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Calves, Ankles and Cankles in Tampa, FL

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What Are Cankles?

Many women have a thicker layer of fat around their ankles and calves, commonly known as “cankles.” Although this area of the body is of tremendous concern to the women who have it, there still seems to be very little discussion and information to help those who suffer from this cosmetic problem.

From a beauty perspective, fat accumulation in this area can cause major embarrassment for those women who want to wear shorter skirts, shorts, or swimwear. Having cankles removes the natural tapering or slimming of the lower leg as it progresses downward. Cankles can disrupt the overall silhouette of a woman's figure, even when the upper thighs and buttocks are slender. Women with fat on the ankle area have a hard time wearing high heels or other fashionable footwear that completes the rest of the wardrobe.

Although different beauty sources have addressed this topic, there is still a poor awareness that most women have about the only true solution to this problem. At Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery in Tampa, FL, Dr. Thomas Su continues to see patients who come to us years after suffering from this problem and tell us that they wish they had known about the earlier liposuction of the ankles and calves. After having liposuction in this area, their lives are usually changed dramatically.

What Causes Fat Ankles, Calves, and Cankles?

Genetic predisposition of fat accumulation – The most common reason for fat ankles and calves is the genes that our parents pass onto us. Unfortunately, this is something we have little control over. Our bodies were predesigned in order to retain fat as a survival mechanism where the fat is to be stored is not up to us. Some people store fat in areas, such as the belly, hips, or thighs, while others tend to have more localized areas around the ankles. When we have fat in these areas, it is not normally something that goes away easily. The clue to whether your problem is genetic is to ask yourself whether your mother or sister also has this problem. If the answer is yes, and you have had thicker fat in the ankles all your life, then chances are you have a genetic predisposition to this. You also have the ideal problem for liposuction to cure.

Swelling or fluid retention – Other women have thicker ankles and calves that occasionally worsen. Some women notice that this problem is worse at the end of the day or after they have been walking or standing for long periods. These women are more likely to have fluid retention in the ankle area. Causes for fluid retention can be benign or can signify a medical problem.

If you are young and healthy, this is probably a benign gravity-related phenomenon that occurs when your body naturally retains more water. This could be after the ingestion of more salt and fluids. It also affects some women around their menstrual periods and is related to hormonal fluctuations. Other circumstances can be due to pressure changes, such as flying on an airplane. These different causes are usually temporary or fluctuating.

If you are middle-aged and have noticed this more recently without any of the exacerbating factors, then you should visit your physician and have a medical checkup to ensure that you don’t have one of many different medical problems that can cause ankle swelling or edema. It is easy to tell if the thickness is fat or fluid swelling. Fluid swelling “pits” easily when you press your finger down on it. It will leave an indentation compared to fat, which usually bounces back quickly.

Can Working Out Slim Cankles?

We have all been led to believe that working out a particular body area will eliminate the fat in that area. Numerous television advertisements for different devices have promoted this perception or workout routines to target different body parts. What is true is that the muscles of a certain area can be targeted, but the fat cannot. When our bodies burn fat, it goes from deposits we have all over them. It is also why bulges on the belly and waist don’t seem to go anywhere, even after a million situps and pounds lost.

The truth about workouts is that they generally will not make a dent in the calves and ankles. Yes, there are workout routines that you will find on the internet and in magazine articles if you search hard enough, but there is no science to support this, and you probably won't see a before-and-after photo showing a true slimming of cankles.

Why Diets for Cankles Don’t Work

Dieting, similar to exercise, cannot focus on specific body areas for fat reduction. It's logical, as our bodies eliminate fat uniformly. Losing a substantial amount of weight might reduce some fat in the ankle region, but the percentage would be minor.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Su and the staff at ArtLipo! Not only are my results INCREDIBLE, the care I received from first contact all the way through my three month follow-up has been phenomenal! For anyone thinking about contacting Dr. Su's office for information, I highly encourage you to not wait. It's been a life-changing experience for me!

A.M. Google

I just had my surgery on 2/7/24 with Dr Dillon and Dr Su assisting. I’m not going to lie, it was painful during the numbing process but that had to do with residual scar tissue I had accumulated from prior lipo procedures. I had heard through the grapevine that Dr. Su’s bedside manner wasn’t that great and that he easily became upset with his patients, but that wasn’t my experience at all. Both Dr. Su and Dr. Dillon were very kind and professional. My nurse Olga was also nothing short of amazing. I did extensive research before moving forward with my surgery and I’m living proof that esthetically I’ve never witnessed results like this! I would definitely recommend ArtLipo!

