Liposuction: what it is, how it is done, and why it can be the definitive way to shape your body contour

What exactly is liposuction?

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes the fat sitting between the skin and the muscle, by controlled suction through fine cannulas. Its purpose is not weight loss but improving the body’s outline, by removing fat deposits that do not respond to diet or exercise.

It is particularly indicated for patients at a stable weight, not significantly overweight, who have fat collecting in specific places: the abdomen, the flanks, the hips, the thighs, under the jaw, the upper arms or the chest in cases of male gynaecomastia.

Indications and who it suits

Not everyone is a candidate for liposuction. The ideal patient leads a healthy life, has skin with good elasticity and has no condition that might complicate the surgery or the recovery. Skin elasticity is essential if the skin is to adapt properly to the new volume after surgery. Where elasticity has been lost, liposuction may have to be combined with other techniques such as a tummy tuck, a thigh lift or an arm lift.

The areas it is used on most often

Liposuction is a versatile technique. At our clinic in Valencia it is routinely used on the following areas:

• Abdomen and flanks
• Hips and buttocks
• Thighs (inner and outer)
• Knees, calves and ankles
• Neck and under the chin
• Upper arms
• The chest in men

In patients with mild or moderate gynaecomastia, liposuction can effectively remove the excess fatty tissue in the chest, improving the contour without open surgery.

The types of liposuction available

At the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo we use different techniques according to what each patient needs:

• Tumescent liposuction: a solution of saline, local anaesthetic and vasoconstrictors is infiltrated, which makes the fat easier to remove, reduces bleeding and improves pain control.
• Conventional suction-assisted liposuction: the commonest technique, in which the fat is aspirated through cannulas connected to a vacuum source.
• High-definition liposuction: for patients with low body fat who want more marked definition, particularly on the abdomen. The technique brings out the muscular relief, almost as a piece of anatomical sculpting.
• Ultrasonic or laser liposuction: complementary technologies that can improve skin retraction or make removal easier in fibrous areas, although they are not essential in every case.

How the procedure is carried out

The procedure takes roughly one to three hours, depending on how extensive the areas to be treated are. It can be done under local anaesthetic with sedation or under general anaesthetic, depending on the case.

Once the tumescent solution has been infiltrated, minimal incisions are made and the cannulas are introduced through them. They are moved in a controlled way to loosen and aspirate the fat without damaging the surrounding tissue.

Immediately afterwards the patient is usually kept under observation for a few hours and can go home the same day in most cases. If an extensive area has been treated, or the surgery has been combined with other procedures, an overnight stay may be needed.

Aftercare and recovery

Recovery after liposuction is gradual but quick. In the first few days swelling, bruising and a feeling of tightness are all normal. Wearing the specific compression garment is essential to help the skin settle, to reduce swelling and to help the tissues adhere.

Strenuous physical effort should be avoided for the first two weeks, although gentle walking from day one is beneficial. Most patients can go back to work between the third and the seventh day, depending on how extensive the procedure was.

The visual effect is immediate, but the final result is not seen until six months have passed, once the swelling has gone completely and the skin has finished adapting to the new volume.

Results and expectations

Liposuction does not replace weight loss and is not a treatment for obesity. It is a precise aesthetic procedure, aimed at improving specific areas and bringing out the patient’s natural shape.

The results last provided a healthy lifestyle is maintained. The fat removed does not grow back, although if the patient puts on weight later the remaining cells can expand. It is essential to understand that long-term success depends as much on the patient’s commitment to their own health as on the procedure.

With high-definition liposuction the results can be striking, particularly in athletic patients or those with well-developed muscle. The technique defines the anatomical contours of the abdomen, the chest or the buttocks, creating an impression of greater tone and definition.

Safety and medical supervision

Every operation requires a thorough assessment beforehand. At our clinic we carry out a detailed clinical work-up, pre-operative blood tests and an assessment of the patient’s general health. In selected cases an additional cardiovascular or endocrine work-up may be needed.

The safety of the procedure depends largely on the surgeon’s experience, on the treatment being properly indicated, and on medical supervision at every stage, from planning through to recovery.

At the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo we work to the strictest standards of quality and safety, with a multidisciplinary team that is with the patient throughout.

Advantages over other procedures

Unlike more invasive techniques such as a tummy tuck, liposuction does not involve removing skin or making large incisions. That means a faster recovery, a lower risk of complications and no visible scars.

Several areas can be treated in a single operation, which allows the body to be reshaped as a whole in one go. It can also be combined with procedures such as an arm lift, a thigh lift or fat grafting, depending on the patient’s goals.

Detailed guides on liposuction

These guides go further into the choice of areas and into the facial alternative:

• The best areas for liposuction — which areas are treated most often.
• Buccal fat removal or facial liposuction — two different ways of slimming the face.

Frequently asked questions from patients

• How much weight will I lose with liposuction?
  It is not designed for losing weight but for removing localised fat. How much fat is taken out varies from case to case, but the visual impact is usually far greater than the weight removed.
• Are the results immediate?
  The change is visible within the first few days, but the final result takes several months, until the tissue has settled and adapted.
• Can the fat come back?
  No, the fat cells removed do not grow back, but keeping your weight stable matters so that the remaining ones do not expand.
• Will it leave scars?
  The incisions are minimal and are deliberately placed where they show least. With proper care the scars are practically imperceptible.
• Can liposuction be combined with another procedure?
  Yes, it is commonly combined with techniques that remove skin, or with buttock augmentation using your own fat (lipofilling).

How much does liposuction cost in Valencia?

The price is, as a guide, between 1,900 and 10,000 € (2026). It is a very wide range and it is worth explaining why: liposuction is not one single operation but a procedure that changes completely according to how many areas are treated, how extensive each is, and whether it can be done under local anaesthetic or requires a general anaesthetic and a theatre.

