Liposuction

IN LONG BEACH, CA AND SERVING LA, ORANGE COUNTY AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

People of all ages and sizes can develop “stubborn” pockets of fat. These deposits of fatty tissue are “stubborn” because they’re seemingly impervious to dieting and exercise. And since “spot reduction” workouts are mostly ineffective, targeting this type of fatty tissue is almost impossible. All this means that, no matter how fit they may be, certain people may never achieve a figure that reflects how healthy they become.

Of course, there is a way to attain a sleeker, more athletic figure: liposuction. Liposuction, otherwise known as liposculpture or “lipo,” is one of the most popular body sculpting procedures of all time. It’s designed to remove these stubborn pockets of fat and leave behind a slimmer, thinner contour.

Liposuction is known for its versatility. It can sculpt small, delicate areas such as the face and large, difficult areas such as the abdomen. When performed by a surgeon like Dr. Josh Waltzman, liposuction surgery can be done with extreme precision.

Our Liposuction Results

  • Liposuction Before and After Result Long Beach & South Bay
  • Liposuction Before and After Result Long Beach & South Bay
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*Individual results may vary.

Learn More About Liposuction

Your Consultation for Liposuction

Dr. Waltzman’s main goal for your liposuction consultation is that you come away with a realistic understanding of your results. He accomplishes that by making each consultation informative and thorough.

He’s also dedicated to treating each patient with compassion. Dr. Waltzman will listen intently to the patient’s questions and concerns and make sure to answer them before the liposuction consultation is over. He will never rush you through the entire process, and your consultation will take as long as you need it to.

The consultation is also where Dr. Waltzman begins his thorough preparation for the liposuction procedure in Long Beach. He’ll look over your medical history to see if you’re a good fit for the procedure and perform a detailed examination. Then, he’ll take some photos to use as a reference and go over what the recovery process entails. He’ll also explain what your likely outcomes will be and what possible risks and complications might occur.

Removing enough fat to count for substantial weight loss could be harmful to your health. That’s why this procedure won’t remove all the fat in a given area; rather, it sculpts the remaining fat to emphasize muscle tone or help the patient attain a smoother contour.

For those looking to eliminate a double chin, Dr. Waltzman offers Kybella®, an injectable that can permanently eliminate it.

How Does Liposuction Work?

Where your liposuction is performed and what anesthetic is used will depend on what area you’re being treated. Areas like the neck can sometimes be performed using local anesthesia. Liposuction using local anesthesia can be performed in Dr. Waltzman’s medical office in Long Beach. Areas such as the abdomen, hips, and flanks require a larger treatment area. They are performed using general anesthesia in a surgery center or a hospital.

In the first step of Dr. Waltzman’s liposuction, he’ll apply a local anesthetic to the area. Then, he’ll make several small incisions. After that, he’ll infuse a tumescent solution into the body. The tumescent solution is meant to help with patient discomfort, prevent bleeding, reduce trauma to the tissues, and help prepare the fat for removal.

Dr. Waltzman will then insert a cannula – a narrow, hollow tube attached to a vacuum – through the incisions into the fatty layer under the skin. Dr. Waltzman will then break up the fat, extract an appropriate amount, and maneuver the cannula back and forth to sculpt the area. Once the liposuction is done, Dr. Waltzman will close up the incisions.

Am I a Candidate for Liposuction?

Liposuction is designed to contour a patient’s figure by removing pockets of fat. It should never be thought of as a weight loss procedure. Liposuction is considered a way for relatively fit patients in Long Beach to sculpt their bodies into a more athletic, refined form. 

Ideally, patients in Long Beach seeking liposuction should be in relatively good health – and have no untreated diseases. Because liposuction doesn’t remove excess skin, patients should also be within 10 pounds of their ideal weight or at a stable weight that they’re comfortable with. By the same token, it’s crucial that patients have excellent skin elasticity so that the skin can naturally shrink back to the body’s new curves.

The ideal candidate should also have good muscle tone – in other words, patients should be quite fit to undergo liposuction. Here are a few other characteristics that define an ideal candidate:

  • Non-smoker
  • Has a support system of friends/family that can help them after their surgery
  • Has realistic expectations for what liposuction can do

Because of its incredible versatility, liposuction can target a wide range of areas, including:

  • Chin/Neck
  • Arms
  • Abdomen
  • Breasts
  • Flanks
  • Back Fat
  • Thighs
  • Knees

Liposuction can target almost any area of the body. During your consultation, you can learn whether a given area is treatable.

