Liposuction Conveniently located to serve New York City
Liposuction & Body Sculpting
Liposuction is one of the most common cosmetic procedures across America and worldwide. Many women and men are choosing this body-contouring surgery to re-shape their figure and eliminate areas of fat that are not responding to diet and exercise alone. Our cosmetic surgeon offers an array of lipo techniques at our New York office and can help you decide if this procedure is right for you.
Manhattan Surgical Care can help you achieve your aesthetic goals through liposuction and other cosmetic surgeries. If you’re looking to remove stubborn fat, please call Dr. Basil Pakeman in New York today at 212-308-1566 to schedule your consultation. Our office serves clients in New York, and nationwide.
Dr. Pakeman and our entire cosmetic surgery team are personally committed to helping you achieve results that will allow you to look and feel great. The only way to know if liposuction is the right way to get the final results you want is to discuss your wishes with Dr. Pakeman during a one-on-one consultation. Not only does Dr. Pakeman want to know what your goals are, but also he can answer all of your liposuction questions and make sure you know all of your options before making a final decision.
Learn More About Liposuction Surgery:
- About Liposuction Surgery
- The Liposuction Process
- Liposuction Treatment Areas
- Types of Lipo
- SmartLipo™ Laser Liposuction
- VASER Lipo™ Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction
- Tumescent Liposuction
- Power Liposuction
- Liposuction Candidates
- Post Surgical Recovery for Liposuction
- Male Liposuction
- Mini Liposuction
- Teen Liposuction
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
About Liposuction Surgery
Liposuction is also known as “lipoplasty” or “suction lipectomy.” The results of liposuction surgery tend to be excellent with immediate improvement in body contour and size. Lipo is not an answer for weight loss or obesity. This cosmetic procedure is best for those who are at or near their goal weight, but have stubborn fatty areas exercise and diet can’t get rid of.
Lipo technology has advanced significantly over the span of decades to give you more options than ever before when it comes to safe, effective fat removal. These advancements allow lipo to be done on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia, which means you can have a comfortable recovery in your own home. These changing techniques give our cosmetic surgeon the ability to form a more pleasing contour.
The basic details you need to know about lipo include:
- Lipo Techniques: Tumescent Liposuction / SmartLipo / Power Lipo / Vaser / Ultrasound Lipo / Safelipo / Hi Def Liposuction
- Purpose: To remove stubborn, hard-to-lose fat
- Surgery Length: 1-3 hours, depending on how many areas
- Anesthesia: Local
- Where: Outpatient
- Common Areas: Abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, cheeks, neck and male chest (gynecomastia)
- Recovery: Minimal bruising, swelling and tenderness
- Risks: Infection, skin irregularities
The Liposuction Process
Your surgery begins with the area being photographed and marked before being sculpted through liposuction. This is then followed by the administration of oral sedating medication. The area is cleaned with a sterile antiseptic solution and small pinholes (adits) are made in the skin through which tumescent anesthesia solution is infiltrated into the areas.
The tumescent fluid is next allowed to settle awhile and then the liposuction process begins. The entire body sculpting procedure usually takes about 1- 3 hours depending on the amount of fat being removed. Following body lipo or facial lipo, specific compression garments are applied to the treated area and should be worn for several days or weeks. The garments help the skin during the healing process to conform to the newly reduced body contours, and they also provide comfort and support.
Liposuction Treatment Areas
Modern liposuction technologies have made the procedure safer and have given Dr. Pakeman the ability to remove fat from a wide array of body areas such as:
- Abdomen/tummy
- Buttocks
- Inner, outer and anterior thighs
- Hips
- Love handles or “flanks”
- Upper arms
- Knees
- Breasts
- Male chest (gynecomastia)
- Neck
- Chin
- Cheeks
These body areas and even certain areas of your face are susceptible to accumulating extra fat that often doesn't shrink in response to diet, exercise and weight loss. This list is not exhaustive, and Dr. Pakeman can tell you whether the area you want to slim down can be treated with liposuction. The most commonly requested areas for lipo include the abdomen, thighs and arms.
Types of Lipo
There are various liposuction techniques that range in invasiveness. The right type of lipo for you depends on the body area and your aesthetic goals. Our cosmetic surgeon is well versed in all of these techniques and can tell you the right way to approach your surgery during your initial consultation. Your liposuction procedure will involve one of these variations:
- VASER® – Ultrasound-assisted liposuction
- SmartLipo™ – Laser liposuction
- Tumescent liposuction
- Power-assisted liposuction
Dr. Pakeman believes in providing his patients with the most advanced technologies and techniques that are as least invasive as possible. Both ultrasound-assisted and laser liposuction techniques have the advantage of being less invasive than older technologies because they prepare the fat before it is suctioned away. These methods typically result in less bruising and swelling.
Our cosmetic surgeon also offers LipoDissolve™ which uses microinjections to break down your fat cells and promote their natural elimination through your body using a series of treatments to reach your aesthetic goals.
By integrating different types of lipo technology during your surgery, we at Manhattan Surgical Care are able to offer improved skin tightening, or skin contraction, and provide more precise body contouring results to smaller areas of the body that are often difficult to reach through conventional liposuction surgery.
SmartLipo™ Laser Liposuction
SmartLipo™ is laser-assisted liposuction. Using the SmartLipo™ laser, Dr. Pakeman prepares the fat cells for removal by liquefying them. Then the fat cells are removed with a cannula (small tube) device. By preparing the fat cells for removal, SmartLipo™:
- Is less traumatic.