Refining under the chin with a local anaesthetic and reshaping the whole body contour in theatre are different operations, which is why you should be wary of anyone who quotes you a price before examining you.

The quote given after the first consultation is fixed and all-inclusive: operating theatre, anaesthetist, follow-up appointments, compression garment and VAT. Nothing appears on the bill afterwards.

What it does not include are the optional post-operative treatments — radiofrequency, massage or lymphatic drainage — which are recommended according to what each patient needs and are quoted separately.

And if there is a complication or I need a revision? Who covers it?

Every case is looked at individually, but the general principle is clear. If a medical complication arises, treating it normally involves only the cost of materials and theatre, so the cost is very small compared with a standard operation: the surgery is not charged for again.

As for minor refinement procedures, they are usually included, at minimal cost.

This is not a guarantee of outcome — medicine is an obligation of means, not of results — but an undertaking that, if something requires a second operation, we will make that as straightforward as we possibly can so that any problem can be dealt with.

How much fat can safely be removed in a single operation?

There is a limit and it is not negotiable. The most widely accepted criterion is not to aspirate more than 5% of body weight, and “large-volume liposuction” starts at 5 litres. Above that figure the complication rate rises measurably: in the published series it goes from around 1.1% to 3.7%.

This matters because it marks the difference between contouring surgery and a risky operation. If you are offered the removal of a far greater amount in a single session, that is a reason to seek a second opinion.

What are the risks of liposuction?

The commonest are local and manageable: a collection of fluid (seroma) is the commonest complication and sometimes has to be drained, followed by haematoma, infection, contour irregularities, asymmetry, and changes in sensation in the treated skin, which are usually temporary.

There are serious complications — fat embolism, perforation of an internal organ, problems from aspirating too much volume — which are rare and are directly related to the volume removed, to operating in a facility without the right resources, and to stacking several procedures at once.

Does liposuction get rid of cellulite or sagging?

No. They are different problems and it is worth being clear about that before surgery. Liposuction removes localised fat; cellulite depends on the fibrous bands that pull the skin inwards, and sagging on the quality and elasticity of the skin itself.

In fact, if the skin has little elasticity, removing volume beneath it can leave it laxer. That is why in some cases what is indicated is not liposuction but a technique that also removes skin, or a combination of the two.

Can I have surgery if I am overweight? Is there a limit?

Liposuction is not a treatment for losing weight: it is contouring surgery, intended for localised fat that does not respond to diet and exercise in someone whose weight is stable.

The greater the excess weight, the worse the relationship between what can safely be removed and the change that shows, and the greater the surgical risk.

Our policy at ICPM is that the ideal starting point is a body mass index below 26, with the weight stable for some months. It is not a rigid barrier — every case is assessed — but above that the result usually disappoints in relation to the effort and the risk taken on. If the goal is to lose weight, contouring surgery is not the right answer.

What is the difference between liposuction, liposculpture and VASER?

“Liposuction” and “liposculpture” describe the same thing from different angles: the second is a marketing term that emphasises the shaping done area by area, and it often includes reinjecting some of the fat elsewhere.

VASER and the laser- or radiofrequency-assisted systems add energy — ultrasound in the case of VASER — to liquefy the fat before aspirating it, which makes the work easier in fibrous areas and for more marked definition.

None of these variants changes the safe volume limit or turns the technique into a way of losing weight. What most influences the result is still the indication and the surgeon’s hand, not the machine.

How long do I have to wear the compression garment?

The compression garment is part of the treatment, not an accessory: it reduces swelling, helps the skin adapt to the new contour and lowers the risk of seroma.

What aftercare is needed after liposuction?

At ICPM the recovery is not simply a matter of waiting. The schedule is a compression garment for the first month and, after that, according to how each patient progresses: not everyone needs it for the same length of time.

To that we usually add post-surgical massage and radiofrequency. They are not an aesthetic extra: they help drain the swelling, help the tissue reorganise more evenly, and reduce the hard areas and irregularities that appear while the area heals from within.

It is worth being clear so there are no surprises: these treatments are not included in the price of the surgery. They are recommended according to what each patient needs and are quoted separately. The compression garment is included.

The specific schedule — how many sessions and from when — depends on the area treated, on the volume removed and on how your tissue responds. It is adjusted at your check-ups.

How long does recovery take, and how many days do I need?

It depends above all on how extensive the treated area is and on the kind of work you do. With office work normal life resumes earlier than with physical work or a job involving lifting, which needs several weeks.

The first few days are dominated by swelling, bruising and a feeling of severe muscle soreness rather than sharp pain. Light activity — walking — is recommended from the start; impact sport, considerably later.

When is the final result visible?

The change is apparent early, but the real result takes time. The swelling in the treated tissue goes down very gradually and the skin needs time to adapt to the new contour: the usual reference is between three and six months, and in some areas up to a year.

Judging the result in the first few weeks, with the area still swollen and firm, is the main source of needless anxiety after surgery.

Sources and clinical review

The clinical statements on this page are based on the following sources, accessed on 1 August 2026:

• Limits on the volume aspirated and the risk of large-volume liposuction: American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Practice Advisory on Liposuction.
• Fat does not return to the treated area or redistribute elsewhere: No Increase in Female Breast Size or Fat Redistribution to the Upper Body After Liposuction, a prospective controlled photometric study.
• Complications of liposuction and how they are managed: Unfavourable outcomes of liposuction and their management.

If you are considering liposuction in Valencia, we invite you to book a personal assessment with our medical team. At the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo we will assess your case on clinical and ethical grounds and offer you a surgical plan that is realistic, safe and matched to your needs. Our priority is that you get a balanced, lasting and entirely natural result.