K.B. Google

Absolutely love the staff and results!

M.M. Google

Dr. Su truly embodies the principle of 'under promise and over deliver.' From the outset, he set realistic expectations for my procedure, ensuring I was well-informed and comfortable. However, the results far exceeded what I had imagined. The level of skill, precision, and artistry that Dr. Su brought to my surgery was simply remarkable. Not only did he deliver exceptional results, but the care and attention provided by their team “especially Tara” throughout the process were top-notch. I wholeheartedly recommend Dr.Su to anyone seeking a liposuction who truly goes above and beyond.

K.S. Google

Best Lipedema Surgeon in the World! - I had Lipedema surgery with Dr Su recently and had a wonderful experience! From the moment I walked into his office, it was evident how talented of an artist he is, as his incredible drawings and artwork adorn the walls and hallways. I was taken back for my procedure promptly and got changed and prepped by his assistant Tara, who is also wonderful. I have a more complicated medical history, and Dr Su takes safety of his patients very seriously. We discussed my history in depth before proceeding, and they told me step by step what to expect from the procedure. I will admit I was really nervous about being awake and what I would potentially feel throughout the surgery, but I found it to be very tolerable once we got going! Dr Su worked so hard and so meticulously to remove the Lipedema tissue I had from my inner thighs and inner knees. I am stage 2/3, so my legs alone will require 3 surgeries, but I am already thrilled with the results of the first procedure. I appreciate that Dr Su and his staff were always straightforward with what to expect with everything from how much pain and drainage to expect, to how much loose skin I may have since my legs are later stage. I am so thankful to be in his care and I truly believe no other surgeon in the world can consistently deliver the results that he does to his patients! Thank you, Dr Su!!

J. RealSelf

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About Us

Is Liposuction A Suitable Solution for Slimming Calves and Ankles?

Liposuction is a surgery where tiny incisions are made on the skin, and a thin instrument is used to remove the fat from the layer just below the skin and above the muscle. Liposuction can be done practically anywhere on the body where there is fat just below the skin surface and can safely be done in the ankles and calves also. Because liposuction removes the fat directly, what is removed is permanently gone. Any remaining fat cells can indeed enlarge, but the fat reduction is generally very lasting. It is then up to the surgeon performing the liposuction to do it in a complete, smooth, and well-blended fashion, as a sculptor would do. Anything else would result in a lumpy or incomplete result.

Having liposuction of the calves and ankles, therefore, does what no other method is capable of, spot reduction of fat. For this reason, liposuction is effective in stubborn pockets in all areas of the body and is a good solution for those areas where working out is not helping.

How Does Cankle Liposuction Work?

Awake tumescent liposuction is one of the most common forms of liposuction done today. Compared to doing liposuction under general anesthesia, a patient is awake, and the areas being treated are only numbed with a local anesthetic. Dr. Su performs all his liposuction surgeries with tumescent awake anesthesia only. This produces much better results.

Benefits of awake vs. general anesthesia – The biggest benefit of awake liposuction is its safety. When a person is put to sleep and on a ventilator, there are more risks to the blood pressure, the heart, and the nervous system. The surgeon also has a time limit because the longer you are under general anesthesia, the more risk there is. Therefore, surgeons try to use larger, more aggressive instruments that cause more trauma, bleeding, and soreness afterward.

Besides the increased safety of awake patients, there are also many benefits related to improved artistic outcomes. This is explained below under Interactive Lipo.

What type of liposuction does Dr. Su perform? Patients often ask if Dr. Su will use the Smartlipo™ laser, VASER®, or other devices they have heard of. Dr. Su has used both of the technologies mentioned, as well as the Aqualipo device and Tickle Lipo device. These technologies, although sounding high-tech, don’t add anything to the cosmetic results. Some of them make fat a little softer and faster to remove but do nothing to make removal more complete or smoother. The final shape and degree of completeness come down to the artistic skill of the surgeon. Just as in Michaelangelo’s time, the mastery of the sculpture was not because of the chisel that he used but was related to his skilled eyes and hands. Sculpting around the ankles takes extreme skill, and this is where Dr. Su’s technique surpasses most surgeons.

