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Liposuction

liposuction

Performed by Specialist Plastic Surgeon Dr Qadir Khan (FRACS)

  • Board Certified Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon
  • Individualised consultations and planning
  • Clear communication at every stage
  • Experienced, approachable clinical team
  • Comprehensive post-procedure support
  • Purpose-built modern clinic
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an illustration of a woman's slim body after a liposuction

What is Body Liposuction?

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of fat from specific areas of the body using suction. It is typically used to reduce localised fat deposits that have not responded to traditional lifestyle measures such as diet and exercise. The procedure is not designed as an overall weight loss procedure but may be considered as part of a personalised surgical plan following clinical assessment.

In Perth, individuals exploring liposuction surgery should be aware that this is one of the cosmetic procedures regulated under national healthcare advertising laws, and its suitability must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

If you are considering this option, a referral from your general practitioner is required.

This content has been medically reviewed by Dr Khan, MBBS, MRCS (Edin), FRACS (Plast)

What to Expect

What to expect?

Your first step to having a Liposuction in Perth is to schedule an appointment with Dr Khan at West Coast Plastic Surgery. Get your GP to send us a referral to apply for a Medicare rebate for your consultation (special conditions apply from Medicare). You can also contact us by phone at 0862303041 or by fax at 0862303042 for a belly fat removal surgery. Alternatively, you can send an email to admin@wcps.au. Someone from the team will contact you to book your appointment and answer any questions you may have about the liposuction procedure.

Medications can be used to control swelling, numbness, soreness, and bruising during the healing process. The stab wounds may take 5-10 days to heal, and the healing process may continue for a few weeks. You will receive more specific post-operative instructions from Dr Khan.

To maintain your post-operative results, you will need to wear a compression garment for several weeks. As your new contours develop, your swelling may last several months.

After your first consultation with Dr Khan, he will be able to assess your needs and requirements. A bespoke treatment plan that best suits your needs will be provided to you. Following your consultation, the cost of your personalized procedure will be provided to you.

Potential Benefits of Liposuction

Liposuction may offer potential benefits in refining areas with excess fat that have not responded to traditional efforts. This can support body contouring procedures where the goal is to reshape rather than reduce body weight.

  • Liposuction may assist in targeting specific fat deposits that have not responded to ongoing diet and exercise routines.
  • The procedure may be considered to help reshape areas such as the abdomen, thighs, arms, or flanks, particularly when these regions remain unchanged despite other efforts.
  • In some treatment plans, liposuction may be used alongside other procedures to address individual surgical goals, depending on clinical assessment.
  • The fat cells removed during liposuction generally do not return in the treated areas, though body shape can still change over time if lifestyle habits are not maintained.
  • Patients often consider liposuction when they are seeking a surgical option to address concerns that are localised and specific, rather than general weight reduction.

The suitability and potential role of liposuction in your case can only be determined through a personalised consultation with a qualified medical practitioner, such as a plastic surgeon.

Understanding Individual Outcomes

Each patient’s outcome will differ, depending on factors such as skin characteristics, the amount and location of fat, and overall health status. A personalised consultation is the appropriate forum for reviewing your goals and assessing whether liposuction may be a clinically relevant option.

If you are considering this procedure, speaking with a plastic surgeon can help you determine whether it aligns with your needs and circumstances. For example, if significant weight loss or skin laxity is present, additional discussion around excess or loose skin may be needed.

Different Techniques of Liposuction

There are several techniques available at West Coast Plastic Surgery, each suited to a particular clinical context.

Your suitability for any of these approaches will be discussed during your consultation, based on your goals, medical history, and physical assessment.

Certain techniques may be appropriate where a fat transfer is also being considered as part of your surgical plan.

Suction-Assisted Liposuction

Suction-assisted liposuction (SAL) is the traditional method and involves a vacuum connected to the cannula to remove fat. This approach remains widely used and is often incorporated into many body contouring procedures.

Vaser Liposuction

Vaser Liposuction, or Vaser, employs ultrasound to emulsify fat before removal. While it may support efficient extraction, outcomes can vary depending on individual anatomy and tissue responsiveness.

Power-Assisted Liposuction

Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL) uses a vibrating cannula to facilitate fat dislodgement. This technique can be beneficial for larger or denser areas and is frequently chosen in conjunction with advanced liposuction techniques.

Liposuction Procedure & Candidacy

Liposuction Procedure

Liposuction is undertaken using small incisions through which a cannula is introduced to target localised fat. Depending on the method, fat is either suctioned directly or first liquefied using ultrasound or mechanical vibrations to ease extraction.

