Large volume liposuction is everything liposuction is and more. It involves circumferential body contouring. Some women only need localized "touch-ups" to remove fat in the places where it is impossible to work it off; others need the entire body taken down in size. If you have struggled to get off the "last 10 pounds" or are 30-40 pounds overweight, this procedure is for you.

Large volume, or total body liposuction, is a different operation than traditional liposuction. It involves surgery in at least five body areas, all at once. The American Society of Plastic Surgery generally refers to any liposuction procedure with over five liters of aspirate (fluid and fat removed) as large volume. This correlates with approximately three liters of pure fat, or six pounds. The little bit of physics you must understand is that fat is not very dense. That means that six pounds of fat looks like a small garbage can full, all taken from the places where you do not want it. If you are 30 pounds overweight, 10 to 12 pounds (or more) of fat may easily be removed. In other words, to reach your ideal weight you only need to lose closer to 15 pounds, instead of 30. In addition the 10-12 pounds, removed from the areas you want, will translate to a 1-2 clothing size reduction, even without additional weight loss.

This procedure sculpts your body. If you do not have waist, or curvaceous form, now you can. The total number of inches lost with large volume liposuction is astounding. It is not unusual to take 4 inches off the waist; or even 6 inches. However like everything else in life there are trade-offs. This is a longer operation because more fat is removed. Nearly all operations are performed under general anesthesia and most patients stay in the hospital one night after surgery. You should plan to take one week off of work. This is time you will give to yourself to heal. This is a very powerful surgery that relieves a great amount of body image stress and disappointment that many women have lived with for too long. If you are dieting and exercising and you still do not have the shape that you desire, total body liposuction may be for you.

Often patients gain motivation for ongoing weight loss from the dramatic changes to the body after surgery and the improved body image. You will actually be living in the body you only dreamed of. When you feel better your outlook and motivation to tackle new challenges is much improved.

Here are some points to consider:

-- All of the fat removed at the time of liposuction is gone forever. As an adult your fat does not replicate, the cells that are in your body grow and shrink. If you gain weight after your surgery the fat cells that remain in your body will get bigger.

-- The body skin retains some elasticity even as we age. After the fat is removed, the skin shrinks down to fit the 'new' shape it now covers. This process is even more dramatic with ultrasonic liposuction. If you have very saggy skin before surgery, your surgeon will probably also discuss a tummy-tuck or a body lift instead of liposuction alone.

-- Though it is often perceived as a surgery for younger people, it is quite common for healthy women in their 50's to have this operation performed. It is less common for women in their 60's.

Complications occur with large volume liposuction as with any surgery. The most common is the need for a secondary (touch-up) operation to perfect the body contour. When circumferential bodywork is done the need for a second operation is more frequent. Rarer but also more worrisome complications include fluid overload (causing fluid on the lungs and difficultly breathing), intestine perforation (resulting in death from infection or an open abdominal operation), bleeding, a blood or fat clot that travels to the lung (causing difficulty breathing or sudden death) or an overdose of the local anesthetic (lidocaine) which can cause heart rhythm irregularities and/or death. This is not intended to scare you but to educate you so you can make an informed decision about your surgery. Many of these complications are preventable; blood and fat embolism is unfortunately not. To diminish the occurrence your surgeon may place compression leggings on and you will be encouraged to walk around after surgery to "keep the blood flowing". Nothing can completely take away the risk of a blood clot. This risk is present with any surgery you will have in your life.

In most overweight patients, the operation lowers weight, systolic blood pressure and blood insulin levels. Large volume liposuction may lower the risk or prevent the development of adult onset diabetes in some patients. This particular type of diabetes occurs most frequently with overweight people. The reason why this occurs is currently under study.

In summary, large volume liposuction can be performed safely, by a qualified surgeon in a hospital setting. The operation greatly reduces a person weight and body measurements. In general it also reduces systolic blood pressure and blood insulin levels. Some patients also experience a significant increase in metabolism. The psychological benefits are unquestionable. If you are overweight or have struggled to lose the additional fat you may consider liposuction as an adjunct to your other weight loss methods.