Is liposuction painful?

Liposuction is generally considered to be painless, however, you may feel some moderate pain and discomfort during the first few days of recovery. Dr. Lissa will prescribe you some medications that will make the discomfort more manageable, and we will provide you with some instructions on how to make your recovery as smooth as possible.

Will I lose weight with liposuction?

Liposuction is not a substitute for weight-loss methods like diet and exercise, but it can help your body appear slimmer and firmer in specific areas.

How many appointments will I need?

One of the advantages of liposuction over noninvasive procedures is that you generally need just a single treatment to achieve your desired results, and the outcome is usually long-lasting if you maintain your weight. You should expect to return about three more times after surgery. The first time will be about a week post-op, again at three months, and finally around six months. Dr. Lissa will always let you know at the end of your check-up when she expects you to return.

How long until I see results?

Depending on the degree of change you have with your Liposuction, you should be able to see some results practically instantly! You will still be swollen and bruised for a few days up to a few weeks, so this could affect your initial overall appearance. Most of our patients can see their final results within one to three months as their body adjusts to the new changes.

When can I begin a regular workout routine?

Once you have gotten rid of all that stubborn fat, hopefully, your new goal will be to keep it off! While you should never rush into any sort of strenuous activity after a surgical experience, you can begin light activity within a day or two. After meeting with Dr. Lissa during your first follow-up appointment, she will need to assess how you are healing, since the last thing we want is for you to get an infection. While you should only begin a workout routine with the expressed permission from your provider, most patients are able to gradually begin more rigorous movements within three weeks.

Can I combine Liposuction with other procedures?

Of course! Many of the other procedures that we offer incorporate Liposuction into the treatment through Fat Transfer (Fat Grafting) in a Brazillian Butt Lift , or look into other body enhancements, such as Breast Augmentation , Dermal Filler, or Tummy Tuck . If you have specific body goals in mind, please discuss them with Dr. Lissa during your consultation and she will be able to make the best additional procedure recommendations for you.

Why choose a board-certified plastic surgeon for my Liposuction?

When a plastic surgeon has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, this means they have spent many years studying and being specially trained. When you come into Dr. Lissa Plastic Surgery and have your Liposuction performed by Lissa Bootstaylor, MD in Atlanta, you can comfortably go into your procedure with the knowledge that you are in qualified and experienced hands.

What are the risks associated with Liposuction?

Liposuction with Dr. Lissa Plastic Surgery normally produces safe and stunning results, but since this is a surgical procedure, there are some potential risks and side effects that come with it, such as: Anesthesia risks Bruising Change in skin sensation that may persist Damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications Fluid accumulation Infection Irregular contours or asymmetries Irregular pigmentation Need for revision surgery Persistent swelling Poor wound healing Rippling or loose skin, worsening of cellulite Swelling Thermal burn or heat injury from ultrasound with the ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty technique While most side effects will heal on their own over time, if you have any concerning or long-lasting reactions, please contact us immediately so that we can help.

Liposuction in Atlanta, GA

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Introduction

Liposuction

For some people, losing weight is as easy as breathing, or at least it can seem that way. This is usually not the case however, as for most people, it takes dedication to a proper diet and plenty of exercise to achieve the body type they desire. There’s another demographic that even with their due diligence, age, and genetics results in stubborn fat that seemingly collects with no hope of ever getting rid of it. At Dr. Lissa Plastic Surgery, we want to help our patients get rid of that unwanted fat with Liposuction in Atlanta. To learn about the different techniques we offer and if you’re a qualified candidate, keep reading below.

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What is Liposuction?

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that reshapes a specific area of your body by removing excess fat for a more contoured appearance. Dr. Lissa Bootstaylor uses a suctioning technique to remove excess fat from an area of your body, such as your waist or thighs, to reshape them. In some cases, you can undergo liposuction with a local anesthetic, but larger areas may require a general anesthetic, so you sleep through the procedure.