It is important to understand that liposuction is not intended to alter body weight, nor is it a substitute for exercise or nutrition. Rather, it serves a defined purpose in body contouring under medical supervision.

Candidates are generally in good health, close to their preferred weight, and have specific areas of fat that have not responded to exercise and diet. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning major weight changes, you may be advised to wait before undergoing this type of surgery.

A thorough medical review is conducted before any recommendation is made, ensuring the approach is clinically appropriate. If your situation involves excess fat in certain areas with minimal skin elasticity, your surgeon will also evaluate the likelihood of excess skin following fat removal.

Recovery and Post-Operative Care

Your recovery begins immediately after surgery and typically involves:

  • Swelling
  • Tenderness
  • Temporary bruising

These responses are common and can be managed with prescribed medications.

You may be advised to wear a compression garment for a few weeks, and light physical activity is generally encouraged to support circulation. Your return to daily activities depends on the scope of your procedure and your individual healing rate. Dr Khan will provide clear guidance and follow-up care recommendations.

If you have questions about what the recovery process might look like for your situation, your consultation is the ideal opportunity to have these answered in detail.

Potential Risks

As with any surgery, liposuction carries potential risks. 

These may include:

  • Infection
  • Irregular or uneven skin contours
  • Changes in skin sensation
  • Scarring
  • Fluid imbalance or accumulation
  • Blood clots or fat embolism
  • Injury to superficial nerves and internal organs

In rare cases, serious complications may occur. For a full list of risks and personalised advice, it is important to discuss your medical history and concerns directly with your surgeon.

If fat is removed in large volumes or in conjunction with other procedures, risks such as fluid accumulation or excessive fluid loss may be monitored as part of your healing process.

Why Choose Us

Experienced Medical Professionals

Experienced Medical Professionals

Our highly qualified practitioners bring extensive expertise in cosmetic medicine and skin rejuvenation, delivering safe, effective treatments tailored to your individual needs.

Advanced Treatment Technologies 

Advanced Treatment Technologies 

We utilise the latest medical-grade equipment and proven treatment modalities to address multiple skin concerns with precision and effectiveness.

Personalised Treatment Approach

Personalised Treatment Approach

Every patient receives a thorough consultation and customised treatment plan based on your specific concerns, skin type, and aesthetic goals.

Commitment to Natural Looking Results

Commitment to Natural-Looking Results

We prioritise subtle, natural-looking outcomes that refresh and rejuvenate your features without appearing overdone or artificial.

Transparent Pricing and Consultations

Transparent Pricing and Consultations

We provide honest communication about treatment options, expected outcomes, and costs so you can make informed decisions with confidence.

Comprehensive Aftercare Support

Comprehensive Aftercare Support

We provide thorough aftercare guidance, follow-up appointments, and ongoing support to ensure you achieve the best possible outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is liposuction?

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes localised fat deposits through small incisions, using a thin tube called a cannula connected to suction. It is a body contouring operation rather than a weight loss treatment, and it works best on discrete pockets of fat that have not responded to diet and exercise in someone already close to a stable weight. It removes subcutaneous fat, which sits between the skin and the muscle, and cannot reach visceral fat, the deeper fat around the organs that drives waist size in many people and responds to diet and exercise instead. Liposuction also does not tighten skin. It is usually performed under general anaesthesia. At West Coast Plastic Surgery in West Perth, liposuction is performed by Specialist Plastic Surgeon Dr Qadir Khan (FRACS, MED0001546567).

The surgeon marks the areas to be treated while you are standing, because fat distribution changes when you lie down, then makes several incisions of only a few millimetres, placed in natural creases where possible. A tumescent solution containing local anaesthetic and adrenaline is infiltrated into the fat, which numbs the area, reduces bleeding and makes the fat easier to remove. A cannula is then passed back and forth through the fat layer in a fanning pattern, breaking the fat up and suctioning it out, while a deliberate layer of fat is left beneath the skin so the contour stays smooth. The fat cells removed do not grow back. Depending on the number of areas treated, surgery takes roughly one to several hours.

Tumescent refers to the fluid technique used in nearly all modern liposuction rather than a separate device, so most procedures are tumescent regardless of what else is used. Traditional, or suction-assisted, liposuction removes fat using the cannula and suction alone. Power-assisted liposuction adds a vibrating cannula, which makes removal easier in larger or denser areas. Vaser uses ultrasound energy to emulsify fat before removal, and laser-assisted systems use laser energy for the same purpose; both are promoted for skin tightening, although the effect is modest and the evidence mixed. No technique has been shown to be decisively better across the board, and the result depends far more on the surgeon’s judgement and your own anatomy. Dr Khan will explain which approach suits your tissue.

