Liposuction removes fat from your body using suction. In traditional liposuction, small, thin blunt-tipped tubes (cannula) are inserted through tiny incisions in the skin. Fat is suctioned out through these tubes as the doctor moves the tubes around under the skin to target specific fat deposits.

In recent years, improved techniques have made liposuction safer, easier, and less painful.

Tumescent liposuction. This is considered the safest and most effective liposuction technique, with the quickest recovery time. First, you are given a local anesthetic to numb the area of your body where the tube will be inserted. Next, a large amount of an anesthetic solution containing lidocaine and epinephrine is injected into the fatty tissue before traditional liposuction is performed.