Liposuction is the most common cosmetic surgery. Consequently, it is often in the news. Sometimes, the reports are about someone who is delighted at their new shape. Other times, stories raise questions about the safety of some forms of liposuction.
People are right to be cautious about any operation.
But when done properly, liposuction is a very safe procedure that will leave you much happier with your body's proportions, says Dr. Daniel Berg, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He's the director of dermatologic surgery at UW Medical Center. It's important to ask your surgeon if he or she is using a procedure recognized as safe, and if you're an appropriate candidate for liposuction. There is more than one way to perform it. Liposuction involves the removal of fat with a cannula - a long, hollow instrument attached to a vacuum.