[Liposuction].

Liposuction is one of the most commonly performed procedures in aesthetic surgery. The primary aim is body contouring and not weight reduction. The vast amount of available methods for suctioning subcutaneous fat allows an optimal individual treatment plan, keeping in mind the correct indications. Although liposuction is often offered as a minor and harmless surgery, it is a complex procedure. A thorough training of the surgeon and in-depth knowledge about possible complications is essential. In addition to aesthetic indications liposuction is also a valuable tool in reconstructive surgery. For optimal patient selection the skin elasticity has to be considered during the preoperative assessment. Besides pure volume reduction through liposuction, the regenerative possibilities of adipose tissue are of great interest for basic research and clinical applications. Lipofilling or autologous fat transfer is used for a wide variety of aesthetic and reconstructive procedures. Of special interest is the regenerative and reconstructive potential of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC).