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achieving improved shape

According to Sydney cosmetic surgeon Dr Sarojini Nair, liposculpture can be very effective for localised fat removal, especially when combined with a healthy diet and exercise regimen. Tara Casey reports.

Sydney cosmetic surgeon Dr Sarojini Nair believes that looking after oneself is a lifelong investment. ‘Nothing replaces diet and exercise in looking your best,’ she says, ‘especially as women go through the different phases in their lives. Hormonal changes, body shape changes, pregnancy and breastfeeding all have an impact on the body, as do genetic factors. Some people, for example, are slim but have an excess of fat in certain localised areas. This is where liposuction is ideal, as it can give a balanced and contoured shape, which we aren’t all born with.’
Liposuction encompasses the removal of excess fat from localised areas on the body, while liposculpture involves more subtle shaping. ‘At our clinic we perform more liposculpture than liposuction,’ says Dr Nair. ‘Besides removing excess fat, liposculpture is very popular because the patient’s body shape can be contoured to give more balance and a more aesthetic appearance.’
These days liposuction can be performed on almost any part on the body – even the calves and ankles can be sculpted – and just about anyone can have a liposuction procedure as long as they are fit and healthy, and as long as it is not necessary to remove excessive amounts of fat at any one time. ‘Liposuction is not the solution for overweight people but when combined with diet and exercise, it can achieve a good result,’ Dr Nair explains.
The procedure can also be performed at any age. ‘A woman may be in her early 20s and feel her shape is out of proportion, or she may be in her 60s and have recently gone through menopause and put on weight,’ says Dr Nair. ‘Other women may not have been able to get back into shape after having children.’
Liposuction for breast reduction is a popular procedure for women wanting to avoid major surgery and the scarring associated with it, although it is only suitable for women who don’t have too much ptosis (sagging) of the breasts. Many men who have gynaecomastia (enlarged male breasts), often find it embarrassing to take off their shirt in public and in these cases liposuction can also be a very effective solution.
Day surgery is required for liposuction and the procedure takes two to four hours to perform, depending on how much fat needs to be removed. Liposuction is performed with local anaesthetic and some sedation, and most patients take two to three days to recover. Many are back at work in 48 hours.

The amount of bruising varies for individuals. ‘Most people don’t bruise longer than a fortnight and many have no bruising,’ Dr Nair says. She adds that possible risks and complications with the procedure are infection, contour irregularity and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but the incidence of these is very rare.
Dr Nair finds many patients who have had liposculpture as long as 10 years ago tell her that their shape just gets better as they get older. acsm