Deep liposuction: Analysis of 962 Patients with a Natural Definition of the Abdomen.

[BACKGROUND] In body contouring surgery, high-definition liposuction appears to be an evolution of traditional liposuction. This study aimed to determine if broad liposuction of the deep layer (lamellar) and the preservation of the superficial layer (areolar) result in a naturally defined abdomen, has no stigma of liposuctioned skin, and low rates of early and late complications.

[METHODS] This cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted between May 2015 and April 2022. A total of 962 patients underwent trunk liposuction surgery, including: 864 (89.8%) females and 98 (10.2%) males. Surgical strategies were standardized and described in stages: surgical marking, infiltration plan, liposuction plan, and postoperative care. All patients underwent vibroliposuction (PAL) on the back and Suction Assisted Liposuction (SAL) on the abdomen. Early and late complications and patient satisfaction rates were also analyzed.

[RESULTS] The mean patient age was 26 years. Early complications included pulmonary embolism (0.3 percent), infection (0.5 percent), epidermolysis (0.6 percent), deep vein thrombosis (0.8 percent), anemia (13.1 percent), and seroma (14.9 percent). Late complications included contour irregularities (1.2 percent), localized fat accumulation (1.5 percent), cutis marmorata (1.7 percent), hyperpigmentation (2.6 percent), and transient fibrosis (3.2 percent). No cases of mortality, fat embolism, intraabdominal injury, or skin necrosis were reported. The majority of patients were satisfied (96 percent).

[CONCLUSIONS] Liposuction exclusive to the deep layer (lamellar) was associated with a reduction in early and late complications, except for anemia, and resulted in natural abdominal definition and high patient satisfaction. These findings support the safety and aesthetic benefit of this technique.