eMedicine Specialties > Plastic Surgery > Body Contouring

Liposuction, Calves and Ankles: Follow-up

Author: John YS Kim, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation; Consulting Staff, Northwestern Plastic Surgery
Coauthor(s): Jane Lee Fansler, MD, Resident Physician, Stanford University/Kaiser Permanente Emergency Medicine Residency Program; Joanne Lopes, MD, Consulting Surgeon, Cosmetic Surgery Center for Women
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jun 22, 2009

Outcome and Prognosis

In summary, although lower extremity liposuction was once considered fraught with complications, advances have led to improved outcome. Minimal complications are involved, but patients and physicians must expect a slower and longer recovery than with liposuction in other areas of the body. This is because of the dependent position of the legs and the increased propensity for edema. With realistic expectations and careful perioperative management, patient and physician satisfaction can be attained.

For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Procedures Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education article Liposuction.

Future and Controversies

Laser liposuction for use in the upper extremity is currently under investigation.

 


More on Liposuction, Calves and Ankles

Overview: Liposuction, Calves and Ankles
Treatment: Liposuction, Calves and Ankles
Follow-up: Liposuction, Calves and Ankles
Multimedia: Liposuction, Calves and Ankles
References

References

  1. Mladick RA. Lipoplasty of the calves and ankles. Plast Reconstr Surg. Jul 1990;86(1):84-93; discussion 94-6. [Medline].

  2. Gasperoni C, Salgarello M. MALL liposuction: the natural evolution of subdermal superficial liposuction. Aesthetic Plast Surg. Summer 1994;18(3):253-7. [Medline].

  3. Rohrich RJ, Beran SJ, Kenkel JM. Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction: A Practical Guide for Body Contouring. St. Louis, Mo: Quality Medical Publishing; 1998.

  4. Mladick RA. Circumferential "intermediate" lipoplasty of the legs. Aesthetic Plast Surg. Spring 1994;18(2):165-74. [Medline].

  5. Chamosa M. Liposuction of the kneecap area. Plast Reconstr Surg. Apr 1997;99(5):1433-6; discussion 1437-8. [Medline].

  6. Chamosa M. Suction lipectomy of the ankle area. Plast Reconstr Surg. Sep 1997;100(4):1047-52; discussion 1053. [Medline].

  7. Chang KN. The use of intraoperative grid pattern markings in lipoplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg. Oct 2004;114(5):1292-7. [Medline].

  8. Mladick RA. Advances in liposuction contouring of calves and ankles. Plast Reconstr Surg. Sep 1999;104(3):823-31; discussion 832-3. [Medline].

  9. Reed LS. Lipoplasty of the calves and ankles. Clin Plast Surg. Apr 1989;16(2):365-8. [Medline].

  10. Weniger FG, Calvert JW, Newton ED. Liposuction of the legs and ankles: a review of the literature. Plast Reconstr Surg. May 2004;113(6):1771-85. [Medline].

Further Reading

Keywords

calf liposuction, ankle liposuction, body contouring, body sculpturing, lower extremity sculpting, lower extremity contouring, aesthetic leg surgery, lower extremity liposuction, lower extremity lipoplasty, ankle lipoplasty, calf lipoplasty

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

John YS Kim, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation; Consulting Staff, Northwestern Plastic Surgery
John YS Kim, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons and American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Jane Lee Fansler, MD, Resident Physician, Stanford University/Kaiser Permanente Emergency Medicine Residency Program
Jane Lee Fansler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Joanne Lopes, MD, Consulting Surgeon, Cosmetic Surgery Center for Women
Joanne Lopes, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Medical Women's Association, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Rodrigo Santamarina, MD, Attending Plastic Surgeon, Berkshire Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Plastic and Hand Surgeon, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Rodrigo Santamarina, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Massachusetts Medical Society, New York Academy of Sciences, and Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Alan Matarasso, MD, FACS, PC, Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Immed Past President of New York Regional Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Alan Matarasso, MD, FACS, PC is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Plastic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, International College of Surgeons US Section, New York Academy of Medicine, New York County Medical Society, Pan American Medical Association, and Pan-Pacific Surgical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Nicolas (Nick) G Slenkovich, MD, Director, Colorado Plastic Surgery Center
Nicolas (Nick) G Slenkovich, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and Colorado Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Jorge I de la Torre, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Residency Program Director, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Director, Center for Advanced Surgical Aesthetics
Jorge I de la Torre, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Plastic Surgeons, American Burn Association, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery, and Medical Association of the State of Alabama
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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