Calf liposuction is a type of liposuction procedure generally used to enhance the appearance of the lower legs by removing fatty tissue from beneath the skin. Fatty deposits on the lower leg can be a troublesome aesthetic issue, even for people who enjoy a healthy body weight. Calf liposuction can usually remove fat cells from the area, ensuring that fatty deposits do not return. While calf shaping surgery was once considered difficult and risky, newer procedures have made it possible for cosmetic surgeons to reshape calves by removing fatty tissue to reveal the muscle structure of the leg. Calf liposuction does typically carry a unique set of risks, but the modern procedure is generally safe and effective.
Liposuction procedures on the lower leg have often produced less than desirable results in the past. Early calf re-contouring surgeries often failed to produce a natural appearance after recovery. The most modern technique, circumferential liposuction, involves removing fat through a series of small incisions placed on both the front and back of the leg, near both the knee and the ankle. Cosmetic surgeons typically use a micro cannula to remove fatty tissue from beneath the skin, while contouring remaining tissue to give the calf a natural-seeming shape.
Most surgeons prefer to perform this procedure on patients in their 20s. The appearance of fatty deposits under the skin of the lower legs often has little to do with body weight, so most people who want this surgery are not overweight or obese. Younger patients are considered ideal because their skin has usually not yet lost its elasticity, and will most likely bounce back well after surgery. Older people may have calf liposuction, if the surgeon believes that they still enjoy a high level of skin elasticity.
Liposuction of the lower legs can carry increased risk of damage to nerves, veins and arteries. In the lower legs, these structures often lie close to the skin. Patients can usually minimize the risks by seeking a qualified, experienced surgeon with a high success rate.
This procedure usually takes two or three hours to perform. Compression garments are usually prescribed for use during the recovery period. These garments help to shape the treatment area and ensure that the skin heals correctly. Most people need to stay home from work for two or three days after the surgery. It can take up to six weeks to recover from calf liposuction, and normal activity levels should generally not be resumed until at least four weeks have passed.
