Body Harmonization · Surgical
Liposculpture: a more defined contour, without talking about pounds
You eat well, you stay active, and there is still an area that doesn't change and that you notice every time you get dressed. Liposculpture is meant for that localized fat: it works on contour, not weight. Fat is removed through a thin cannula to define the waist, abdomen or other areas. Dr. Thuel and Dr. Juan Ramón Poveda, Physician and Surgeon, Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, listen to you and support you together. Their aim is for you to feel comfortable with your figure and the clothes you choose.
Medical consultation · US$100, VAT included. This amount is applied in full toward your treatment or procedure if you formalize it with your payment on the same day or within the following seven calendar days. It can be the full payment or a first payment of more than US$100. Booking it does not commit you to having surgery.
Every consultation is handled personally by Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda, so their availability is limited. We suggest booking in advance.
- Duration
- 1 to 3 hours
- Recovery
- Office in a few days to 2 weeks
- When it shows
- Final at 3 to 6 months
- How long it lasts
- Long-lasting if you maintain your weight
Two physicians with you, from consultation to follow-up.
Dr. Irene Thuel · Physician and Surgeon, Expert in Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery · MED10355
The essentials before you decide
Liposculpture, step by step
General information so you arrive at your consultation with a clear idea. It may vary in your case; Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda will confirm it at your consultation.
It may be right for you if…
- You notice fat on your abdomen, waist, back, arms or thighs that doesn't go away with exercise.
- You keep a stable weight and want to define your contour, not lose weight.
- You choose clothes to hide certain areas.
- You want a more defined contour, in harmony with your figure.
- What it is
- Surgery that removes localized fat with a cannula, a thin tube, to improve the contour of one or more areas.
- How it is done
- A fluid containing local anesthetic is infiltrated into the area. Then, through incisions a few millimeters long, the fat is suctioned out with the cannula.
- Advantages
- It treats several areas in a single surgery, with incisions a few millimeters long. It usually achieves a greater change than non-surgical treatments and can be combined with other surgeries.
- Who performs it
- Dr. Irene Thuel and Dr. Juan Ramón Poveda Xatruch, plastic surgeon, working as a team in the operating room.
- Anesthesia and discomfort
- It can be done under local anesthesia with sedation or under general anesthesia, depending on the areas and the amount of fat. The doctors will tell you which applies in your case. Afterward, the treated areas ache as if after heavy exercise and become swollen; this is usually managed with pain medication.
- Duration
- Usually 1 to 3 hours, depending on how many areas are treated.
- Hospital stay
- It is an outpatient procedure: you go home the same day, after a few hours of observation and with a companion.
- Recovery and care
- A compression garment is worn most of the day, usually for 4 to 6 weeks. You typically return to the office within a few days to 2 weeks, and to intense exercise within 4 to 6 weeks. Walk from the first day to help circulation; if the doctors recommend it, drainage massages help with swelling.
- When it shows
- Improvement is noticeable in the first few weeks as swelling goes down. The final contour is usually seen between 3 and 6 months.
- How long the result lasts
- It is long-lasting if you maintain your weight, because the fat removed does not form again in that area. With age, the skin loses firmness.
- Who should not have it
- It is not recommended during pregnancy or with circulation problems, heart disease, diabetes or a weakened immune system without medical management. Both doctors review this during your consultation.
- Follow-up visits
- In general, during the first week, at one month, and between 3 and 6 months. Both physicians adjust the dates according to how you are healing.
Most frequently asked-about areas
Where localized fat is usually treated
Abdomen and waist
When fat builds up around the waist even though the rest of your body is at a healthy weight.
Back and flanks
Rolls that show through your clothes and bother you.
Arms and thighs
Areas where fat stays even when you take care of yourself.
Fat, skin or weight
What liposculpture does not remove
It reduces fat. Excess skin remains, and it is not a substitute for losing weight. If what bothers you is loose skin, a tummy tuck may be more suitable; if the fat is mild, there may be non-surgical options.
Consultation
You show us the areas that bother you, and we ask whether your weight has remained stable.
Team consultation
Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda examine you together. They review each area: how much fat there is and whether the skin is elastic enough to retract afterward.
Tests and surgery
Once your lab tests are ready, the date is set. Both doctors decide on the anesthesia and technique, and they are together in the operating room.
Follow-up visits
Swelling goes down little by little. At the follow-up visits, both doctors check how the contour is settling.
Risks of liposuction
What happens in the body after fat is removed
Every liposuction involves discomfort and risks, some uncommon but serious. Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda go over them with you before setting any date.
What to expect
- The treated areas become swollen and sore; bruising or tenderness may also occur.
- The contour becomes visible as swelling goes down.
- It does not remove skin; if there is excess skin, another surgery may be needed.
- If you gain weight, your body can accumulate fat again.
Discomfort and risks
- Bleeding, infection, scarring, asymmetries or anesthesia complications.
- Irregularities, fluid under the skin or changes in sensation.
- The skin may not retract as expected.
- Serious and uncommon: blood clots in the veins or fat entering the bloodstream.
Alongside liposculpture, or instead of it
Treatments that complement or replace it
Is this surgery right for you? At the consultation, Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda review your case together and tell you frankly whether it suits you and what it involves. The consultation costs US$100, VAT included, which is applied in full toward your treatment or procedure if you formalize it with your payment on the same day or within the following seven calendar days. It can be the full payment or a first payment of more than US$100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our most frequently asked questions about liposculpture
Does liposuction work for weight loss?
No. It aims to reduce localized fat and improve contour, and it can treat several areas so they stay in proportion with each other. During your consultation, both doctors tell you whether the procedure is appropriate in your case.
Will the result look artificial?
Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda plan the contour by looking at the whole body and at each area in relation to the others. The goal is for you to feel comfortable in your clothes and when you look at yourself.
Does the fat come back?
It does not form again in the same way in that area, but if you gain weight it can build up in other areas or in the same one. Maintaining your habits is part of the result.
Is there a non-surgical option?
For mild localized fat, there is hydrolipoclasia. During your consultation, we tell you what is best in your case, even if it is not surgery.
What is the investment, and when can I return to my routine?
Both depend on how many areas are treated and on your health. We give you the complete quote after your consultation, with no obligation. Surgery usually takes 1 to 3 hours; you typically return to the office within a few days to 2 weeks, and to intense exercise within 4 to 6 weeks. It may vary in your case; Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda will confirm this with you.
The consultation costs US$100, VAT included. If you decide to have a medical treatment or procedure, that amount is applied in full toward your treatment or procedure when you formalize it with your payment on the same day as the consultation or within the following seven calendar days. It can be the full payment or a first payment of more than US$100.
Who performs my surgery?
You are cared for by a team: Dr. Irene Thuel and Dr. Juan Ramón Poveda Xatruch, MED5800. Both take part in the consultation, the plan, the operating room and the follow-up visits, and Dr. Poveda performs the surgery together with her. If an area is better treated without surgery, they will tell you.
So your clothes fit the way you like
During your consultation, Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda examine the area that bothers you with you. They tell you frankly whether liposculpture is right for you or whether something else would be better. It is the first step, and it does not commit you to surgery.
Medical consultation · US$100, VAT included. This amount is applied in full toward your treatment or procedure if you formalize it with your payment on the same day or within the following seven calendar days. It can be the full payment or a first payment of more than US$100.
Every consultation is handled personally by Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda, so their availability is limited. We suggest booking in advance.