Subcutaneous versus Visceral Fat: Which Can Liposuction Remove?

Dec 30, 2016

You have a wellness routine that involves five days a week of at least 30 minutes of exercise designed to burn fat, combined with a balanced, low-fat diet. You may have already made excellent progress toward your weight loss goals. Nevertheless, there may still be remaining stubborn pockets of fat that have not responded to your exercise and diet efforts. What, if anything, can you do to rid yourself of that remaining fat so that you can confidently show off the results of all of your hard work?
Subcutaneous versus Visceral Fat: Which Can Liposuction Remove? - Dr Mark Deuber
Liposuction may seem like a simple way to lose excess fat, without much effort on your part. After all, liposuction is intended to remove specific pockets of excess fat that have not responded to your exercise and diet efforts. However, fat removal is more complicated than that. There are different types of fat in the body, but not all types can be removed with liposuction. Below, Dr. Mark Deuber explains the different types of fat.

Types of Fat

Visceral fat: Visceral, or deep, fat is found around the abdominal organs such as the stomach, intestines, and liver. Visceral fat results in health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure or cholesterol, and diabetes or stroke. This type of fat cannot be removed with liposuction.

The good news is that losing visceral fat can greatly improve your health. If you are already getting in at least 30 minutes of moderately intense, fat-burning exercise five days a week, along with weight training, you are on your way to shedding visceral fat. Of course, your exercise routine should be combined with a low-fat diet.

Subcutaneous fat: Unlike visceral fat, subcutaneous fat is located right under the skin. For example, if you lay down, face-up, your subcutaneous abdominal fat will be any excess that prevents your abdomen from being completely flat. It is also the fat that can be measured with calipers to determine your body fat levels. Although this type of fat does not present any health risks, it does affect your appearance. Subcutaneous fat is often the most difficult to respond to positive changes in exercise and diet, and it can be removed with liposuction.

Liposuction Technique

For a liposuction, Dr. Deuber will make a series of small incisions in the areas targeted for fat removal. He will then use a thin, hollow, metal tube to vacuum out the fat. In some cases, he may also use ultrasound or low-level lasers to help break up the fat cells, making them easier to remove. He may also use a special technique, known as tumescent liposuction, in which he will inject a combination of a topical anesthetic and epinephrine just below the skin in the areas where fat will be removed. This will cause the fat to swell and move closer to the skin’s surface, also making it easier to remove.

You have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into improving your health, including getting into better shape. Liposuction can provide that finishing touch you need to reach your final fat loss goals.