1. How much does liposuction cost?

It depends on the number of areas treated and the regional differences of operating room fees, anesthesia fees and surgeons fees. In the southwest, abdominal and hip liposuction generally costs between $4,000 and $6,000. In New York or Los Angeles or Texas, the prices can be significantly higher in certain practices. If shopping around for prices, it is important to compare whether the OR and anesthesia fees are included in the price that is quoted. Having said that, it is a much better idea to choose a surgeon whom you trust rather than the least expensive one.


2. Can exercise get rid of specific areas of fat without liposuction?

Exercise is not useful for spot reduction of fat. It will generally reduce the overall amount of fat in the body and this can affect many areas of the body, but it is not possible to target one specific area with exercise, for example, the saddlebags or the love-handles.


3. Is liposuction a good way to lose weight?

Absolutely not. Liposuction is not a weight reducing procedure, only bariatric surgery such as gastric bypass or lap band surgery is. Liposuction is simply a contouring procedure and the weight of the fat removed is surprisingly low for the amount of correction in volume.


4. Does liposuction take care of cellulite?

No. Cellulite is caused by a contraction of the collagen fibers within the layer of fat just under the skin. This is not the fat that is targeted with liposuction. In fact, one of the dangers of aggressive liposuction is that the cannulas may be brought too close to the skin in an attempt to treat the cellulite. This can lead to scarring of the skin. Although there are fascinating new modalities that have recently come out to treat cellulite, nothing has been proven to work very well.


5. Will liposuction tighten up loose skin?

To a certain degree, yes. This has to be youthful skin with enough of a certain type of collagen that will cause the skin to contract after the liposuction. We give all of our patients compression garments to wear for weeks after the procedure to help this along, but liposuction is not a treatment for already loose skin. Skin that has become loose after the fat is removed from underneath will then tighten up over the treated area. Again, there are new modalities coming out, which tighten skin more than others, for example laser liposuction or radio-frequency liposuction. These can sometimes tighten the skin more than traditional liposuction, although they do not work for all patients all of the time, nor do they work in all body areas.


6. What is the tumescent technique?

This technique is performed on almost all liposuction cases, regardless of the type of liposuction (laser liposuction, ultrasonic liposuction, traditional liposuction). A solution is injected into the area about to be treated. This solution contains a long-acting anesthetic, as well as epinephrine to cause constriction of blood vessels. Since the introduction of the tumescent technique, the amount of bruising, swelling and blood loss after liposuction has gone down tremendously and it has become the standard of care.


7: What is ultrasonic liposuction?

The tip of the lipo cannula contains an ultrasonic transmitter that breaks up the fat cells, thereby allowing more to be sucked out. The technique needs to be used carefully but it is excellent for parts of the body where the fat cells are encased by thick, heavy collagen, such as the male breast and the area between the shoulder blades. This is a widely accepted technique.