**Abstract**

Liposuction was described in the 1920s & popularised in 1977 by Illouz. He developed smaller diameter blunt cannulas. To add safety he also developed the wet technique to reduce blood loss. Tumescent anaesthesia described by Klein in 1987 made large volume liposuction safer allowing for more refined body contouring through significantly minimising blood loss. Liposuction journey started as mechanical debulking that evolved over the last 4 decades into a refined high definition body contouring and proportioning surgery, thus making sculpturing a shape of figurine possible. To achieve such high definition body sculpting technology including Laser, and Vaser not only added safety, however, they also achieved outcomes that cannot be matched with the older methods of liposuction, under local anaesthesia. In this chapter we aspire to discuss the journey of how liposuction evolved into body contouring surgery with large volume lipo-aspirates yet more safely.

**Keywords:** Liposuction, Liposcultpure, High definition body contouring surgery, Laser, Vaser, Tumescent, Safety

### **1. Introduction**

Liposuction was described in the 1920s & popularised by Illouz in 1977. He developed smaller diameter blunt cannulas. He developed the wet infusion technique to reduce blood loss, thus adding safety.

Tumescent local anaesthesia described by Klein in 1987 made large volume liposuction safer allowing for more refined body contouring through significantly minimising blood loss without the risk of general anaesthetic. Furthermore the surgery could be carried out as a day case.

Liposuction journey started as mechanical debulking that evolved over the last 4 decades into a refined high definition body contouring and proportioning surgery. Thus making sculpturing a shape of figurine possible.

To achieve such high definition body sculpting technology including Laser, and Vaser not only added safety, however, they also achieved outcomes that cannot be matched with the older methods of liposuction, under local anaesthesia.

In this chapter we aspire to discuss the journey of how liposuction evolved into body contouring surgery with large volume lipo-aspirates yet more safely. We will also share with you our philosophy in patient selection and surgical outcomes.
