Liposuction is a surgical procedure intended to remove deposits of fat and to help shape your body contours. There is a small vacuum type suction tool called a canula, a hollow pen-like tool or also some wish to use an ultrasonic probe that emulsifies or breaks up fat into tiny pieces then the fat is removed with suction.

People with localized fat may decide to have liposuction to remove fat from that area. Liposuction is not recommended as a means for weight loss, just for body shaping mainly. Liposuction may be done on the hips, thighs, calves, in order to reduce breast size in men, arms, buttocks, back, neck, or face although most commonly Liposuction is done on the abdomen. 

The water Liposuction is said to be a better alternative due to the fact that it helps minimize recovery time as well as shape contour lines more effectively.

I guess the main thing to keep in mind when you consider Lipo is that there is no standardized training required. None, zip, zero nada! Because of that I do not need to tell you that the difference between good or bad lipo may just be not asking enough questions concerning the doctors training. Physicians performing liposuction are not always qualified.

You can ask them to tell you whether they have had specialized training to do liposuction first and foremost, how many successful liposuction they have done. Even perfect conditions with a highly trained & experienced physician you may still experience complications as a result of liposuction there is always a risk with any surgical procedure.

Check out the web ask questions about the doctor, the procedure and the recovery time. Many people do not take the recovery time seriously until they are right in the middle of it resulting in a buyers remorse at time. Ask questions but give a lot of thought to the answers as well. Lastly make sure you involve your family in this decision, it is a surgical procedure and the love and support from family can be priceless. What ever you decide I wish you good luck and a very safe and successful Liposuction procedure.

During the Liposuction procedure

The day of your liposuction surgery. I am talking generally about the new procedure with water Liposuction. Your physician would use a pen to mark your body to designate where your fat is going to be taken away or removed from, never to be seen again. Next you will receive a local anesthesia, that is medication for pain. With this procedure some doctors use only local anesthesia, which is an anesthesia that is injected with a syringe or a pump into the place where they will do the liposuction procedure. Most people can remain awake during the procedure with the local anesthesia, also sometimes called tumescent anesthesia. 

The anesthesia along with a lot of fluid is then injected usually buffered salt water and epinephrine, a drug that will help to reduce the bleeding during the procedure. You could chose a sedative orally or through injection in this case you would be put to sleep.This procedure should only be done in a hospital. In a few words, Micheal Jackson is said to have been given similar drugs to induce sleep and we all know what happened. That is why I want to stress the need for this procedure to only be done with a certified physician check out your doctors background and ask questions.

Next your doctor will make a cut into the area your liposuction will be done.  A tube that is hollow, called a canula, it is about the size and shape of a skinny pen, will be placed into the cut. The doctor will move the tool back and forth to remove any fat. The removed fat will be measured to make sure your fluids are kept at safe levels through an I.V.

It all depends on the length and severity of your procedure that will dictate your recovery. If most fat was removed there is a good chance you may have to stay the night at the facility. On the other hand if it was fairly minimal and not as invasive you may be able to leave right after the procedure. You should also ask your doctor after the procedure when you can resume normal activity as well as returning to work.

Your incisions may be seep or drain fluids for a few days this is normal but you will want to be prepared at home for this as well. Some patients may need what is called a drain tube do not worry this is also normal for some patients to need the tube to help the drainage stay away from the wound to help it heal better.

Your special garments will be tight to keep your skin compressed after the liposuction procedure. Usually you will wear these for a few weeks but your doctor will let you know what length of time. 

Just because they say it's FDA Approved it doesn't mean the "procedure" or "doctor's skills" are completely safe. You should always do further research on your own about the doctor as well as the procedure.

Before a medical device can be legally sold in the U.S., the person or company that wants to sell the device must seek approval from the FDA. To gain approval, they must present evidence that the device is reasonably safe and effective for a particular use, the "indication." Once a device is approved, other similar devices may be cleared by the FDA for use. This requires less information since an equivalent device has already been shown to be safe and effective. In some cases, devices that were on the market before FDA started regulating medical devices may be cleared. Once the FDA has approved or cleared a medical device, a doctor may decide to use that device for other indications if the doctor feels it is in the best interest of a patient. The use of an approved or cleared device for other than its FDA-approved indication is called "off-label use."

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/SurgeryandLifeSupport/ucm070172.htm