Who Is the Ideal Candidate for High-Definition Liposuction? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Cosmetic Surgery
• Body Contouring

Background:

• High-definition liposuction (HDL) improves muscular definition by removing superficial subcutaneous fat.
• Despite popularity and high patient satisfaction, ideal candidate criteria for HDL remain undefined.
• This review assesses demographic factors, selection criteria, and complications of HDL.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate demographic factors, patient selection criteria, and complication rates associated with high-definition liposuction.
• To synthesize current evidence on the safety and efficacy of HDL procedures.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA-P guidelines.
• Searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science for studies within the last 10 years.
• Included 17 studies (9570 patients) with RCTs, cohort, and observational designs; performed pooled analyses for seroma and hematoma.

Main Results:

• Mean patient age was 36.0 years, mean BMI 25.8 kg/m², and 55% were female.
• Commonly treated areas included the abdomen, flanks, and chest; mean fat removal was 4268.8 mL.
• Low complication rates observed: seroma (7%), hematoma (1%); no significant association found between complications and age, BMI, or sex.

Conclusions:

• High-definition liposuction is a safe and effective procedure across varied populations.
• Variability in selection criteria and reporting hinders the definition of ideal HDL candidates.
• Further prospective studies with standardized reporting are necessary to establish evidence-based guidelines for ideal patient selection.