- Is less invasive.
- Causes less bruising and swelling.
Melting the fat with SmartLipo™ results in a more efficient, less traumatic liposuction procedure.
VASER Lipo™ Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction
Like SmartLipo™, VASER Lipo™ prepares the fat cells prior to removal by cannula suction. VASER is an ultrasound-assisted liposuction technique. The VASER probe emits high-frequency ultrasound energy, which ruptures fat cell walls. The ruptured fat cells allow the fat to liquefy and make it easier and less traumatic to remove.
Tumescent Liposuction
The tumescent technique involves injecting tumescent fluid, which contains a local anesthetic. Tumescent fluid both swells the fat cells and numbs the treatment area. Tumescent fluid makes the fat cells firm and swollen, which makes it easier to remove the fat with a cannula. Post-operative pain, bruising and swelling is reduced because tumescent fluid temporarily shrinks blood vessels. This technique is used for body, facial and neck fat removal. It is also commonly used to treat gynecomastia — a condition where men have excess fat in their chest due to weight loss or genetics.
Power Liposuction
Power-assisted liposuction (PAL) uses a vibrating instrument to mechanically break apart fat cells. The vibrating tip makes it easier for Dr. Pakeman to move through the fat with the cannula and suction it away. This lipo technique can quickly remove more fat giving you better results with a faster recovery period.
Liposuction Candidates
Most individuals with diet-resistant fat are excellent candidates for liposuction surgery; however, the best candidates have a healthy lifestyle and are within 30 pounds of their ideal body weight. Liposuction surgery should not be considered a substitute for weight loss and, therefore, should not be performed on severely obese individuals.
Liposuction is not a safe method of weight loss and removing too much fat at one time can significantly increase risks and complications. If you are not close to your ideal weight, Dr. Pakeman may recommend diet and exercise to help improve your chances of a safe and successful procedure.
In addition to a healthy lifestyle and weight, you must be a non-smoker. If you smoke, Dr. Pakeman will require you quit at least six weeks in advance of your surgery. Quitting includes nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes, both of which contain vascular constrictors and can complicate your recovery and results.
Good liposuction candidates should be:
- In generally good physical health.
- Prepared for a surgical procedure.
- Capable of taking time off during a short recovery period.
- Able to limit physical activities until advised otherwise.
- Willing to follow all pre and postoperative instructions.
There are many things that can factor into your candidacy for liposuction, which is one of the reasons scheduling an appointment is so beneficial. If you are a good candidate for this procedure, Dr. Pakeman will discuss your expectations, your liposuction options and other pertinent information to ensure the most rewarding experience. Consult with our expert team about the cost of liposuction in New York.
Post Surgical Recovery for Liposuction
Immediately following liposuction surgery, patients may feel a slight soreness and mild to moderate discomfort in the area that was treated. Typically, this discomfort can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers.
Lipo patients are encouraged to wear a compression garment for two to three weeks following the procedure in order to keep bruising and swelling to a minimum. In addition, heavy lifting and exercise should be avoided for two weeks following liposuction surgery. Optimal body-contouring improvement is seen within three to six months.
Following liposuction surgery, many patients find that their self-image and self-confidence has greatly improved, making their results easier to maintain through healthy diet and exercise choices.
Male Liposuction
Male liposuction is one of the most common cosmetic surgery procedures that men have done. Liposuction for men eliminates unwanted fat deposits typically from the abdomen, waist, chest (gynecomastia) and in the neck and chin area.
Gynecomastia involves excess fat in the male breast and is secondary to the overdevelopment of breast tissue (fat and glandular tissue), which affects 35-55% of all men. Many men with gynecomastia feel very self-conscious of their appearance. Male lipo sculpture can produce a leaner and firmer chest and greatly improve your self-image and confidence.
Males also tend to accumulate fat in the abdominal and love handle areas, which are often very hard to eliminate with weight loss. This is where male liposculpture can help to reshape your body. Lipo can be used for abdominal etching and pectoral etching through Hi-Def. lipo or SmartLipo™ laser liposuction.
Mini Liposuction
Mini liposuction is used primarily to remove small areas of fat that do not respond well to a healthy diet and exercise. This less-invasive lipo option is ideal for spot treatment in one or two areas. Even if you’re at an ideal weight, stubborn fat pockets may persist around your:
- Chin
- Knees
- Elbows
- Breasts (bra rolls)
These resistant areas can be treated with mini liposuction with great results. Mini lipo minimizes your recovery time and is done quickly with local anesthesia.
Teen Liposuction
Teenagers are often faced with many pressures including the desire to look their best during a critical time of their development. During this time, teenage bodies are undergoing many hormonal, physiological and psychological changes. More teenagers are now turning to liposuction to help improve their appearance.
It is generally recommended that teens should wait until age 18 to have lipo for cosmetic reasons, but there are cases where teenage liposuction may be considered necessary and safe. These cases should be determined on an individual basis and can be discussed during your consultation with Dr. Pakeman.
If you’re interested in liposuction, please call Manhattan Surgical Care in New York today at 212-308-1566 to schedule your initial consultation. Dr. Pakeman provides experienced cosmetic surgery to clients in New York, and nationwide.
Dr. Pakeman is an expert contributor on RealSelf.
