Liposuction & Body Contouring

Dr. Michael Olding performs liposuction and body contouring procedures at the GW Cosmetic Surgery Center in Washington DC, treating exercise-resistant fat deposits across the abdomen, flanks, hips, thighs, arms, and submental area. Procedures use tumescent technique with cannula-based aspiration and can be combined with skin-tightening adjuncts where indicated. Liposuction is frequently performed as a standalone body sculpting procedure or combined with abdominoplasty and other body contouring operations for more comprehensive results.

Liposuction and body contouring surgery at GW Medical Faculty Associates is performed by Dr. Michael Olding MD FACS, whose body contouring practice addresses stubborn fat deposits that persist despite diet and exercise across a wide range of anatomical zones. Tumescent liposuction is the standard technique at the GW Cosmetic Surgery Center, involving injection of a dilute solution of lidocaine and epinephrine into the subcutaneous fat layer prior to aspiration. The tumescent solution produces vasoconstriction in the treated area — substantially reducing blood loss compared to dry or wet techniques — and provides significant intraoperative analgesia that reduces the total amount of general anesthetic required. A small-caliber cannula is inserted through discrete incisions typically placed within natural skin creases or in low-visibility areas; multi-directional passes through the fat layer aspirate the target cells while leaving the fibrovascular supporting structures intact, which promotes smooth skin contraction during healing. Anatomical zones treated at the West End Washington DC clinic include the lower and upper abdomen, flanks and love handles, hips and outer thighs, inner thighs, upper arms (brachioplasty-level fat and the area above the elbow crease), the back (bra-line fat and lumbar area), and the submental and jowl area for neck and jaw definition. The degree of skin contraction that follows liposuction is determined by the patient's skin elasticity — patients with good skin tone typically achieve smooth results with liposuction alone, while those with more advanced skin laxity may be counseled that skin excision (e.g. tummy tuck, arm lift) is needed to fully address the contour concern. Liposuction is frequently combined with abdominoplasty at GW to address the flanks and waist in the same setting, and with arm lift or thigh lift when skin excision is required. High-definition liposuction techniques using smaller cannulas for more precise anatomical sculpting are available for patients seeking enhanced muscular definition. The procedure can be performed under local tumescent anesthesia alone for smaller treatment zones or under intravenous sedation or general anesthesia for more extensive cases, with anesthesia selection made jointly based on the treatment volume and patient preference.