Body liposuction

Liposuction removes fat; it does not remove loose skin. For the upper arm, Miotto and Ortiz-Pomales’s 2018 review describes choosing between liposuction alone, skin removal, the two combined or a non-surgical device according to the amount of excess fat, the amount of excess skin and where on the arm it lies. ^[3]

For the abdomen, O’Kelly and colleagues’ 2020 review describes how skin laxity and separation of the abdominal muscles guide the choice between liposuction and operations that also remove skin. ^[5]

In Vasilakis and colleagues’ 2020 series of 35 women who had liposuction around the whole upper arm, no infection, seroma, bleeding event or blood clot was recorded over an average follow-up of 481 days. ^[4]

Liposuction is a body contouring operation, not primarily a way to lose weight, and Dixit and Wagh’s 2013 review traces its limits and safety rules to this. Tabbal and colleagues’ five principles of liposuction begin with assessment and planning before surgery, followed by safety monitoring during the operation, the fluids used, complication prevention and the measurement of outcomes. ^{[1] [2]}

The recovery schedule depends on the areas treated, so confirm the follow-up dates with us before booking your return flight.

Plan your liposuction visit

See procedure times and stitch-removal days

Overall complication rates differ between reviews: 12% in a meta-analysis of 60 studies (21,776 patients who had liposuction alone) and 2.62% in another of 39 studies (29,368 patients), both published in 2024. In both, contour irregularity was among the most common complications at about 2%, while seroma, haematoma, infection and changes in skin colour were each reported in about 2% or fewer. We explain these risks before surgery and check healing at follow-up. ^{[9] [10]}

At AVANT, the price is set per area, and the number of areas treated together is decided at consultation. Operating time is one consideration: in Hardy and colleagues’ 2014 study of 1,753 plastic surgery operations, each additional hour was associated with a 21% rise in the odds of complications, and the risk rose after about 3 hours. ^[6]

Compression garments are widely used after body contouring, but the evidence differs by operation. Ormseth and colleagues’ 2023 review found support mainly for less pain after breast and abdominal operations, no effect on seroma, and limited evidence for operations such as arm lifts. ^[7]

For manual lymphatic drainage, a 2026 systematic review of seven studies found a moderate reduction in swelling, with inconsistent effects on pain and hardening of the tissue; results were better when it began 2–5 days after surgery and ran for 6–12 sessions. Your surgeon gives aftercare instructions for the areas treated. ^[8]