Liposuction

Most liposuction procedures are performed on an outpatient basis in an AAAASF-certified operating room, meaning the facility is up to very high standards of accreditation. Patients usually spend up to a couple hours in the postoperative suite before being discharged in the care of a companion, family member or friend. Dr. Sayed gives a 24-hour phone number to all patients who can reach him for urgent questions, and we also issue access to a patient engagement application that allows the patient or companion/caregiver to send SMS messages, photos, video and other content to our team in a secure, private digital format. This keeps us mutually informed on your recovery and allows us to update your instructions while requiring a respectful number of face-to-face visits in the office.

Early postop recovery findings can include pain (which feels like a heavy post-workout muscle cramping pain in most cases), mild nausea, bruising and swelling, numbness or diminished sensation in the skin, and some mental adjustment to the process of healing which most patients undergo. Some patients may develop small fluid collections called seromas in the early weeks after surgery, though we try to prevent these. Most patients are advised to take up to 2 weeks out of social circulation and we’d prefer that you not drive yourself in the first 14 days or as long as you are taking any prescription pain medication. Most sutures are dissolvable but there may be a few that need to be removed at around 14 days postop. You may or may not have drains in place (depending on the treatment areas), which are usually removed in the office at 7 to 10 days.

We ask that you abstain from exercise for 1 week and then return to light fitness routines after that. It is very important that you get up and walk even the first night following your procedure. You will be asked to wear a surgical garment for about 3 months, and it will be easiest for you if you wear tops that button down in the front in the first 3 weeks or so. Dr. Sayed and his team provide close postop care in the office and with our remote engagement tools. You will be asked to take some supplement medications to aid in your recovery, which may include medications for pain, bruising, swelling, constipation, and dietary optimization.

Immediately after your liposuction, you may feel a bit lighter around the treatment area. However, due to swelling and bruising associated with the procedure, you cannot see the full extent of your results. Typically, it is only after 12 weeks that the swelling and bruising subsides enough for you to determine how liposuction has contoured and toned your area of concern. Your final results may take up to a year.

Remember: liposuction is not a weight loss operation.

Patients who are overweight related to genetic, dietary and fitness factors are not going to be “cured” by this procedure. Mild areas of problem fat may have permanent improvement, but if you gain significant weight, you may also gain weight in areas previously treated, as the body’s fat cells have a remarkable ability to take on extra fat over time even when some of the fat cells were previously removed. This is part of the reason it is important to try to balance your goals for body physique improvement with a combination of diet and exercise modification, with liposuction serving as a “finishing touch” or occasionally as a “jumpstarter.” It is better not to think of surgical fat removal as a weight-related procedure and rather as one for improving body self-image and the possibility the ability to find better fitting clothing, as a consequence of improved contours.

• Have a reasonable expectation of what surgery can accomplish
• Have a clear idea of which areas you want and don’t want to be treated – we will repeatedly ask you to confirm what you want to focus on, as liposuction is often priced per area of treatment
• Don’t smoke or take nicotine in any form for at least 3 weeks and ideally longer before (and after) surgery
• Stay well rested and well hydrated and eat a nutritious diet balanced with plenty of protein
• If your diet is lacking in vitamins, take vitamin C and zinc supplementation but ask Dr. Sayed about other supplements. We have a list of ingredients we ask you to avoid in the immediate preop phase to optimize healing and minimize bleeding risk
• Designate a caretaker who can help you through the first 3-5 days after your treatment, or longer if you have multiple areas treated
• Maintain your weight at a target which we can set together based on your body mass index (BMI) – ideally, we’d like to help you get it below 30, but there is a reasonable range depending on other factors. In some cases, we may ask you to some weight preop to optimize your preoperative risk

We don’t like to publish pricing as it is subject to market changes and dependent on the types of procedures you consider. Review our Pricing page to build a “wishlist” and get estimated pricing on liposuction or a combination of procedures. We also have a fee schedule available in the office after your consultation. Feel free to contact our San Diego office for a pre-consultation and we are happy to provide more information. The cost of your surgery will partly depend on where you have it and how much time we think it will take based on your body frame and the number and locations of areas you want to be treated. Procedures that involve the front and back will require repositioning in the operating room, which is factored into operating time estimates at the time of your quote.