Tumescent Liposuction — Hips and Flanks

Hip and flank liposuction removes the fat deposits that accumulate in the 'love handle' zone — between the lower ribcage and the iliac crest laterally, extending to the upper buttock posteriorly — using MUDr. Šimek's tumescent technique under local anaesthesia at his Olomouc clinic. The clinic's documentation describes the result as 'smooth lines from lower chest through the waist to hip regions', a flow that is broken by lateral flank fat accumulation and restored when it is surgically removed. Hip and flank work is frequently combined with outer thigh liposuction in the same session to create a unified lateral body contour from the waist downward. Compression garment included. No hospitalisation required.

The hip and flank fat zone — anatomically the lateral trunk between the last floating rib and the iliac crest — is strongly influenced by hormonal factors and genetic distribution patterns. In men, this zone classically produces the 'love handle' accumulation driven by central adiposity. In women, lateral hip fat is often part of a gynaecoid pattern that resists caloric restriction. In both sexes, the zone responds poorly to abdominal training because the muscles underlying the flanks (external and internal obliques, quadratus lumborum) do not directly burn the subcutaneous fat above them regardless of exercise intensity. **Effect on waist-to-hip ratio** Removing flank fat changes the waist-to-hip ratio by reducing the circumference at the waist and lower ribcage level without affecting hip width. This creates a more pronounced waist definition — a change that is immediately apparent in clothing and in profile silhouette. MUDr. Šimek's clinical framing describes the goal as creating 'smooth lines from the lower chest through the waist to the hip regions', emphasising the importance of treating the whole lateral zone rather than isolated spots. **Combination approach** Flank liposuction is frequently planned in combination with outer thigh liposuction to extend the contouring effect from the waist continuously down the lateral thigh. Some patients also include abdominal liposuction in the same session for a 360-degree trunk contouring result. MUDr. Šimek will advise on whether combined zones are appropriate based on the fat map, skin quality, and the volume of aspirate anticipated — there are safety limits on total aspirate volume per session for local anaesthesia procedures. **Procedure and recovery** The tumescent technique uses diluted lidocaine and adrenaline infiltrated throughout the flank fat layer. Small 2–3 mm cannula incisions are placed at natural skin folds. The procedure runs 1–1.5 hours for isolated flank work, longer for combined zones. A compression garment covering the flanks and hips is included and worn for 2–5 weeks. Light activity resumes at 7–10 days; sport and heavy lifting at approximately 4 weeks. Initial visible results within 2 days; final contour at 3–6 months. **Who benefits** Both men and women with persistent lateral trunk fat that does not reduce proportionately with general weight loss. Particularly effective for patients who have a narrow waist definition on skeleton but accumulated soft tissue that obscures it.