Liposuction
Dr. Kenneth Hughes, Harvard-educated, Harvard-trained board-certified plastic surgeon, has performed thousands of liposuction surgeries in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills areas. In addition, Dr. Hughes has expertly performed many lipo 360 procedures and liposuction revision procedures. About 50% of Dr. Hughes’s patients travel from northern California, all over the United States, and other countries including Canada, Australia, England, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and over 30 other countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Dr. Kenneth Hughes performs a wide array of liposuction and liposculpture procedures (including liposuction 360 or 360-degree liposuction), complex liposuction procedures, complex revision liposuction procedures, or liposuction procedures in combination with other procedures in his state of the art, AAAASF-accredited surgery center in Los Angeles. Dr. Hughes also operates in another AAAASF-accredited surgery center in Beverly Hills as well. Dr. Kenneth Hughes will achieve your best liposuction or liposuction revision result. If you are an out-of-state patient or coming from outside of the United States, Dr. Hughes is accustomed to performing liposuction procedures and getting patients back to their homes without issues.
liposuction requires an expert
The truth about liposuction is that it is far more difficult to perform well than some plastic surgeons and others may suggest. Dr. Kenneth Hughes has revised thousands of liposuction procedures and has given hope to many patients who thought there was no solution to their situation. Poor liposuction results can severely decrease self esteem and create body image issues that can last a lifetime. That is why it is so very critical to get the surgery done as well as possible the first time. However, if you are reading this after an unfortunate experience, do not lose hope.
understanding the liposuction procedure
The liposuction, or liposculpture, procedure involves making a few small (4 mm) incisions through which instruments called cannulae are inserted to remove the fat in a very precise fashion. Liposuction is a blind procedure in which haptic and proprioceptive feedback must be mastered by the practitioner to create the most pleasing result, in which the flap is smooth and uniform. The pressure generated from an intraoperative vacuum results in the ability to avulse fat from the body with these cannulae, which have small holes at the end of the cannula for removal. The holes can be oriented differently based upon application.
Dr. Kenneth Hughes, a respected liposuction surgeon, uses small cannulae of 2, 3, or 4 mm in diameter to allow for a more precise fat extraction and sculpting. Dr. Hughes only uses blunt liposuction tips to minimize the risk of intraoperative puncture or damage to underlying organs. This is particularly important in revision cases, wherein previous surgeons may have created multiple, aberrant tracks and scar tissue, which create more possibilities for deviation. Previous incisions into the abdomen, particularly those that required fascial reapproximation, present a higher risk for puncture as the sutures may be compromised and the scar tissue in those areas is intrinsically weaker.
liposuction areas
Any area of the body can be sculpted through liposuction, including the abdomen, waist, flanks, lower and upper back, bra rolls, anterior and posterior armpits. Additional areas that can be improved with liposuction include butt, pubic area or mons, inner thighs, outer thighs, posterior thighs, inner knees, upper knees, calves and ankles, upper arms, buffalo hump, chin, and neck. Some of the more popular liposuction procedures include liposuction of the abdomen, sides, and lower back, which is referred to as liposuction 360 or lipo 360. In addition to every area of the body, Dr. Hughes is a master liposuction practitioner for those patients seeking revision liposuction.
surgeon’s skill
Many varieties of liposuction are available, including ultrasonic-assisted liposuction, SmartLipo, laser liposuction, vaser lipo, power-assisted liposuction, and conventional tumescent liposuction. The result depends very little on the method used and very much on the surgeon selected. Dr. Kenneth Hughes, a true liposuction expert, prefers conventional tumescent liposuction with small cannulae to produce the finest result.
The energy components of other methods can lead to unsightly skin changes and burns that cannot be corrected. Dr. Hughes sees at least 2 patients a week who have skin changes from these types of liposuction and there is literally nothing that can be done about the cobble-stoning or color variegation that occurs as a result of the burning of the tissues. The energy in the form of heat destroys the fat cells and surrounding tissue and can render the surrounding tissue incapable of being used for fat transfer procedures and can result in fat necrosis, flap loss, and full thickness burns.