360 liposuction, sometimes called circumferential liposuction, treats the entire midsection around the body rather than one part of it, covering the upper and lower abdomen, the waist, the flanks or love handles, and the mid to lower back. The aim is a consistent result the whole way around, because treating only the front can leave the back and flanks looking disproportionate. It is a larger procedure than single-area liposuction, involves more total fat removed, and usually means longer surgery, more swelling, a more demanding recovery and often an overnight stay. It is a description of the areas treated rather than a distinct technique. Whether it is appropriate depends on your fat distribution and skin quality, which Dr Khan assesses at consultation.

The most commonly treated areas are the abdomen, the waist and flanks, the outer and inner thighs, the back and bra line, the upper arms, and the chin, jawline and neck. Liposuction is also used on the knees, calves, ankles, chest and pubic area, and it forms part of the treatment for gynaecomastia in men. What matters more than the area itself is skin quality, because liposuction removes volume and then relies on the skin to shrink down over the new contour. The chin and neck often respond well, since the skin there is relatively elastic. Multiple areas can be treated in one procedure, within safe limits on total volume. Dr Khan will advise which areas are worth treating in your case.

Most patients lose very little weight, often only one to three kilograms, because fat is light relative to its volume. The change shows in shape and clothing size rather than on the scale, and treating liposuction as a weight loss procedure is the most common reason patients end up disappointed. Five litres of total aspirate is the widely used threshold defining large-volume liposuction. Average volumes are closer to two litres but it depends on patient presentation and goals. Total aspirate includes the tumescent fluid as well as the fat, so it is not the same as the amount of fat removed, and the safe volume falls for smaller patients. Liposuction removes no visceral fat at all.

Liposuction is one of the most commonly performed operations in plastic surgery and serious complications are uncommon, but it is surgery and the risks are real. More common problems include contour irregularities, lumpiness or asymmetry, prolonged swelling, seroma, bruising, numbness that can take months to resolve, skin discolouration and infection. Rarer but serious risks include bleeding, blood clots in the leg or lung, fat embolism, fluid shifts following large-volume removal, and injury to structures beneath the fat layer. Risk rises with the volume removed, the number of areas treated in one sitting, and when liposuction is combined with other operations. Being treated in an accredited facility with a specialist anaesthetist matters. Dr Khan discusses the risks relevant to your circumstances at consultation.

You feel nothing during the procedure itself. Afterwards, most patients describe deep soreness and bruising, similar to a hard fall or a very intense gym session, rather than sharp pain, and it is usually worse over the first three to five days. Larger volumes and more areas mean more discomfort. Tumescent fluid drains from the incision sites for the first day or two, which is expected rather than a complication. Discomfort is managed with prescribed pain relief, usually stepped down to simple analgesia within the first week, and the compression garment itself reduces pain by limiting swelling. Numbness in the treated areas is common and can persist for months. Pain that worsens rather than improves should be reported promptly.

Yes, but they are small. Liposuction is performed through incisions of roughly three to five millimetres, placed in creases, skin folds or areas covered by underwear or swimwear wherever possible. Several are usually needed per area, so the fat can be approached from more than one direction, which produces a smoother result. The marks are red or pink for the first few months, then fade to fine pale dots that are generally difficult to see at conversational distance. As with all scars, sun protection matters, because healing scars darken permanently with UV exposure. Skin discolouration over the treated area can also occur and usually settles over several months. Dr Khan will show you where the incisions are likely to fall.

This is the most important question to settle before surgery, because liposuction removes volume and then depends on the skin retracting over the new contour. Where skin elasticity is good, it usually shrinks down well. Where elasticity is poor, whether from age, sun damage, previous pregnancies or major weight loss, removing the fat underneath can leave the skin looser than it was before, and no technique reliably prevents this. Vaser and laser systems are marketed for skin tightening, but the effect is modest. If you already have loose skin or stretch marks, a procedure that removes skin, such as an abdominoplasty or an arm lift, may give a better result than liposuction alone. Dr Khan assesses skin quality as part of your consultation.

No. Cellulite is caused by fibrous bands tethering the skin to the deeper tissue, which creates the dimpled surface, and liposuction removes the fat between those bands without releasing them. It may make cellulite slightly less noticeable by reducing the fat pushing against the tethers, but it can equally make dimpling more visible once the volume beneath it is reduced, particularly on the thighs and buttocks. Cellulite affects most adult women regardless of body weight and is not a sign of excess fat. Treatments that target the fibrous bands directly are a different category of procedure with their own limitations. Anyone promising that liposuction will clear cellulite is overstating what the operation does.