What Results Can I Expect from Liposuction?

Once the fat cells are removed by liposuction, they’re gone forever and won’t be replaced by other fat cells. With a healthy lifestyle, patients can expect lifelong results from liposuction.

Keep in mind that Dr. Waltzman cannot remove all the fat in a given area—it’s too dangerous. If the patient gains weight, the remaining fat cells will enlarge, like any fat cell would. However, the weight gain will be distributed evenly around the body so that it will look natural.

What is Recovery Like After Liposuction?

Dr. Waltzman will create personalized liposuction instructions for your recovery. You may need to take a week or two off from work to recover, but Dr. Waltzman will let you know when you can return. You’ll be able to go home the same day as your liposuction in Long Beach, but your recovery will depend on what was treated and how aggressive the treatment was.

There are a few side effects associated with liposuction. You will experience some bruising and swelling after your surgery, but this should dissipate over time. To help reduce swelling and shape the body, you’ll be asked to wear a compression garment for a few weeks.

Liposuction is both an art form and a science—it requires extreme precision and the ability to create stunning results. For such an important procedure, don’t trust anything less than a skilled board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Waltzman. You can contact him to schedule a consultation in his Long Beach practice.

A majority of the swelling dissipates after a few weeks, but residual swelling can remain after six months. By that time, your skin should have gradually shrunk into your new contours, and you should be able to see your full results.

Our patients typically report that the lipo recovery period is very tolerable. The sensation is similar to having a large bruise in the area and one of being sore rather than sharp pain. Although our patients are given prescription medication to help with any discomfort, many of our patients are eventually able to switch to over-the-counter medication after a few days.

Liposuction requires only small incisions, so after the scars have healed nicely, they’ll resemble small lines and will be mostly imperceptible.

What is a Hip Dip Fat Transfer?

If you want to achieve a curvy, hourglass figure, a hip dip fat transfer may be the right solution for you. This minimally invasive body contouring treatment can quickly and effectively transform the look of your waistline to help you achieve a better hip-to-waist ratio.

During this procedure, fat is transferred non-surgically from one part of your body to your hips. You and Dr. Waltzman will decide where the fat is taken from: the stomach, arms, or legs. This two-in-one procedure not only transfers fat to where you want it but also helps you lose unwanted fat. 

For many patients, obtaining an hourglass figure with a balanced hip-to-waist ratio is hard to achieve, even with a strict diet and exercise routine. Many of our patients approach us for this procedure because they do not like the contour or appearance of their hips. The hip dip fat transfer can be an ideal aesthetic solution for our Long Beach patients who desire a more defined waistline and attractive proportions.

Our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Josh Waltzman, performs the hip dip fat transfer procedure in-house at our office in Long Beach. This procedure uses anesthesia to numb the treatment area and the area from which the fat will be taken (the donor site). Following this treatment, you may not be able to drive, so arrange a ride home in advance.

This is a two-step procedure. The first step is harvesting your fat from the donor site of your choice. Dr. Waltzman will precisely remove excess fat using a fine cannula. You can opt to have your fat removed from your stomach, arms, legs, or glutes. Once the fat is removed, it is purified at our office with laboratory-grade equipment. The purified fat is then re-injected into the treatment site.

This two-step process is typically repeated until the desired results are achieved. Sometimes, the desired result is achieved in one appointment. However, some fat may resorb, and additional fat transfer procedures might be necessary.

The recovery time for your hip dip fat transfer procedure is generally one to two weeks. During your healing time, you mustn’t put excessive pressure directly on the treatment or donor area to ensure that the fat has the best chance of survival.

Why Choose Dr. Waltzman for Your Liposuction?

But what makes Dr. Waltzman the right surgeon to perform your liposuction in Long Beach? For one thing, he understands that it’s more than aesthetics that compels a patient to undergo a major procedure. It’s about pride and confidence – the chance to remodel your figure in a way you’ve always wanted.

With that essential tenet in mind, Dr. Waltzman will treat your case with great care and the utmost compassion. His goal is to create results that work for you and you alone. That’s why Dr. Waltzman will tailor your liposuction treatment to your unique goals and desires.

Take the Next Step

When you are ready to consider liposuction, reach out to The Waltzman Institute Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics at (562) 448-6100 to schedule your initial consultation and learn more about our many aesthetic enhancement options.

We are located in Long Beach and serve patients in LA county, Orange County, the South Bay and all of Southern California. You’ll find that we are fully committed to the best possible experience and outcomes for all of our patients!

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