Dr Lambros was in the first wave of people doing body contouring surgery when it was introduced from France in the early 1980’s. Since 1985 to be exact. He quickly abandoned the use of the large bore liposuction instruments, called cannulas,  and has always used very fine instruments. He has invented several liposuction cannulas made by Grams Medical in Costa Mesa, California, which are in wide use. Liposuction is a compromise procedure. The surgeon removes the fat and the skin has to take care of itself. And so, the quality of the skin needs to be read pre-operatively by the surgeon to predict the quality of the result.

It’s true that in general what you wind up with depends on what you start with. Since it takes 6 months to see what has been done it takes a long time to learn to read the tissues and know what to take out and most importantly what to leave behind.

Some of the biggest problems in terms of irregularities and dents happened in the first wave of people to have the procedure. Many of them were very wealthy and trendy people whose surgeons didn’t have enough experience with the procedure to know how to do it.

When you see liposuction done on TV it looks brutal,which  might have something to do with TV doctors in general. But in fact the procedure is full of subtleties. Because you can’t really judge the result by the look because of swelling, many of the judgment calls are made by touch,feel and experience.   

[click on images to enlarge]

A small liposuction under local anesthestic on a 42 year-old.

A bigger liposuction.

Sometimes people who don't need very much treatment get terrific results.

A larger lipsuction, 3500 cc. I don't take off more than 5000 cc in the office.

Liposuction works particulary well for male love handles.

Dr. Lambros figured out a way a long time ago to make dents such as this go away.
Not many others have figured it out since

Because of the size of the woman at left and below, and the dangers of excessive fat removal at one time, she had liposuction done in stages. The adherent scar from an old car accident was released from underneath.  

The woman above had a two stage operation, first an extensive liposuction and then an abdominoplasty.
She is seen here at about 4 months before the scars faded.

In her early 50s, this woman had a tummy-tuck.
The scars have not fully faded.