Micro Liposuction (MicroLipo)

MicroLipo is a highly effective liposuction & body contouring treatment that contours and sculpts the body through the removal of localised fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise. MicroLipo differs from traditional liposuction in that the surgeon uses much smaller cannulas, often as small as 2mm in diameter, to remove fat volumes of up to 3.5L in a single session. MicroLipo is comfortably performed under local anaesthesia as an outpatient treatment by our specialist plastic surgeons. By avoiding general anaesthesia and a prolonged recovery, the procedure is more affordable compared with traditional surgical liposuction. Our surgeons very commonly combine MicroLipo with skin tightening treatments, including both BodyTite and Morpheus8, for those with mild to moderate skin laxity.

RELATED: Liposuction FAQs – Q&As about Liposuction Surgery

MicroLipo can be used on the following body areas:

• Abdomen
• Flanks
• Arms
• Inner thighs
• Knees
• Male chest
• Neck or submental area

Always check that your surgeon is on the GMC specialist register for plastic surgery before proceeding with a consultation. All our surgeons are fully accredited plastic surgeons and only perform procedures in CQC-regulated facilities.

RealSelf Top Doctors for MicroLipo

RealSelf’s top doctor status is awarded to less than 10% of the RealSelf doctor community.  This status is earned by achieving consistently high patient satisfaction (from RealSelf reviews), getting excellent feedback on expert answers to patient questions, and investing significant time in Q&A and other doctor activities. RealSelf’s top doctors are rated among the very best surgeons in the United Kingdom.

Liposuction has undergone a series of evolutionary changes since it was introduced in the eighties. With the traditional method of liposuction, the plastic surgeon made an incision and passes a metal tube with openings near the tip into the area of excess fat. The tube is connected to a suction pump, so that as the surgeon passes it back and forth, fat is removed. This was known to be a particularly traumatic method with significant bruising and swelling and also increased recovery time.

A significant advance was made with the invention of tumescent local anaesthesia or TLA. TLA facilitated the liposuction procedure to be performed under local anaesthetic. This makes the liposuction more efficient and less traumatic. This introduction of fluid is known as the tumescent technique and is the foundation for all types of modern liposuction – Laser, Ultrasound and MicroLipo.

MicroLipo is the most recent cutting edge innovation in the field of liposuction. Like all other forms of liposuction, the surgeon firstly injects the area with tumescent local anaesthesia solution. This is a dilute solution of local anaesthetic and adrenaline. The surgeon then inserts a miniaturised microcannula into the treatment area. Application of the vibration energy serves to emulsify fat tissue. The surgeon then finally removes the emulsified fat with a specially designed vibrating cannula.

MicroLipo is a less invasive method of liposuction which can remove excess pockets of fat from various areas of the body. The method received the name MicroLipo as a result of the cannulas which are used throughout the liposuction. The extraction cannulas are specially designed and are no more than 3mm in diameter.

This gentler method of liposuction is particularly useful for removing excess fat from areas including:

• Knees
• Inner thighs
• Chin
• Bingo wings
• Abdomen
• Flanks
• Female breast reduction
• Male breast reduction

After having the fat removed from these areas, there is the option to transfer it to other areas of the body. These methods are known as fat transfer to the breasts, buttocks or calves. However, doing this may require a general anaesthetic to be administered for optimal comfort.

MicroLipo is a specialist minimally invasive technique with the main advantage of being performed as an awake procedure and with minimal downtime. For smaller, more localised areas and in appropriately selected patients, MicroLipo can be an excellent option with superior results to non-surgical methods of fat removal.

The term MicroLipo refers to the fact that the size of the fat extraction cannulas is much smaller compared with cannulas used during traditional Lipo surgery. Micro cannulas often measure no more than 3 mm in diameter with 1.5 to 2 mm being the average. This contrasts with cannulas used during traditional liposuction where the average cannula size measures between 4mm and 5mm.

MicroLipo works great for small well-defined areas including the chin or submental region, the jawline, the inner arms and inner thighs.

The above 4 cases were performed with an advanced form of local anaesthesia known as the ‘tumescent technique’. Patients were ready for discharge 30 minutes after their procedure and were back to work the next day with minimal disruption to their activities of daily living.

RELATED: What are the common liposuction areas?

You will be able to have MicroLipo if you:

• Are 18 years or older
• Have stubborn areas of fat which you have not been able to lose with healthy eating and exercise
• Are physically and mentally healthy
• Have reasonable expectations about what the procedure can achieve

You will have to be a non-smoker, or be able to stop smoking at least two weeks prior to surgery and throughout the recovery period.

There is no upper age limit to this procedure.

The treatment usually takes between one to two hours, depending on how much fat there was and the area of the body which was being treated. MicroLipo is performed as a day case procedure, so you will be able to leave and return home  once the treatment has finished and you are fully recovered.

MicroLipo is ideally suited to being performed under a local anaesthetic. The main reason is related to the design of the microcannula. In MicroLipo, the microcannula tip is designed in such as way to facilitate a gentle fat extraction and can therefore help to minimise postoperative bruising. In other methods such as Vaser lipo, the whole cannula gets very hot and can make for a very uncomfortable procedure.

The precision design of the microcannulas used in MicroLipo coupled with gentle technique facilitates the extraction of fat and simultaneous skin tightening. Performing Vaser lipo under local anaesthetic is not well suited to treatment with a local anaesthetic. The generation of thermal energy coupled with the cannula catching on internal connective tissue fibres and nerve fibres can result in discomfort after a short while. MicroLipo is different – with accurate pre-tunnelling of the fat before fat extraction leads to a very gentle procedure with a much quicker recovery period. MicroLipo can be combined with BodyTite and Morpheus8 for a highly effective skin tightening treatment without the need for more invasive surgery such as a tummy tuck.

Before undergoing the procedure, the surgeon will take photographs of you at various angles followed by making preoperative markings on your skin in a standing position. MicroLipo involves injecting the target area with a diluted local anaesthetic solution. This makes the area swollen and firm. This also makes the area numb and avoids having to use a general anaesthetic. Once the area has a firm consistency with the local anaesthetic injection, the anaesthetic is left to work for about 30-40 minutes to allow the local anaesthetic to take full effect. The surgeon is then able to make tiny incisions to insert the cannulas for MicroLipo.

The surgeon will then make a very small incision in the area where the MicroLipo will be performed. The microcannula will then be inserted through the incision and into the top layer of skin. The microcannula will then be moved around at different angles. You may feel a gentle pushing and pulling sensation but any discomfort should be minimal if any. The fat cells are precisely mobilised with the microcannula prior to vacuum extraction. Depending on the amount of fat deposit, the fat will either be suctioned out or it will be naturally metabolised by the body. During the procedure, you may be asked to change position a number of times to allow the surgeon to address the treatment areas from a number of different angles. This helps the surgeon to contour the treatment areas more effectively. At the end of the procedure, any excess local anaesthetic fluid will be manually drained from the incision sites followed by the application of a sterile dressing. A well fitting compression garment will then be applied.

The recovery time is a lot quicker for MicroLipo than experienced with traditional liposuction.

You may experience minimal bruising and swelling.

You will be given a compression garment which will help to keep the area in shape. If MicroLipo was done on multiple areas you may have to wear multiple compression garments.

You may have to take up to two days off work to recover. Some people may find they need to take a longer period of time off work.

You will have to avoid any strenuous physical exercise for at least seven days. However, you are advised to continue walking and undertake light exercises during this period.