Suction-assisted lipectomy--an adjunct to orthopaedic treatment

Suction-assisted lipectomy was first performed in 1964 but did not become popular until 1981. Many thousands of patients are now so treated for cosmetic reasons each year, but no previous use of this technique as an adjunct to orthopaedic treatment has been reported. Two patients were successfully treated by suction-assisted lipectomy to reduce the circumferential measurement and shape of the residual limb so that prosthetic restoration could be more easily performed.