This site is the least frequent in my clientele, probably because I am not keen on recommending it. Since the healing process is long and it is rare to achieve skin as smooth and even as for other sites, the appeal for this correction remains lower. Let’s also say that a large calf is very often a function of bones and muscles, much more than fat, and thus the results could be disappointing. Of course, this is predictable before the procedure, through the “pinch test,” and that is why many cases are refused.
The easiest way to assess the amount of fat in the calf is to have the patient kneel with one knee on a bench. This position relaxes the leg and allows for better grasping of the skin between the thumb and index finger to evaluate the thickness of this fold, to determine the real need for liposuction, and to measure the result that can be expected.
Needless to say, fine cannulas, while they have their place in other liposuction sites, are even more necessary for the delicate tissues of the calf, where the diameter should never exceed 3 millimeters.
In any case, I cannot stress enough that the use of fine cannulas is an important factor for success in liposuction. Would you see a woodcarver working on the small details of a sculpture with large tools that tear out big chunks with every stroke? It’s obvious.
At the beginning of liposuction, cannulas the size of a pencil were used, which left unacceptable skin irregularities. Fortunately, that period is over.
