through a rod inserted under the skin to heat and rupture the fat cells and break them down for removal.
- Power-assisted liposuction (PAL) uses a cannula that vibrates internally (used for rapid high-volume liposuction).
These techniques are frequently combined and enable the removal of varying amounts of fat in different parts of the body.
Areas Commonly Treated by Liposuction
- Abdomen (“tummy”)
- Flanks (“love handles”)
- Circumferential waistline (“spare tire”)
- Hips/Outer Thighs (“saddlebags”)
- Outer breasts /back (“bra roll”)
- Inner upper thighs (“{thigh gap”)
- Neck (“Waddle”)
Fat Transfer
Fat removed with liposuction can be processed and injected into another part of the body- a procedure known as autologous fat grafting. The part of your body with excess fat becomes slimmer while the recipient part becomes fuller and rounder. Perhaps the most popular example is buttock augmentation, or BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift).
Other areas commonly grafted are:
- Cheeks
- Orbits (eye sockets, tear trough)
- Lips
- Breasts
What Liposuction Cannot Do:
- Substitute as a weight-loss measure
- Substitute for an excision procedure (tummy tuck, brachioplasty)
- Lift (or “tighten”) the skin
- Eliminate fat behind the abdominal muscle (visceral fat)
Am I a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
You are a great candidate for liposuction if:
- you have small to moderate-sized, distinct bulges (“pockets”) of unwanted fat
- you are within 20 to 30 pounds of your ideal weight
- you have firm, smooth, elastic skin (without stretch marks, wrinkles, dimpling)
that will tighten over the treated areas
View Gallery
Visit our Before and After Photo gallery to see real patient results at The Langsdon Clinic.
Memphis Liposuction FAQ’s
For the majority of cases, general anesthesia is used. “Touch up” or small areas can be treated under local (awake) anesthesia.
Yes! The most common example is Lipoabdomionoplasty. (Combined Simultaneous Timmy tuck/Lipo) for 3-dimensional abdomen shaping- removal of loose skin in the front to create a more “washboard stomach” and flank liposuction to enhance the “hourglass shape.”
Not much. Most procedures do not result in significant weight loss. Liposuction is a shaping procedure, not a weight loss procedure.
In general, 5 L (approximately 5 quarts) of aspirate (material suctioned) is the upper limit of safety, but a significant amount of this tissue fluid.
No. Liposuction will increase dimpling and cause indentations.
Any surgical procedure carries a risk of bleeding and infection. In liposuction, these risks are actually quite low. There are aesthetic outcomes specific to liposuction, such as skin contour abnormalities, overcorrection, and under correction. Larger-volume liposuction can carry a risk for heart and lung-related problems, but this risk is usually also low in healthy ideal patients.
Yes, but they are small and inconspicuous if the incisions are made with care. Two incisions (hence scars) are usually required for a single area (for example, the outer thigh). Suction can also be performed through the surgical incision or scar of another procedure (suctioning the flank through a tummy tuck incision).
Liposuction alone will deflate these areas but worsen the appearance of the skin. In many cases, an excision procedure may also be advantageous, such as abdominoplasty.
Liposuction is a single surgical procedure that definitively and precisely eliminates small, moderate, and even large areas of unwanted fat. Other “minimally invasive” or “non-invasive (external)” methods may treat very small areas, but multiple sessions are usually necessary, and under-correction is the usual outcome. In the end, these treatments may become a poor value in terms of “cost vs. result.”
Recovery from Liposuction
By itself, liposuction has a relatively easier recovery compared to other procedures that involve large incisions. Although no drains are used, a compressive elastic garment is worn for 3 to 4 weeks to optimize the skin re-draping over its new contours. In general, work can be resumed in one week and exercise during the following week. If performed simultaneously with a larger procedure like a tummy tuck, drains are involved, and recovery is a little slower.
What to Expect in Your Consultation with Dr. Lachica
At The Langsdon Clinic, we personalize each aesthetic procedure to achieve each patient’s unique aesthetic goals. Dr. Lachica’s approach synergizes with ours.
During your consultation, Dr. Lachica will ensure that you are a good candidate for liposuction. He will examine your body shape, estimate your body mass index, and assess your skin elasticity. He will work with you to define and visualize your unique treatment areas. He will use all of these elements to plan the procedure that will produce your best result.
Why Choose Dr. Lachica at The Langsdon Clinic for Your Memphis Liposuction Treatment?
Dr. Lachica is a board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeon in his 24th year of practice. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He has performed aesthetic surgery during the entirety of his career. He has devoted a significant component of his career to performing complex reconstruction (including microsurgery) of the extremities, breast, and trunk. He applies his accumulated skill and experience to every procedure. Using his knowledge of anatomy and aesthetic vision, he strives to deliver excellent outcomes that are customized to each unique patient’s body.
Dr. Lachica has received multiple peer-selected awards from Memphis Magazine Top Plastic Surgeons and Castle Connolly America’s Best Plastic Surgeons. He has been recognized by Memphis Health and Fitness Readers’ Choice Best Plastic Surgeons.
Schedule Your Memphis Plastic Surgery Consultation Today
Contact The Langsdon Clinic today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Lachica for Liposuction. Patients seeking plastic surgery in Memphis have chosen Dr. Roberto Lachica and the Langsdon Clinic time and again because of their natural and balanced results and emphasis on safety. If you would like to partner with one of the best plastic surgery practices in America, we invite you to
Call (901) 755-6465 or reach us online today.