The fat from liposuction can be used in the production of biofuels.
After a standard liposuction fat removal procedure, the liposuction is usually sealed in a specialized biohazard container designated for medical waste. It is then burned in an incinerator designed for that purpose. While some surgeons can remove body fat in this way right in the clinic or hospital, many of them outsource this work to a local medical waste disposal company. Post-liposuction waste poses a risk of contamination like other types of human biological material removed during surgery, and must be disposed of with appropriate procedures for handling this type of biohazardous waste.
Plastic surgeons can use liposuction fat for lip injections.
Liposuction removes a layer of fat deposits under the skin using vacuum suction. It is usually performed under general or local anesthesia with a medical instrument called a cannula, and the targeted fat debris must usually be broken up by manipulation of the cannula by the surgeon. It can then travel through a tube attached to the cannula to a collection container. People who opt for liposuction often do so as an afterthought after calorie reduction and exercise have not removed enough fatty tissue from certain areas of the body.
The natural composition of human fat cells makes them useful to plastic surgeons.
Some plastic surgeons also use liposuction fat on a limited basis for other types of cosmetic procedures, such as breast augmentation, facial wrinkle fillers, or lip injections; these are also known as fat transfer procedures. Good candidates for fat transfer injections are those with areas of the face or body that could be enhanced with significant volume augmentation. Due to the natural composition of human fat cells, some doctors prefer to use fat from liposuction instead of synthetic injectable fillers.
Obese people can remove much of their excess fat through liposuction.
Medical researchers routinely experiment with the possible uses of fat from liposuction in the development of stem cells. Adult human fat cells contain the same basic biological material as embryonic stem cells, and this material can sometimes be removed with certain microscopic tools. It can then potentially develop into healthy stem cells that can be used to repair tissue damage caused by injuries or other physical defects.
Fat residue from liposuction also has some potential as a biodiesel fuel material. Some scientists have succeeded in liquefying post-liposuction waste so that it can be used as fuel for specialized biodiesel engines, although the average volume of fuel may be slightly less than the original volume of body fat waste. This use of removed lipo fat is generally experimental and may at times be subject to legal restrictions in certain areas.