The fat cells removed are gone permanently, because adults do not generally form significant numbers of new fat cells. That is not the same as a permanent result. If you gain weight afterwards, the fat cells remaining throughout your body enlarge, including those left in the treated area, and the contour changes. Because fewer cells remain where you were treated, weight gain can also distribute differently than before, often becoming more noticeable in untreated areas. The practical answer is that the result lasts as long as your weight does. Maintaining a stable weight and staying active protects it, and liposuction does not remove the need for the habits that keep weight stable in the first place.

Liposuction is not appropriate if you are seeking weight loss, if your concern is loose skin rather than fat, or if the fat you want removed is visceral, sitting behind the abdominal wall rather than beneath the skin. It is also unsuitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, if you are planning significant weight loss, or where a medical condition affects healing or clotting. Poor skin elasticity is a common reason a surgeon will recommend a skin-removing operation instead. There is no fixed BMI cut-off, although most surgeons prefer patients within a healthy to modestly overweight range, since complication rates rise as BMI rises. There is no upper age limit, and surgery is generally performed from age 18. Dr Khan will tell you directly if liposuction is not the right procedure for you.

Liposuction performed for body contouring is cosmetic, so it attracts no Medicare rebate and no private health fund contribution toward the surgery, and you should budget for the full cost out of pocket. Narrow exceptions apply where liposuction treats a medical condition and a specific MBS item applies. Item 45585 covers liposuction to one regional area, meaning one limb or the trunk, for lymphoedema, Barraquer-Simons syndrome, macrodystrophia lipomatosa, or reduction of a buffalo hump secondary to an endocrine disorder or medication. Item 45584 covers post-traumatic pseudolipoma, and items 31525 and 31526 cover gynaecomastia surgery with or without liposuction. Lipoedema is not currently covered. Because a GP referral is required before any cosmetic surgery consultation in Australia, the consultation itself may attract a rebate even where the surgery does not. Contact our team if you need item numbers to check with your fund.

Most patients take one to two weeks off desk-based work and two to four weeks off physical or standing work, depending on how many areas were treated. Expect to be up and walking on the same day, with tumescent fluid draining from the incisions for the first day or two. Bruising is at its worst around days three to five and largely resolves by two to three weeks. Driving usually resumes at around one week, once you are off prescription pain medication and can move and brake without hesitation. Heavy lifting and strenuous activity wait longer. Larger, multi-area or 360 procedures sit at the longer end of every range, and combining liposuction with another operation extends recovery considerably.

Most surgeons ask for a compression garment worn day and night for the first four to six weeks, then during the day only for a further two to four weeks, so roughly six to ten weeks in total. It reduces swelling and bruising, helps the skin adhere smoothly to the tissue underneath, and makes the early weeks considerably more comfortable. It should feel firm but not painful, and it should not leave deep indentations, which can create contour marks of their own. Manual lymphatic drainage massage is commonly recommended after liposuction and many patients find it helps with swelling and comfort, although the evidence that it improves the final contour is limited. Where used, it typically begins once the incisions have sealed. Dr Khan will confirm the protocol for your procedure.

Gentle walking is encouraged from the day of surgery, because early movement supports circulation and reduces clot risk. Light activity builds through the first two weeks, low-impact cardio such as a stationary bike or cross trainer resumes at around three to four weeks, and full strength training and high-impact exercise generally wait until about six weeks. Returning too early increases swelling and prolongs recovery rather than speeding up the result, which is the reason the restriction exists. Swimming, spas and baths wait until the incisions are fully sealed. Exercise will not improve the contour in the early weeks, but staying active afterwards is what protects the result long term. Dr Khan will confirm the timeline for your procedure.

You will usually go home with prescribed pain relief for the first few days, stepping down to simple analgesia such as paracetamol within the first week, and antibiotics may be prescribed depending on the procedure. Before surgery you will be asked to stop anything that increases bleeding risk, typically aspirin, anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E and some herbal supplements, usually for around two weeks. Tell your surgeon about every medication and supplement you take, including anything bought over the counter. Where the procedure is large or combined with another operation, blood thinning medication may be used to reduce clot risk. Take everything as directed, and do not restart a stopped medication without confirming that it is safe to do so.

Yes. Fat removed by liposuction can be purified and reinjected elsewhere in a procedure called fat grafting or fat transfer, most often to the breasts, the face, or the buttocks. Using your own tissue avoids implants entirely, and harvesting the fat doubles as contouring of the donor area. The limitation is predictability, because a proportion of the transferred fat is reabsorbed over the first few months, so more than one session is sometimes needed and the volume achievable per session is modest. Not all fat is suitable for grafting, and gentler harvesting techniques are used where the fat is intended for transfer. Dr Khan will discuss whether combining the two procedures suits your goals.

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