Using the Interactive Lipo Method by Dr. Su in Calf and Ankle Liposuction

Dr. Su is not only a liposuction expert and specialist, but he is an accomplished artist. Using this artistic background, he has created new techniques and methods that are revolutionary to liposuction. He has published articles and books on different topics and lectured and taught on multiple topics.

His method of Interactive Lipo is a key factor in performing liposuction in the ankles and calves. This is an area that few liposuction surgeons have attempted and much less mastered. It is an area that most surgeons are wary of sculpting in because of the difficulty involved and the higher chance of having irregularities. It is more fibrous than most body areas, often thinner, and makes it difficult to create a smooth surface.

The Interactive Lipo method is a new method Dr. Su developed and is possible only with awake tumescent liposuction. As the name implies, patients are awake and interactive with the surgeon to help create the most ideal sculpting conditions. Sculpting on fat, which is soft and fibrous, makes it difficult to move the sculpting tool smoothly through the fat. If you can’t move smoothly, the surface will be bumpy. By having patients tense their legs and tighten their calf muscles, Dr. Su has a much more stable surface to sculpt on and can make smoother movements with his instrument. The calf and ankle are also difficult because of the 360-degree curve around the leg. An artist sculpting a log could move and position the log in different angles to do the sculpting from proper angles, but a surgeon trying to do this on an asleep patient has an extremely difficult time moving the leg and keeping it stable. Dr. Su’s method has the patient move and shift any position necessary and then tighten the leg as if it were in a vise.

The best part of Interactive Lipo is that during the surgery, a patient can stand to visualize the area with gravity pulling in the normal fashion. When a patient lies down, the fat bulge can change shape, making it inaccurate to visualize. Therefore, this periodic standing to check results allows Dr. Su and the patient to see exactly what is happening and to see their final result in the mirror before they ever leave the surgery.

The results that Dr. Su creates with the Interactive Lipo method are accurate, complete, and smooth. These are qualities that are not common. Dr. Su has corrected a number of poorly done ankle and calve liposuction cases done by other surgeons. When you have Dr. Su perform this surgery, you can be sure that you will have great results the first time.

Before-and-After Photos of Ankle/Cankle Liposuction

Any good liposuction surgeon should have plenty of before-and-after photos to show the quality of their work. Since this is an artistic procedure with an expected artistic outcome, you should feel comfortable asking a surgeon you are doing a consult with to show examples that resemble you. Don’t be satisfied to look at only pictures of ideal patients with smooth bulges and tight skin. It is most difficult to take a patient with fat bulges and folds and eliminate them with minimal bulge remaining or to smooth them out completely. At Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery in Tampa, FL, we treat all types of patients and create outstanding results on the most difficult cases, which we are proud to show. Please visit our before-and-after gallery to see not only ankle and calf sculpting photos but also visit all our other galleries.

Am I A Candidate for Calf and Ankle Liposuction?

There is no one way to describe who is a good candidate for ankle liposuction, but here are some guidelines that may help. The best way obviously to find out if liposuction can help is to have a personal evaluation by Dr. Su. If you are not from the area, we can do this by looking at photographs and having a phone discussion. We commonly have patients come from all parts of the country and the world because we do things that most other liposuction surgeons cannot do.

Here are a few indications that you might be a good candidate for calf and ankle liposuction at Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery:

  • Obvious bulge at the lower aspect of your leg above the ankle
  • Outward rounded curve instead of an inward curve on the sides of your lower legs between the calf and ankle
  • Lower leg looks very straight going from the knee to the ankle with no tapering
  • Achilles tendon is not visible
  • If you can grab fat or have soft bouncy tissue around the ankle
  • If you have an ankle thickness, but it dents in and stays that way when you press in, then you likely have fluid retention

What Can I Expect After Cankle Liposuction?

Recovery from ankle and calves liposuction can take longer than other body parts. Patients can resume their usual activities but may need time before resuming sports, like running or other active endeavors. Pain and soreness are moderate in the week following surgery, and patients are given pain meds. Swelling is the factor that keeps a patient from seeing their results for a longer period. It is not unusual for swelling to last more than three months before things look their best. This is because the ankles are the lowest part of the body and swell easily.

