Back Liposuction
In my practice, I divide the back area into the “midback/bra line region” and the lower back/flank/”love handle” region. This page will concentrate on the midback/bra line region, although in many cases both areas are treated together.
As far as fat deposits are concerned, the back area develops less fullness than the other and more commonly requested portions of the torso, which are the abdomen (front side) and flanks (love handles). For this reason, sometimes we treat the lovehandles alone without treating the whole back. When the areas develop fat deposits and or rolls, we perform back liposuction.
Back Liposuction explained
The most common manifestation of back fat formation is a roll at the juncture of the lower back/flank region and the midback region back region.
If the roll formation is due to fibrous tissue attachments that divide fat accumulation below the fold and above the fold, each area may accumulate fat at a different rate, creating a multiple roll appearance. The rolls can often be improved, and sometimes even eliminated with liposuction or laser liposuction procedure. However, if there is loose skin, there may be some residual fat. If the back fat roll is small and early, flank liposuction with tapering into the area may suffice. Our back liposuction procedure can handle nearly every goal.
The fat in the back area is particularly resistant and difficult to treat. This is because the fat in that area is very “fibrous” which makes it much more attached to the body and therefore hard to extract. Liquefying the fat beforehand (via smartlipo or vaser), or using power assisted liposuction, will both help in the extraction process. positioning of the patient is also very important to allow thorough removal of the back fat. Over time, as I have migrated from traditional liposuction under anesthesia, to awake laser assisted liposuction, to have the patient fully cooperative and turn and twist the torso during the procedure to ensure my instruments can reach all the areas needing treatment. I have found the awake positioning particularly useful in that area, although I will also perform the procedure under general anesthesia if necessary. I have moved my incisions from the middle of the back, where they are more noticeable, to the posterior armpit, where they are less visible. I will also typically use a lower back/buttock junction single incision.
The recovery process from back liposuction is actually surprising smooth. The same factors that make fat extraction difficult (the fibrous nature of the fat) help minimize the swelling somewhat. We recommend compression for four weeks for the back liposuction, and massaging the area starting at the one week mark as there will be some hardness. people return to exercise at about one week after back liposuction. You will see results at the three week mark, but full results take three to four months.
Click here for a general outline explaining Liposuction Recovery
Cost of Back Liposuction in our Washington DC practice
The cost of back liposuction quotes will vary the most in my practice from patient to patient, depending on the difficulty of the case and size of the patient, and some factors such as rolls/fibrous nature of the fat which will determine what technologies to use. For base line, as of January 2023, here are some representative pricing
BMI 32 or below, laser lipo awake:
lower back/flank region alone: $5500
midback/bra line region alone: $5750
combination lower back/flanks/midback/bra line: $7500