African American woman posting leaning back in olive colored bikini

Liposuction works on nearly any problem area of your body where you’d like a more defined contour or silhouette. Some of the most popular areas for liposuction include:

Ankles – reduces “cankle” appearance
Arms – sculpts and defines to provide a toned appearance and “cut” upper arms
Back – removes dreaded back fat to soften and create a more feminine physique
Belly – create curves and sculpted abs and
Buttocks – makes it more proportioned to the rest of your body
Chest or breasts – remove “side boob” or “man boob” fat
Flanks – remove love handles and muffin tops
Knees – reduces the opportunity for “runners’ knees”
Neckline and the area under the chin – double chin removal
Thighs (Outer/ Inner) – defines thighs in proportion to knees and calves

You can get liposuction on more than one area at a time, or Dr. Bootstaylor may recommend combining liposuction with other procedures, such as a tummy tuck or Brazilian butt lift.

Dr. Lissa Liposuction Expertise in Atlanta

Dr. Lissa Bootstaylor has performed thousands of successful Liposuction surgeries throughout her career.
Named a Top Plastic Surgeon by US News and World Report.
Received her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, did her plastic surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh, and her surgical residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Lissa is a certified member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the Atlanta Medical Association, and the Atlanta Women’s Medical Alliance.
She is the Medical Director of Atlanta’s premiere plastic surgery center, Atlanta APC Plastic Surgery

Woman in white undershirt and underwear laying back on here bed

Liposuction at First Glance

Surgery Time: Time will vary on the extent of the surgery and technique, but you should expect between one and four hours
Price: The cost of Liposuction in Atlanta varies but starts at $8,000
Recovery: Patients should be able to return home after their surgery, but the recovery time will vary. You can expect to be bruised and swollen for at least 10 to 14 days. You should be able to return to light work within a few days and slowly return to working out within two to three weeks.
Results: Depending on how much fat is removed, you can expect to see final results within one to three months.

Awake Liposuction

A safe, quick, and low-cost treatment, Awake Liposuction is performed by making small incisions and infusing a special solution called “tumescent solution”, which is a saline combination that contains lidocaine (a pain reliever), and epinephrine (reduces bleeding/bruising). A cannula (very thin, tiny tube) is used to suck the excess fat and contour your body.

Awake liposuction can be used on stubborn areas such as:

Abdominal apron
Back bra rolls
Double chin
Hips
Muffin top
Thighs
Waist
Other excess fatty areas

You won’t require general anesthesia for your treatment but you will be numbed with a tumescent solution. A variety of techniques will be used to keep you calm and comfortable during your procedure while you are completely awake and in control of your senses. Dr. Lissa will insert the cannula into multiple small, barely noticeable incisions that provide access to the stubborn fatty areas. You will feel a gentle rocking sensation throughout the treatment. The procedure can take anywhere between one and four hours.

After your treatment, your recovery should be much faster than traditional liposuction. Most patients can return to their normal activities in just a few days and return to the gym in about a week. Unlike noninvasive procedures such as CoolSculpting, cavitation, and other fat-reducing machines, you will be able to see results immediately following your treatment with a visible decrease in fat volume and better-contoured figure. Your results will continue to improve over the next month as any swelling resolves and your skin tightens. Unfortunately, awake liposuction is not ideal for patients with a low pain tolerance or an anxiety disorder.

The average cost of awake liposuction by Dr. Lissa usually starts at $4,000, depending upon how many areas are addressed and how much fat will be removed.

For more information on Awake Liposuction, you can read more about it in a blog written by Dr. Lissa Bootstaylor HERE.

High BMI Liposuction

Traditional Liposuction is performed on patients with lower Body Mass Indexes of 21-30, but when performed on patients with higher BMIs, there we some larger risks of medical problems and aesthetic challenges. In the past, the only way for Plus-size patients to undergo Liposuction was to lose enough weight before receiving the treatment, which as mentioned above, is not always easy.

Over the last 20 years, Dr. Lissa has been focusing on highlighting the figure of her patients by using a combination of liposuction with abdominoplasty surgery. Although this produced some excellent results, there was a large enough sample of patients who had to be excluded because of the amount of downtime a tummy tuck required and the production of a long, visible scar.

Thankfully, when Awake Liposuction is performed in stages, higher BMI patients can see great shapely results without the need for general anesthesia or long-recovery times. Dr. Lissa can use her artistic eye to use this technique and create a gorgeous hourglass figure. She has been able to help patients with a BMI as high as 47 patients who are in overall good health.

For more information on High BMI Liposuction, you can read more about it in a blog written by Dr. Lissa Bootstaylor HERE.

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Liposuction with Tummy Tuck

When you lose a lot of weight in a quick amount of time, there’s a good chance that your skin will be loose and sagging, since your skin’s elasticity doesn’t have an opportunity to keep up. This is why many of our Atlanta patients will combine a Tummy Tuck, or Abdominoplasty, with their Liposuction. One of the major benefits that come from this combination of procedures is that you can address exercise-resistant fat simultaneously with the elimination of loose skin and muscle tissue repair.

For more information on what takes place during an Abdominoplasty, please refer to its dedicated page HERE.

What are the benefits of Liposuction?

Our patients have experienced the following benefits that Liposuction in Atlanta has to offer:

Boosts Self-esteem
Improved Health
Improvement in appearance and the way others perceive you
Lose stubborn fat that diet and exercise can’t
Permanently removes fat cells
Safe way to remove fat

Who are the Best Candidates for Liposuction?

It is very important to understand that liposuction is not intended to be used as a weight loss tool, but rather as a means of reducing and sculpting stubborn excess fat areas that normal exercise is having difficulty removing. We highly encourage practicing a healthy lifestyle to keep the weight off and maintain your appearance. To find out if you are a good candidate for any of our Liposuction procedures, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Lissa.

The best candidates for Atlanta Liposuction are patients who:

Are you in good shape and working towards sculpting your silhouette
Attempted to lose weight through normal diet and exercise, but are having difficulty with fat storage in certain areas
In overall good health
Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or less
Have good skin elasticity
Nonsmoker
Possess regions of localized fat that can be harvested

What’s the First Step?

If you are in the Atlanta area and are interested in any of the Liposuction techniques that we have to offer, the first step is to contact Dr. Lissa Plastic Surgery and schedule your consultation. When you come into our boutique office for your appointment, you will be able to meet with Dr. Lissa Bootstaylor and discuss your desires for your treatment. Dr. Lissa will examine the area(s) that you are looking to improve, answer any questions or address any concerns you may have regarding your Liposuction, and go over the different options she provides, working with you to determine which one is best for you.

You will also need to answer some questions regarding your lifestyle and medical history. It is very important, to be honest, and open with Dr. Lissa; she is completely discreet and confidential with everything you tell her, and the information you provide will help prevent any unnecessary risks during your procedure or recovery.

When the two of you have come to an agreement about the techniques used and the projected results, Dr. Lissa will create a procedure plan just for you. Once this plan has been created, our Patient Coordinator will help you schedule your procedure date and time, as well as provide you with some directions to follow to ensure the safest and best results.

3 Women posing together in bikinis after liposuction procedure

What to Expect on the Day of Liposuction

When you show up for your Liposuction, we will make sure that you are comfortable first and foremost. If you’re getting traditional liposuction, the type of anesthesia used will vary, with local anesthesia being used for small areas and general anesthesia being used in more extensive procedures.

After making a small incision, usually between 0.4 and 0.8 inches in length, Dr. Lissa will insert a blunt instrument that is attached to a rubber tubing, passing it back and forth along your unwanted fat, essentially scraping it loose and vacuuming it, thanks to the machine it’s attached to that generates high vacuum pressure. Once finished, Dr. Lissa will cover up the incisions.

Depending on the area or areas that are being operated on and which technique is used, the procedure can last from 30 minutes up to four hours.

Liposuction Recovery

After your procedure, you can expect to experience some pain and swelling in the treated area, as well as some fluid drainage from the incisions. To control swelling and to help your skin better fit its new contours, you may need to wear a compression garment for a few weeks. Occasionally, a small drainage tube may be inserted beneath the skin for a couple of days to prevent fluid build-up. Pain can be controlled with medications prescribed by Dr. Lissa, though you may still feel stiff and sore for a few days.

It is normal to feel a bit anxious in the days or weeks following surgery. However, this feeling will subside as you begin to look and feel better. Over time, you’ll see your new, improved shape and a leaner, more contoured silhouette.

How Much Does Liposuction Cost in Atlanta?

The cost of Liposuction in Atlanta is entirely dependent on which technique you and Dr. Lissa decide to use, how much fat is being removed, and the location(s) of the removal, among a few other factors. When you come in for your consultation and Dr. Lissa can create your Liposuction treatment plan, our Patient Coordinator will be able to give you a complete price breakdown.

For your convenience, we do offer financing options such as Carecredit, Alpheon, or United Medical. We also accept credit cards, and cash for our services.

Why Choose Dr. Lissa?

Lissa Bootstaylor, MD has pioneered and perfected twilight liposuction for body contouring in both men and women. During this fast recovery procedure, five liters of fat can be removed without the “deep dive” of general anesthesia. Men and women in their 20s through their 80s rely on the expertise of Dr. Bootstaylor and her passion for providing the most comprehensive medical and aesthetic services with a personalized touch. As one of Atlanta’s premiere plastic surgeons, she is widely considered to have a wealth of knowledge and experience in her field. She is an ASPS Member plastic surgeon who is board-certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and strives to create a plastic surgery experience and an aesthetic result that taps into your innermost desires for timeless beauty.

Schedule a Consultation

If only those stubborn pockets of fat responded to diet and weight-loss efforts, men and women of all ages would have their ideal body shape and feel more confident wearing their favorite clothes. Fortunately, for those hard-to-conquer areas of fat, Lissa Bootstaylor MD, one of Atlanta’s top plastic surgeons, offers liposuction to contour your body and get rid of those annoying bulges. Liposuction is a time-tested procedure that can enhance your figure, and Dr. Bootstaylor specializes in removing fat and contouring your silhouette so you look good from all angles. Call us at 404-240-2804 to schedule a consultation or book one online today.

Liposuction FAQs

One of the advantages of liposuction over noninvasive procedures is that you generally need just a single treatment to achieve your desired results, and the outcome is usually long-lasting if you maintain your weight. You should expect to return about three more times after surgery. The first time will be about a week post-op, again at three months, and finally around six months. Dr. Lissa will always let you know at the end of your check-up when she expects you to return.
Once you have gotten rid of all that stubborn fat, hopefully, your new goal will be to keep it off! While you should never rush into any sort of strenuous activity after a surgical experience, you can begin light activity within a day or two. After meeting with Dr. Lissa during your first follow-up appointment, she will need to assess how you are healing, since the last thing we want is for you to get an infection. While you should only begin a workout routine with the expressed permission from your provider, most patients are able to gradually begin more rigorous movements within three weeks.
Of course! Many of the other procedures that we offer incorporate Liposuction into the treatment through Fat Transfer (Fat Grafting) in a Brazillian Butt Lift, or look into other body enhancements, such as Breast Augmentation, Dermal Filler, or Tummy Tuck. If you have specific body goals in mind, please discuss them with Dr. Lissa during your consultation and she will be able to make the best additional procedure recommendations for you.
When a plastic surgeon has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, this means they have spent many years studying and being specially trained. When you come into Dr. Lissa Plastic Surgery and have your Liposuction performed by Lissa Bootstaylor, MD in Atlanta, you can comfortably go into your procedure with the knowledge that you are in qualified and experienced hands.
Liposuction with Dr. Lissa Plastic Surgery normally produces safe and stunning results, but since this is a surgical procedure, there are some potential risks and side effects that come with it, such as:
- Anesthesia risks
- Bruising
- Change in skin sensation that may persist
- Damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs
- Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
- Fluid accumulation
- Infection
- Irregular contours or asymmetries
- Irregular pigmentation
- Need for revision surgery
- Persistent swelling
- Poor wound healing
- Rippling or loose skin, worsening of cellulite
- Swelling
- Thermal burn or heat injury from ultrasound with the ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty technique
While most side effects will heal on their own over time, if you have any concerning or long-lasting reactions, please contact us immediately so that we can help.

“Dr. Bootstaylor performed my plastic surgery several years ago in multiple areas. My results were amazing! She is a perfectionist.”
I don’t think there are words to describe the experience with Dr. Lissa and staff. The love and kindness is profound. They make you feel heard, but most of all, they make everyone feel beautiful. They treat you like family, not just another patient off of the street. Love, love love, Dr. Lissa Bootstaylor and the ladies of the office!
The entire staff was friendly and professional. They took the time to go over the entire procedure with me. As for Dr Lissa, she was very personable and she listened to me. And answered all my questions and concerns.

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Patient Resources

We’re here to help, with a number of patient resources designed to make your experience as comfortable as possible. Read through the materials below, and don’t hesitate to reach out and set up your consultation to learn more about what we can do for you.