The final common pathway for any liposuction procedure is removal of fat with a cannula. The cannula is attached to suction tubing which is able to extract fat through suction generated by a suction vacuum. The movement of the cannula by the surgeon through the fatty layer is what determines the smoothness of the result. No machine or technology can substitute for the highly skilled hands of the expert surgeon.
types of liposuction
Every day, a new way of performing liposuction is heralded by a company or the media. The truth is that there is very little difference in the various modalities. Some of them report that there is more skin tightening but a higher chance of burn. Dr. Kenneth Benjamin Hughes, MD, deals in the scientific realm where studies must demonstrate definitive skin tightening to merit the risk of burns. Previous modalities have been less than impressive in their demonstration of results of contraction or skin tightening. However, the risk of large surface area third degree burns is present in many of the older and newer modalities.
All of these technologies deliver energy in unipolar fashion. In other words, energy emanates from a single pole and the energy dissipates outward in all directions. This type of delivery is inefficient and produces little to no retraction (no noticeable tightening of the skin). In addition, the risk for burns is much greater due to the uncontrolled dispersion of energy into surrounding tissues.
Bodytite and Facetite utilize a bipolar technology, which significantly reduces the risk for full thickness burns and flap loss and results in improved contraction. This is the only skin-tightening technology Dr. Kenneth Hughes utilizes. Dr. Hughes has found this extremely useful in primary liposuction cases and in the thousands of liposuction revisions he has performed.
liposuction cost
- Liposuction of the Abdomen, Sides, and Lower Back or Lipo 360 costs $15,000 to $18,000.
- Liposuction of the Abdomen, Sides, and Lower Back or Lipo 360 and Brazilian buttlift costs $18,000 to $21,000.
- Liposuction of the Inner Thighs costs $5500.
- Liposuction of the Calves and Ankles costs $7500.
- Liposuction of the Outer Thighs costs $5500.
- Liposuction of the Upper Arms costs $6500.
Please note that pricing for Liposuction may vary based on the individual needs of the patient. Dr. Hughes operates in both Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, and prices may vary slightly. Please do not select your surgeon based upon cost nor select the cheapest liposuction doctor in Los Angeles or Beverly Hills.
patient testimonial
I recently had stomach and back liposuction performed by Dr. Kenneth Hughes in Culver City, LA. He was fantastic! I couldn’t recommend him enough. The procedure and recovery were great and the results one month on are brilliant. I found all the staff at this clinic to be highly professional and kind. I would highly recommend this clinic for all LA patients curious about liposuction. Price was affordable and all inclusive.
medical factors to consider
The patient should not be smoking and should not have heart or lung disease. Patients with diabetes or hypertension should be well controlled and optimized for surgery. Patients should be evaluated for hepatitis C and HIV.
Patients with a history of blood clots in their legs or history of clots going to their lungs may not be surgical candidates. Use of birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy increases the risk of blood clots, and patients may be advised to stop taking these one month prior to liposuction. Medications such as aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents like Ibuprofen and Naproxen, vitamin E, should be discontinued 2 weeks prior to the liposuction procedure,
Patients who are significantly overweight (BMI greater than 30 or 35) have a higher risk for poor wound healing, infection, and blood clots, and candidacy of these patients should be evaluated on a case by case basis. Finally, patients should not have hernia (umbilical hernia is the most common). If a patient does have a hernia, Dr. Kenneth Hughes, MD, can repair it prior to liposuction.
anatomical factors to consider
Some patients have a lot of intra-abdominal fat, which is not addressed by liposuction. Only weight loss can remedy this fatty compartment. The patient must have adequate skin elasticity to allow for skin retraction after surgery. This factor is the most important element to good results aside from technical proficiency of the surgeon and the patient’s ability to follow the postoperative regimen of wearing the compression garment appropriately.
Dr. Kenneth Hughes will point out any wrinkles, laxity, and surface irregularities, including dimpling. Dr. Hughes will endeavor to improve these items during the surgery through a series of maneuvers. However, the improvement will only be partial. Cellulite is often noted in areas such as the hips, buttocks, or thighs. Cellulite is predetermined by genetics, so even thin women can develop the appearance. Patients should be aware that liposuction procedures do not address cellulite and may in fact worsen its appearance.
avoid tummy tuck scar
In some patients, Dr. Hughes performs a large volume liposuction of up to 5 L from the abdomen, sides, and lower back and can avoid a tummy tuck and its associated scar. Please see some of Dr. Hughes’s liposuction pictures to illustrate some of the more dramatic transformations.
