Liposuction in Paris 16 — removing localised fat deposits

Liposuction genuinely redraws a figure. It is particularly indicated where there are localised fat deposits, in areas on which diet and exercise have no effect.

It is today the most requested aesthetic procedure, among men as much as among women.

What is liposuction?

Liposuction removes subcutaneous fat from a given area, using fine cannulas introduced through very short incisions. It treats neither deep visceral fat nor excess skin.

The cannulas used today are very fine, which makes it possible to adapt precisely to the area treated, including delicate regions such as the chin or the folds of the back.

Why consider liposuction?

Because the distribution of fat is uneven and remains massively stored in one or more regions of the body, despite a stable weight.

Because these deposits contrast with the rest of the figure and create difficulties with clothing: a narrow waist and hips combined with saddlebags that force you to dress two sizes larger.

Because the face looks heavy because of a double chin.

Because you are overweight and need a starting point for taking things in hand overall. On this last point one clarification is needed: liposuction can accompany such an effort, it cannot replace it.

Which areas can be treated?

The areas most frequently treated are the saddlebags, the hips and love handles, the abdomen, the inner thighs, the knees, the arms, the folds of the back and the chin.

Does liposuction make you lose weight?

No. It changes a distribution, not a weight. The quantity removed rarely represents a significant change on the scales.

The benefit is morphological: what changes is the relationship between volumes, not the total mass.

How does the operation proceed?

Liposuction can be carried out under local anaesthesia for a single area, or under regional or even general anaesthesia if the areas are multiple or extensive.

The operation takes place as day surgery or with one night in hospital, depending on the quantity aspirated.

What is the recovery like?

Recovery is somewhat painful and warrants suitable pain relief for the first eight days. The pain is fleeting, occurs on changing position, and feels like severe muscle stiffness.

Anticoagulant injections are compulsory for ten to fifteen days, to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

The compression garment is worn for four weeks, night and day, then during the day only. This point directly determines the quality of the result: compression guides the retraction of the skin.

Significant swelling appears around the second day and persists for several weeks, as does bruising.

What follow-up after liposuction?

The compression garment is worn for several weeks: it supports the skin as it retracts and limits the swelling that masks the result over the first weeks. Manual lymphatic drainage may be offered at home from the second day, depending on the areas treated and on the surgeon's judgement. Nurses deliver local care, the anaesthetist follows pain relief. Two review consultations are scheduled, within seven days and between day ten and day fourteen. The detailed arrangement appears under post-operative care.

When is the result final?

The result can be judged six months after the operation. Any revision should not be considered before twelve months, the time needed for the tissues to stabilise completely.

What are the risks?

Besides the risks associated with general anaesthesia, the specific complications essentially concern thromboembolic risks, and deep vein thrombosis in particular. That is the reason for preventive anticoagulation and for walking again early.

Imperfections of result and small asymmetries are possible and can be corrected by a revision.

The other, very rare complications are set out in detail in the SoFCPRE information leaflet.

When should you contact the surgeon quickly?

In the event of pain in a calf, asymmetrical swelling of a limb, breathlessness or chest pain — signs that may suggest a thromboembolic complication — and also in the event of fever, spreading redness or discharge.

Frequently asked questions

Can the fat come back?

The fat cells removed do not re-form. On the other hand, significant weight gain enlarges the remaining cells, including in other areas: the benefit is maintained at a stable weight.

Does liposuction treat cellulite?

No. Cellulite is a matter of the architecture of the fibrous partitions beneath the skin, not of fat volume. Liposuction may even make it more visible if the skin lacks firmness.

When can sport be resumed?

Walking is encouraged immediately to prevent thromboembolic risk. Returning to sport is gradual and is specified in consultation according to the extent of the areas treated.

Last updated: August 2026 · Medical content reviewed by Dr Benjamin Pulvermacker, board-qualified plastic surgeon in Paris 16.

Who this operation suits — and who it does not

It suits localised, stubborn pockets of fat — saddlebags, hips, abdomen, knees, neck — in a patient at a stable weight whose skin is elastic enough to retract. It is not a method of weight loss, nor is it suitable where the skin is already slack: removing fat under skin that no longer retracts creates excess skin instead of removing it, and a lift is then what is indicated. Superficial cellulite is not an indication either: liposuction does not treat it.

Limits and specific risks

The result depends as much on how the skin retracts as on the volume removed, which is why assessing elasticity matters. Specific risks: irregularities and rippling, asymmetry, temporary altered sensation, seroma, and for large volumes a general effect on the body that means limiting the amount removed in one session. Wearing a compression garment for four to six weeks determines the quality of the result. The result is judged at three months, and definitively at six.