The knees serve as the articulation and midway point between the thighs and the calves. While in many ways knees are a bit of an oddly shaped structure, they are at a very visible location and can help make the determination as to whether some women choose to wear short skirts and shorts or not. Many women are unhappy with the appearance of their knees and that concern is largely focused on the appearance of their inner aspect or medial part of the knee.
The size and shape of the knee is usually consistent with the rest of the leg. A full inner knee is typically part of bigger legs….but not always. In my Indianapolis plastic surgery practice, I certainly have seen numerous women who have relatively thin legs but have an inner knee bulge which is unsightly and inconsistent with the rest of their legs.
The inner aspect of the knees should not stick out beyond a straight line down the inner aspect of one’s thighs. It should also curve in or indent right below the knee cap to provide a break before curving out again into the calf. This provides some shape or curvature to the knee which is more aesthetically pleasing.
Liposuction provides an effective method to help sculpt the knee area. Unsightly knee bulges can be quickly and effectively reduced as it is a small area and one can be aggressive with the amount of fat removal. It would be nearly impossible to over reduce or remove too much fat from the inner side of the knee because the prominence of the knee joint prevents too much of an indentation to occur. The goal is to remove as much fat as possible. While all forms of liposuction will work, I currently prefer Smartlipo becasue patients have less pain afterwards which is the most significant part of their recovery. ( it is sore for some time because you are suctioning across an area which must constantly bend and flex)
The finesse part of knee liposuction is what is done above and below the inner knee area. Remember that the goal is to produce an appealing inner leg line which curves and undulates as it goes around the knee. 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. As previously noted, 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 before it curves out for 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.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana