Is Liposuction Painful?

Most patients experience soreness, swelling, and bruising after liposuction rather than significant pain. Discomfort is typically well-managed with prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication. The level of discomfort depends on the extent of treatment and the areas addressed. Symptoms gradually improve over the first one to two weeks.

How Many Appointments Will I Need?

Patients typically have an initial consultation, followed by the procedure. After surgery, one or more follow-up appointments may be scheduled to monitor your healing and address any concerns that arise. Additional visits may be recommended depending on the scope of treatment and individual recovery progress.

How Long Until I See the Results?

Some improvement is visible shortly after liposuction, but swelling can temporarily obscure final results. As swelling subsides over the next several weeks, body contours become more defined. Most patients see noticeable results within 1 to 3 months, with continued refinement over several months as healing progresses.

What Will the Scarring Look Like?

Liposuction incisions are very small and strategically placed to be as discreet as possible. Scars typically fade over time and are often barely noticeable once fully healed. Proper wound care and following post-operative instructions help optimize scar appearance.

When Can I Exercise Again After My Liposuction?

Light activity, such as walking, is encouraged soon after surgery to promote circulation. Most patients can return to more strenuous exercise within three to four weeks, depending on the extent of treatment. Your surgeon will provide personalized guidance on safely resuming workouts.

Can I Combine Liposuction with Other Procedures?

Yes, liposuction is often combined with other cosmetic procedures to achieve more comprehensive, balanced results. Many patients choose to combine liposuction with a tummy tuck, thigh lift , arm lift , or breast surgery to address multiple concerns in a single surgical session. During your consultation at Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island, your surgeon will evaluate your health, goals, and anatomy to determine which procedures can be safely performed together and design a treatment plan that achieves natural-looking results.

What Are the Risks Associated with Liposuction?

Potential complications with liposuction may include swelling, bruising, infection, bleeding, fluid collections, contour irregularities, and temporary changes in skin sensation.

How Do I Find the Best Liposuction Plastic Surgeon Near Me in Long Island?

Finding a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive liposuction experience is the most important step. You want a surgeon who performs a high volume of body contouring procedures, operates in accredited facilities, and provides thorough consultations. Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island offers experienced surgical care and personalized treatment planning for patients throughout Long Island.

Liposuction

Roslyn Heights, NY

Introduction

Introduction to Liposuction

When diet and exercise fail to get rid of unwanted body fat, many people turn to liposuction. This popular cosmetic procedure removes unwanted fat, improving body shape and contours. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, liposuction is the most common aesthetic surgical procedure worldwide, with more than 2.2 million procedures.²

Sotirios Papafragkou, MD, FACS, Susie Rhee, MD, and the team at Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island in Roslyn Heights, Long Island, New York, perform liposuction procedures to meet a wide range of aesthetic goals and needs, including full-body lipo following bariatric surgery.

To schedule a liposuction consultation, call the office or book online today.

Our team at Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island (PSAOLI) proudly serves patients throughout Long Island, including Roslyn, Roslyn Heights, Garden City, and Manhasset, NY.

Before & After Gallery

before & After Results

A woman in white athletic underwear poses with her arms raised, silhouetted by a beam of light.

What is Liposuction?

Liposuction is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that uses a thin, hollow tube — a cannula — to break up and remove unwanted fat beneath your skin.

Data from the Aesthetic Society shows that liposuction has remained one of the top surgical procedures, contributing to a rise in overall surgical volume by 2.9% from 2019 to 2023.¹

The Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island team performs liposuction on many areas of the body, including:

Ankles
Arms
Abdomen
Back
Buttocks
Calves
Chest
Face
Hips
Knees
Thighs
Waist

The goal of liposuction is to improve body contours and proportion. The team may perform liposuction on its own or in conjunction with other cosmetic procedures such as a tummy tuck, thighplasty, or mommy makeover.

What Are the Types of Liposuction?

The team at Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island may use various surgical techniques when performing liposuction. These types of liposuction techniques include:

Tumescent liposuction, or lunchtime lipo, is the most common technique. During this outpatient procedure, your plastic surgeon injects a solution containing saline, lidocaine (a local anesthetic), and epinephrine (which constricts blood vessels to reduce bleeding) into the treatment area.

This solution causes the tissue to swell and firm, making it easier for your surgeon to remove the fat with a cannula. There’s also no need for anesthesia or intravenous (IV) sedation, which is why the team calls it the lunchtime lipo.

Because they use only a local anesthetic to remove the fat, patients can drive themselves home after their laser-assisted tumescent liposuction procedure. In laser-assisted tumescent liposuction, your surgeon uses a laser to liquefy the fat, making it easier to remove with the cannula. Laser treatment also tightens the skin.

Who Are the Best Candidates for Liposuction?

The best candidates for liposuction are those who struggle with localized pockets of fat. Liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure and works best for patients with good skin elasticity, as the skin must be able to retract smoothly after fat removal.

Liposuction may be especially beneficial for patients who have lost weight and want to improve body contour.

During your consultation, the team at Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island will evaluate your anatomy and goals to determine if liposuction is appropriate for you.

What Are the Benefits of Liposuction?

Liposuction provides targeted fat removal for areas that do not respond to diet and exercise, helping refine body contours and improve overall proportion. Many patients find that clothing fits better and their body shape appears more balanced after treatment.

Another benefit of liposuction is its versatility. The procedure can be performed on many areas of the body and customized to address individual concerns.

A blonde woman in a black blazer smiles warmly as she hands a white clipboard over a reception desk to a patient.

What’s the First Step?

The first step is a personalized consultation at Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island. During this visit, your surgeon will review your medical history, discuss your aesthetic concerns, and perform a physical examination. You will learn which areas are treatable, which technique is recommended, and whether liposuction should be combined with another procedure.

Your surgeon will also explain the expected results, recovery process, and any potential risks. If liposuction is right for you, a customized treatment plan will be developed and your procedure scheduled.

What to Expect on the Day of Liposuction Surgery

Depending on the type and extent of liposuction, either local or general anesthesia will be used.

Once anesthesia takes effect, Dr. P or Dr. Rhee will make incisions near the treatment areas and insert a cannula to loosen and remove unwanted fat gently. Procedure length varies based on the number of areas treated. After the fat is removed, your incisions are closed.

Dr. Papafragkou, wearing a blue surgical gown, a black scrub cap, a medical mask, and glasses, looks downward with focus while performing a procedure.

Liposuction Recovery

Your Guide to Post-Liposuction Care

You can expect swelling, bruising, and pain following liposuction. The Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island team provides compression garments or elastic bandages to wear around the treated area to reduce pain and support healing.

Most patients go back to work within a few days, but the team recommends avoiding strenuous activity for a few weeks.

How Much Does Liposuction Cost in Long Island, NY?

The cost of liposuction on Long Island varies based on several factors, including the number of areas treated, the technique used, anesthesia fees, and facility costs.

During your consultation, you will get a detailed cost estimate based on your treatment plan.

Why Choose Us?

At Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island, our esteemed triple-board-certified plastic surgeons, Dr. Sotirios Papafragkou, FACS, and Dr. Susie Ree, provide personalized care, natural-looking results, and a seamless treatment process for patients in Roslyn, Roslyn Heights, Garden City, Manhasset, and throughout Long Island.

Dr. P has mastered a broad array of surgical and non-surgical solutions to help patients attain the youthful, energized look they desire. He works with the latest cutting-edge techniques to minimize downtime while enhancing comfort and safety. Dr. Papafragkou is credentialed by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and the Aesthetic Society (ASAPS) and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).

Dr. Susie Rhee, M.D., is a board-certified plastic surgeon serving patients throughout Long Island, NY. As a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), The Aesthetic Society, and the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF), Dr. Rhee is committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety, education, and surgical excellence. She brings extensive experience in both cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, as well as in non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments that deliver natural, long-lasting results.

Liposuction FAQ’S

Yes, liposuction is often combined with other cosmetic procedures to achieve more comprehensive, balanced results. Many patients choose to combine liposuction with a tummy tuck, thigh lift, arm lift, or breast surgery to address multiple concerns in a single surgical session.

During your consultation at Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island, your surgeon will evaluate your health, goals, and anatomy to determine which procedures can be safely performed together and design a treatment plan that achieves natural-looking results.
Finding a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive liposuction experience is the most important step. You want a surgeon who performs a high volume of body contouring procedures, operates in accredited facilities, and provides thorough consultations.

Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island offers experienced surgical care and personalized treatment planning for patients throughout Long Island.

Sources

The Aesthetic Society & CosmetAssure. (2023). AESTHETIC PLASTIC SURGERY STATS 2023. https://cdn.theaestheticsociety.org/media/statistics/2023-TheAestheticSocietyStatistics.pdf

Global Survey 2023: full report and press releases. (n.d.). ISAPS. https://www.isaps.org/discover/about-isaps/global-statistics/global-survey-2023-full-report-and-press-releases

Schedule a Consultation

Personalized Care from Two Dedicated Surgeons

To find out more about liposuction at Plastic Surgery Associates of Long Island, call or schedule an appointment online today.

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