Liposuction of the Hips
Tumescent liposuction of the hips can create a smoother profile as the waist transitions to the thighs. It is commonly performed simultaneously with waist liposuction and can be combined with outer thigh liposuction as well to improve the body's silhouette from mid-waist to mid-thigh. Some patients have disproportionate hips and therefore would receive the greatest benefit from this procedure. Frequently, such patients will complain of a bulge between the waist and the thighs, which may be accentuated by underwear or bathing suits. While a relatively small area on most patients, satisfaction with this procedure can be very high as even slight bulges can cause great distress for an individual.
Many patients that have had traditional liposuction of the waist alone have noticeably disproportionate hips as a result. This can accentuate the buttocks but leave a square appearance that does not appear natural. Although the effect on the buttocks is subtle, tumescent liposuction of the hips can improve the beauty of the buttocks by helping to restore a rounder, more natural shape. Patients with more developed buttocks muscles will have a slight butterfly appearance to the buttocks contour, which is generally considered aesthetically superior. Combining liposuction of the hips and waist with fat transfer to the buttocks can accentuate such a contour even in patients that have underdeveloped buttocks muscles.
It is important to realize that liposuction is not a cure nor an appropriate treatment for obesity. Although most patients have fat in the hip area and can experience a reduction in hip size, patients with abdominal obesity may experience a relative augmentation of the abdomen after aggresive liposuction of the waist and hips. This is because some patients have visceral fat, which is fat around the internal organs that cannot be treated by any cosmetic procedure. Slim hips with a large abdomen is generally not considered to be an improvement in body contour. Therefore, not all patients are good candidates for hip liposuction. A consultation in person is the only way to determine whether hip liposuction would produce a beneficial change to body contour. Many patients require liposuction of the abdomen and waist along with the hips for a natural, aesthetically pleasing result.
An ideal candidate for liposuction has been at a normal, stable body weight for at least 2 years and is physically fit and healthy. Other people, including some who are obese, can be reasonable candidates for the procedure as long as they are not likely to increase their body weight further and as long as their expectations are in line with what liposuction can be reasonably expected to achieve.
