Hip or “saddlebags” liposuction targets fat that has deposited and accumulated around the hips and outer thighs. Patients who elect to have liposuction often complain of love handles or “muffin-tops”—bulges of fat that are accentuated by wearing pants or skirts with belts or tight-fitting waists. The result of hip and waist liposuction is a smoother and slimmer contour to the hip, creating a naturally beautiful and proportional body shape. Liposuction of the thighs is performed for people who have extra fat under the skin of the outer, posterior (back) and medial (inner) thighs.
The first step in your Love Handles, Hips, thighs and Waist liposuction procedure is a consultation with Dr. Edward Kole. At The Kole Plastic Surgery Center, Dr. Edward Kole privately meets with each patient to discuss their goals for surgery, the realistic expectations and results of surgery, and the specific details of the chosen procedure. During your consultation, Dr. Kole will assess the elasticity of your skin to determine whether liposuction alone will create a thin and smooth look around the hips, or whether an additional lifting procedure would optimize results. Dr. Kole suggests that the ideal candidate for liposuction is a patient in overall good health who generally sustains the same weight and who has good skin elasticity.
The liposuction procedure can be done within a few hours, and time varies depending on the size of the area being treated and whether any adjunctive additional surgeries are being performed. Dr. Kole inserts cannulas, small metal tubes, into the hip area to first inject an anesthetic solution that numbs the areas being treated, loosens fat, and then suctions out the fat. Dr. Kole performs the procedure to remove the fat in specific areas in order to create a smooth and proportional aesthetic around the hips. One must remember that the amount of fat suctioned is secondary in importance to the amount of fat left. The fat that is left on the body must be equal in thickness to the surroundings areas or bulges and a disproportionate look will result. Dr. Kole reminds all patients that during liposuction, fat is permanently removed. If weight is gained after surgery, fat can accumulate in other areas, but generally it does not redeposit where liposuction has been done.
Post-surgery, patients are placed in compression garments to reduce swelling. These garments are worn up to three weeks after Love Handles, Hips, thighs and Waist Liposuction liposuction, and they are easily hidden under loose-fitting pants and shirts. Patients experience bruising for up to 3 weeks post-surgery, and may experience a moderate amount of discomfort around the areas being treated. Patients can take prescribed pain medication for the first few days, and then are recommended to use Tylenol as needed. Patients can walk around the day after surgery, and usually return to work within 3-5 days. All full activity can be resumed after 3 weeks or recovery including exercise and physical activity. Swelling will occur after surgery and can last for several months, but swelling is usually reduced by 80% within the first 3 weeks and will not be noticeable to most people.
View our before and after gallery here
For more details about the hip, thigh and waist liposuction procedure, contact Dr. Kole and The Kole Plastic Surgery Center. Call 215-315-7655 to set up a private complimentary consultation today.
