Leg Line Enhancement With Knee Liposuction

The knee is the visible midportion of the leg that serves as a break between the thicker thigh and the slimmer calf. Because it is a joint, it has a semi-round shape and very commonly can have a bulging fat accumulation at its inner or medial side. As a result, this appearance bothers some women and may make them unhappy enough that they will not wear shorts or skirts that expose the knee.

While full inner knees are usually part of a thicker leg, this is not always true. In my Indianapolis plastic surgery practice, I have consulted with numerous women who legs are actually thin but still have an unsightly bulge at the inner knee.

From an aesthetic standpoint, the inner knee should be part of a straight line from the inner thigh. Once below the knee, the legline should curve inward immediately below it. This indentation or break separates the knee visually from the calf. This inward curve then bows back out to become part of the upper calf profile. This curvaceous line makes for an attractive inner leg line.

Liposuction, or liposculpting to be more accurate, is the only method that can create a better inner knee shape. While the amount of fat to be removed is small (compared to most areas of liposuction) undesired knee bulges can be reduced and the inner knee area reshaped. I try and remove as much inner knee fat as possible as it is not really possible to remove too much. Small cannula aspiration is used as the fat comes off quite quickly. I currently prefer Smartlipo as my liposuction technique of choice as my experience has been that there is less pain after surgery with its use. This is relevant in the knee area since one is suctioning across an area which must constantly bend and flex.

The key to a successful knee liposuction is what is done above and below the inner knee area. Since the goal is to produce an appealing inner leg line which curves and undulates as it goes around the knee, attention must be paid to these areas as well. Therefore, one must taper the amount of fat removed upward so there is a smooth transition from the lower end of the inner thigh into the knee area. Fat must be removed as well from the top part of the inside of the upper calf area so that this line curves inward right below the knee. Then it can curve out to become the convexity of the upper calf area.

After liposuction, the knee will be sore for a while and it is very helpful to keep it wrapped for several weeks. This helps reduce the amount of swelling that will develop and it will provide support for the near constant motion across this area. It takes about 6 weeks to see the full results from the procedure so one has to be patient as is typical for all lower extremity liposuction.