Watch Dr. Copeland perform calf and ankle liposuction to sculpture shapely legs.

I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback over the years from patients who have come to me to see me about what they can do about wide calves and ankles. “Cankles” refers to the area where the calf and ankle meet. This can be a frustrating area for some women who are genetically predisposed to have more fat in their legs and ankles. In many cases, diet and exercise can not eliminate fat from this area and it is not possible to achieve definition between the calf and ankle. I re-sculpt the area by using a combination of liposuction procedures, including fine laser beams (Smart Lipo) and cannulas that allow fat to be removed through very small incisions providing improved contour to the ankles and calves. This is a more complex liposuction technique which should be performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon who performs this procedure frequently. The procedure is performed under “twilight” anesthesia and patients are walking within a few hours.

Here’s what one 38 year old patient had to say:

“People are asking me if I have lost weight.  I guess it’s because I now feel comfortable wearing a skirt, something I never did before the surgery.   I just love the shape of my ankles and calves.  I  had been to several other doctors before coming to Dr. Copeland and no one had her experience and expertise.  I am so happy I decided to have this surgery.”

Watch Dr. Copeland perform calf and ankle liposuction to sculpture shapely legs.

Liposuction techniques have improved dramatically over the last several years and if you haven’t consulted a plastic surgeon recently, you should consider it as a technique to eliminate excess fat. Liposuction is particular effective in areas where it is difficult to reduce fat through exercise. In some areas, like calves and ankles, it can be impossible to achieve a desirable contour through diet and exercise. See before and after pictures that show how effective liposuction can be on “cankles” and droopy “Hi Helen!” arms.

Today liposuction can be used to recontour the body from head to toe, including the abdomen, hips, thighs, arms, buttocks, breasts, neck, jowls, back, calves ankles, and knees. New technology that’s gentler and faster than ever before not only allows the removal of large amounts of fat, but also resculpts the body.

Liposuction works best on patients who are of relatively average weight, but who need help with a problem area, or with shedding the ten pounds they regain between diets. Liposuction modifies volume by sucking out fat, and liposuction candidates need good skin tone. Because liposuction stimulates the skin to tighten, good elasticity provides a smooth contour after fat is removed. Many times, liposuction of one area provides a good jump start for further dieting and exercise, allowing you to continue to lose weight.

More refined techniques have also made recover from liposuction easily manageable. Since clothing can conceal areas that have been sculpted, most patients are back at work after just a couple of days. You will just need to wear a tight-fitting elastic compression garment during your first week to help the skin adhere. At a week to 10 days, you can remove the garment to shower, though you’ll likely have to wear it for an additional week.

This week Dr. Oz talked about the problem of “cankles” when an audience member asked for advice.  His response was to change your diet, cut down on salt and jump rope. 

While these are all good things to do , they will not correct cankles or poor definition of the ankle and calf resulting in “table legs”.  Women from all over the world come to see me because they are embarrassed to wear dresses or shorts because of their thick ankles and calves. These are woman who exercise and eat right but still have “tree trunk” legs because of a maldistribution of fat and underlying bone and muscle structure. Fortunately, today there is a safe treatment to alow woman to take control of their bodies. Refined methods of liposculpture using fine instruments and Smart Lipo (laser light)  enable me to remove fat through very small incisions to  improve contour to the ankles, calves and knees and while minimizing postoperative pain, swelling and bruising. Patients are on their feet and able to resume exercise within a short time, and tell me how pleased they are to wear summer shoes and skirts that show off their new shape.