Liposuction For Cellulite In Thighs

Liposuction certainly is not done for cellulite in thighs and if performed correctly should limit the risks of accentuating the appearance of the cellulite.

I tell my patients not to expect improvement in the cellulite, but occasionally there is improvement.

Unfortuantely, the results are unpredicatlbe for cellulite in thighs but very predictable for contouring of the bulging areas. (Theodore Katz, MD, FACS, Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction generally does not increase nor decrease cellulite. However, if aggressive liposuction is performed in skin with relatively poor laxity, irregularities may occur which can be confused with cellullite. Unfortunately, we have yet to discover a satisfactory treatment for cellulite.

Endermologies has been used both before and after liposuction to minimize cellulite. (Otto Joseph Placik, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
Cellulite is a misnomer attempting to describe the dimply appearance of skin of the lateral thighs for the most part. It has been associated with female hormones, obesity and even tissue gravitational drooping. It is hardly ever seen in men but is commonly seen in women.

Liposuction HAS been attempted to smooth cellulite but without uniform success. Notable efforts in liposuction included undermining the dimpled areas with a sharp “Pickle Fork” device to cut any tissue under the dimple and graft fat there.

It has not always worked and is not done as frequently. Nonetheless liposuction WILL empty saddle bags – done to extreme it will accentuate ALL pre-existing evidence of skin looseness and droopiness. In such cases a buttock or lateral thigh lift may greatly improve such dimpling. (Peter A. Aldea, MD, Memphis Plastic Surgeon)
Properly done and staying away from the underside of the skin and not being too aggressive in the fat removal, you will not eliminate cellulite but also shouldn’t increase it. (Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

Cellulite is not cured by liposuction.

Unfortunately, liposuction is not a cure for cellulite and it can make it worse. There have been many treatment modalities marketed over the years which claim to treat cellulite but there has been no evidence they work effectively.

As you can imagine, if a treatment was available which really treated and cured cellulite, everyone would know about it and it would be in all the magazines. Liposuction does not cause fat to accumulate in other areas.

When liposuction is done properly, some of the fat in the area treated is removed, however some remains. The fat that remains can increase and decrease with weight gain or loss just like the fat in areas not operated on.
This scenario may clarify it: imagine a perfect hour glass figure except for saddle bags on the hips. The saddle bags are what is out of proportion to the rest of the figure. If liposuction is done correctly on the saddlebags and now the figure is a perfect hour glass shape, the person can gain weight or lose weight and the proportions will stay the same as the remaining fat in the saddle bag area increases and decreases in proportion with the fat of the rest of the body. (Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD, Boston Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction may aggravate cellulite, cause no change in the cellulite or make it better. There are no hard and fast rules, and it is difficult to predict. (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction is not designed as a treatment for cellulite , and the visibility of cellulite in thighs can sometimes be worsened with the surgery. However, it can also be improved depending on the method applied and surgeon’s ability.

Cellulite in thighs can be treated with nonsurgical methods. While results may not be as predictable and take longer to achieve, you can consider such options as micro needling. (Jerome Edelstein, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction does not cause cellulite. If liposuction is not done properly, you can get lumps, but this is different than cellulite. Additionally, some types of liposuction, such as Smartlipo MPX, can sometimes help cellulite by tightening the skin.

This occurs through collagen remodeling stimulated by the laser. (David Shafer, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)