The length of time the procedure takes depends on what you are trying to accomplish. For example, if you are only doing liposuction to the outer thighs, this will take 1 hour of operating, and it is an outpatient procedure. On the other hand, if you have a tummy tuck, this will require 4 hours of operating and you are usually kept in the hospital for one night. In the largest procedure done for body contouring, which is called Belt Lipectomy, tissue is removed in a circumferential fashion all the way around the belly and back. This procedure can take 6 to 8 hours to perform and may require hospitalisation for a number of days.