Men and Liposuction Surgery

In a 2011 survey, about 205,000 liposuction procedures were performed in the US, making it the third most commonly performed cosmetic plastic surgery.  Out of this number, 23,000 treatments were given on men, making this one of the most popular surgical enhancements for male patients.

While the goal of liposuction between men and women is the same—and that is to remove the unwanted fats to improve the figure—leading Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. TarickSmaili said anatomical differences must be considered to achieve the best result possible.

“By considering their differences, plastic surgeons can choose the right technique that would produce the desired outcome,” Smaili said.

Men have been found to have more fibrous, denser fats than women, making it more challenging to perform liposuction.  For this reason, male fat removal surgery is more expensive than if the procedure is performed on female.

Currently, the chest is the most commonly treated area in male liposuction.  Some men have excess fats in this area even if they have a normal and stable weight, resulting to a woman-like breast.  While this condition is “harmless,” it often leads to embarrassment that it has been reported that some sufferers intentionally gain weight just to make their large breasts less obvious.

The male chest contains very fibrous and dense fats that it has almost been a sacrosanct to inject the area with a tumescent solution prior to fat extraction.  This is a mixture of drugs that are designed to make the fatty tissues swollen, making it easier for them to be removed with cannula or suctioning probe.

After injecting the tumescent solution, the fats will start to swell.  Several tiny incisions are then created where the cannula is carefully inserted and pushed back and forth to remove the unwanted fats.  But in some cases, plastic surgeons use a power-assisted suction probe that releases accurate, small vibrations believed to make the extraction more effective and less “traumatic” to the surrounding tissue.

Aside from chest, a significant number of men seeking liposuction want to remove the excess fats from their abdomen and flanks, areas which are highly prone to fat bulges even if a person has a normal and stable weight. 

Meanwhile, there is a special kind of liposuction called abdominal etching which can create the much-coveted “six pack” appearance.  This is performed by removing some fats to form several grooves in the abdomen.

Patients should remember that liposuction is only applicable to those who have stable weight but have “isolated” pockets of fats.  The procedure is not a replacement for weight loss, diet, and exercise.