Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Darryl Hodgkinson explains some of the finer details of liposculpture.

Liposculpture is the term used for employing liposuction to re-shape the female figure or define the male physique and implies an understanding of artistic anatomy by the surgeon.

The procedure is nearly 30 years old and newer equipment, such as ultrasonic, vaser, pneumatic and laser ultrasound, greatly assists the surgeon but does not guarantee an artistic result.

The commonest areas for liposuction are the outer and inner thighs and abdomen for women, and the abdomen, love handles and 'man boobs' for men. Another area of concern to patients, and one less commonly operated on, is the ankles.

'Cankles' can cause great concern to women who are trapped in slacks during summer and find it difficult to wear boots in winter. Re-shaping the ankles, better defining the achilles tendon and giving a nicer contour to the legs with circumferential liposuction, can give confidence to women to wear skirts in the summer and shop for the latest boot fashions in winter.

Before and after liposculpture with body etching by Dr Hodgkinson

In abdominal liposuction, body etching to define the abs and 'six-pack' results in an appearance which suggests a very toned physique. I have been performing body etching for 15 years now and in the male patient the transverse notching of the rectus muscle, or the six-pack, is a nice refinement of abdominal liposuction.

Results of liposuction and liposculpture are not permanent if a patient gains or loses significant weight after the procedure. The final result of liposculpture will always depend also on the ability of a patient’s skin to contract after the fat has been removed. Older, stretched or inelastic skin may not contract and other body contour procedures may be required.

The procedure of liposculpture is usually carried out under a light general anaesthetic and tumescent infiltration on an outpatient surgical basis.