Fat removal procedures are used mostly in cosmetic surgery with the intention of removing unwanted adipose tissue. The procedure may be invasive, as with liposuction, or noninvasive using laser therapy, radiofrequency, ultrasound or cold (cryoablation) to reduce fat, sometimes in combination with injections.
Fat is sometimes removed from one location to another on a person in an autograft, such as in some breast reconstruction and breast augmentation procedures. These techniques are distinct from bariatric surgery, which aims to treat obesity by minimizing food consumption or by interfering with the absorption of food during digestion. They are distinct from injection lipolysis, which relies solely on injections marketed as causing lipolysis.