A nip here, a tuck there, and voila! A sexier, shapelier you. With women getting more and more conscious about their looks, liposuction is gaining in popularity. But this surgery is not for everyone, and should ideally be used as a last resort - if diet and exercise fail.'

27-year-old Madhavi has just returned from a liposuction, and is pleased with the procedure so far. She chose to go in for the tumescent method, which is now accepted to be the safest form of liposuction. 'I didn't want to go in for general anesthesia, which is why I chose to go in for Tumescent Liposuction. This form entails injecting a fluid that enables the easy passage of the instruments with less bleeding and trauma. Doctors use local anesthesia. 'I was chatting with the doctor during my surgery. We were discussing food and restaurants!' she says with a smile.'

What does the procedure entail

Once the areas from which fat needs to be drawn out are marked, the surgeon makes tiny-
incisions within the area. Cannula or tubes are inserted into the body through these incisions, and fat cells are sucked out. Over-suction of fat cells would cause disfiguration and could also damage surrounding cells and nerves. While surgeons prefer to use cannulae with larger widths, as they absorb more fat cells at a time thus shortening the length of the procedure, these are not recommended. Smaller cannulae usually provide smoother results and less bruising.

Can the area get fat again

The body tends to favour certain parts when it comes to storing fat, which is why some people put on weight mostly on their stomach, others on their thighs and still others on their breasts.

The number of fat cells a person has in his body stabilizes during adolescence. Although these cells do not increase in number, they increase in size. While technically you cannot store fat in areas from which the fat cells have been removed, the surrounding fat cells can store enough fat and expand to fill the gap. You thus cannot just 'let yourself go' and should follow up your liposuction with regular diet and exercise. However, doctors do believe that even if you do indulge a little, after a liposuction the fat gets distributed evenly around the other parts of the body.

Is it for you

Before you decide to go in for liposuction, it is important you figure out how realistic your expectations are. If you are obese, don't expect to slim down drastically after one procedure. It is not going to happen. The best candidates for liposuction are those who are around 20 pounds overweight, and who have certain pockets of fat they want to get rid off; perhaps a tyre around the waist, or some stubborn cellulite on the thighs. It should be used as a last resort, to get rid of fat that has been unresponsive to diet and exercise. As already mentioned, if you follow a somewhat restricted diet and exercise regularly, you should not re-gain fat in the areas that you lost. This is why the ideal candidate for a liposuction would be someone already disciplined in the act of diet and exercise. It is normal for the patient's appetite to reduce a little after the surgery. The person should take this as a cue, and not go back to indulging in fatty foods.

How soon does a patient recover

It is normal for a patient to return home a couple of hours after surgery, in the case of Tumescent Liposuction. Within a couple of weeks she should be able to resume normal activity. In the case of liposuction under general anesthesia, the patient returns a little later, and healing could also take slightly longer. Madhavi is already walking around, although it has only been a few hours since her surgery. 'Walking helps drain the fluid,' she maintains.

How much does it cost

Needless to say, liposuction is an expensive procedure, and could cost around Rs 25,000 or more, depending on the clinic and doctor you select, and around 2 lakh in the United States.