Calf and Ankle Liposuction vs. Calf Reduction Surgery

Liposuction is the surgery most often performed for slimming the ankle area and sometimes extending onto the calves. Most of the time, calf reduction is not the goal, but slimming that tapers up into the calf is important.

When patients are actually desiring for the calves themselves to be slimmed and to look less muscular, then another type of surgery may be needed. One of the new and less common types of surgery is for women to achieve a smaller calf. This is usually sought after by women who genetically have a muscular calf and wish to look more feminine by reducing their size. Some surgeons now perform this by actually cutting away some of the calf muscles. This surgery is not very common in the United States but is highly sought after in parts of Asia where a muscular look is frowned upon in women. If this is what you are looking for, then “calf reduction surgery” is a better term to search for a surgeon.

Do Nonsurgical Alternatives Help the Calf and Ankle?

Doctors now offer many new devices that deliver energy to the fat in medical spas and some surgery practices as alternatives to liposuction. Although these devices have been offered for over five years and are here to stay, none have produced the results that good liposuction can produce. The different devices may be known as CoolSculpting®, I-Lipo, Xerona, and others. These types of fat reduction technologies have to work through the skin without injuring it. Therefore, the results are smallish with only about a 20% reduction in the fat layer being reported in their studies. Compare this to 80 – 90% fat reduction with Dr. Su, and you can decide what is more practical. A word of caution is in order also since most of the offices offering these noninvasive procedures show only before-and-after photos of patients given to them by the company selling the device. Of course, the photos will amaze you, but you should ask to see photos of patients from that practice and doctor.

What Is the Cost of Calf, Ankle, and Cankles Liposuction?

The cost of ankle and calves liposuction varies significantly across the country, and your choice should depend on this factor only partially, as with other parts of the body where liposuction can and often goes wrong for a patient. We have seen many patients put their trust and money in the hands of surgeons who don’t have the proper skills and dedication to give them the desired results. As a result, many patients come to us with dissatisfaction caused by lumpiness or because they did not see a good result afterward. Dr. Su will show you what you can expect by showing you previous work, as well as drawing on photos that we take or that you submit to show what the expected change will be. With all this being said, the cost even at our office varies, depending on the size and complexity of the patient's body area.

Complications in Cankles Liposuction

Fortunately, we have not had any complications from cankles liposuction at our Tampa, FL office. This body area in Dr. Su’s hands, using his advanced techniques, produces consistently good results. Complications of bleeding and infection are rare with liposuction. Other complications that patients ask about are blood clots. These can occur when a patient is under general anesthesia because there is no movement of the calf muscles to circulate blood flow. However, in the awake patient, Dr. Su has moved and tensed the muscles and standing, which almost completely eliminates this risk.

Weight Loss and Exercise After Calf Liposuction

Although we have discussed earlier that weight loss and exercise cannot eliminate concentrated fat deposits, such as cankles, exercising still has its value. After liposuction, all patients benefit from eating well and doing exercise. Any strengthening of the calves and legs will help a patient look their best.

Liposuction Surgeries we Perform in Tampa

  • Abdomen-Belly-Stomach-Tummy Liposuction
  • Waist-Flank-Back-Bra Bulge Liposuction
  • Arm-Lift-Liposuction
  • Celebrity Arm Liposuction
  • Chin-Neck-Jowl Liposuction
  • Face Lift Liposuction
  • Tummy Tuck Lipo
  • Skin Tightening Lipo
  • Butt Lift Liposuction
  • Thighs-Leg-Knees Liposuction

Fly to Tampa, FL for Expert Ankle and Calf Liposuction

Many patients come to us from all over the United States and from around the globe for liposuction of specialty areas, such as the ankles and calves. Dr. Su is one of the few liposuction specialists in the country specializing in cankles.

We are used to patients flying in for surgery and leaving within a day or two. We are happy to help you make arrangements for lodging and transportation. We can even arrange for a visiting nurse if you are traveling alone.

For those patients coming with family or staying for a short vacation, many attractions are nearby, including Busch Gardens, Disney World, and beautiful relaxing beaches.

Schedule A Consultation

Scheduling a consultation with us is simple. You can contact our consultants who will gladly schedule an appointment at Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery in Tampa, FL. For those outside of Tampa, we provide guidelines for taking photographs for Dr. Su's evaluation. Dr. Su will be pleased to connect with you over the phone or via Skype.

*Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. Images may contain models.