Dr. Hughes has performed hundreds of skin tightening cases with Bodytite and Facetite, and he can dramatically reduce the need for skin excisional procedures for the abdomen, arms, thighs, bra rolls, lower back, buttocks, and knees.
common concerns
Large Volume Liposuction (up to 5 liters)
Dr. Kenneth Hughes has extensive experience in larger volume liposuction surgeries of up to 5 liters, the safe maximum amount that can be liposuctioned out in an outpatient setting. While less volume can be liposuctioned safely, the smaller the amount of fat that is liposuctioned, the smaller the change in body form that is produced. And no patient wants to go through two or three surgeries when one surgery would have sufficed. In fact, about 80% of Dr. Hughes’s practice is comprised of liposuction revision cases, which are very challenging.
Sometimes more liposuction is needed. Sometimes fat grafting is needed, sometimes skin tightening can provide the improvement necessary, and sometimes skin removal is needed. Frequently, Dr. Hughes uses several of these modalities to allow for the best possible correction in these complex liposuction revision cases.
FAT TRANSFER TO OTHER AREAS: BUTT, BREAST, FACE, CALVES
In addition, Dr. Kenneth Hughes can use some of the liposuctioned fat to augment and fill facial areas due to aging (facial fat grafting procedure). He can also use the liposuctioned fat to create larger, shapelier buttocks and hips referred to as the Brazilian butt lift procedure. Dr. Hughes performs hundreds of Brazilian butt lift procedures each year in addition to the hundreds of liposuction procedures he performs each year for his patients in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Dr. Hughes also specializes in breast fat grafting and breast fat transfer procedures for both augmentation and reconstruction. Finally, Dr. Hughes is one of the few plastic surgeons who has performed dozens of calf fat transfer procedures.
LIPOSUCTION AND BODYTITE FOR SKIN AND TISSUE TIGHTENING: ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE
Bodytite, which is the newest and most expensive tissue and skin tightening technology to date, is offered in lieu of these older technologies such as SmartLipo, laserlipo, vaserlipo, etc. Though it has nothing to do with liposuction, Bodytite can be used in conjunction with liposuction on any part of the body (abdomen, sides, back, thighs, knees, arms, neck, buttocks, etc.
Bodytite is the most sophisticated bipolar device available. It has two poles of energy dispersion which keep energy contained and focused between the two poles. Thus, the efficacy and efficiency are greatly increased. In addition, the energy is focused and not dispersed in unorganized fashion (which is what has led to large surface area burns in previous technology). Small burns may still occur with Bodytite but not the extent of the previous, less sophisticated technologies. With the advent of Bodytite and Facetite, the published percentage of contraction is 40% (compared to 8 to 20% reported for other modalities). Once again, though, this is not just about the technology; it is the surgeon who is wielding the technology.
Dr. Hughes performs this procedure through multiple different passes at different depths and from crossing and overlapping angles to create the smoothest result. Dr. Hughes also uses the highest settings to produce the most contraction. If higher settings are not used, the contraction is not meaningful and the procedure is done with little benefit.
LIPOSUCTION AND BODYTITE FOR SKIN AND TISSUE TIGHTENING: ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE
Bodytite, which is the newest and most expensive tissue and skin tightening technology to date, is offered in lieu of these older technologies such as SmartLipo, laserlipo, vaserlipo, etc. Though it has nothing to do with liposuction, Bodytite can be used in conjunction with liposuction on any part of the body (abdomen, sides, back, thighs, knees, arms, neck, buttocks, etc.
Bodytite is the most sophisticated bipolar device available. It has two poles of energy dispersion which keep energy contained and focused between the two poles. Thus, the efficacy and efficiency are greatly increased. In addition, the energy is focused and not dispersed in unorganized fashion (which is what has led to large surface area burns in previous technology). Small burns may still occur with Bodytite but not the extent of the previous, less sophisticated technologies. With the advent of Bodytite and Facetite, the published percentage of contraction is 40% (compared to 8 to 20% reported for other modalities). Once again, though, this is not just about the technology; it is the surgeon who is wielding the technology.
Dr. Hughes performs this procedure through multiple different passes at different depths and from crossing and overlapping angles to create the smoothest result. Dr. Hughes also uses the highest settings to produce the most contraction. If higher settings are not used, the contraction is not meaningful and the procedure is done with little benefit.
AVOIDING CONTOUR DEFORMITIES FROM LIPOSUCTION
The most common postoperative issue of liposuction is contour irregularity. Because contour irregularities may be secondary to postoperative swelling and skin elasticity, they may be treated conservatively for at least 6 months after the initial operation. However, secondary liposuction, fat grafting, and tummy tuck can be considered to address the persistent areas of concern. Dr. Hughes very rarely sees contour deformities following liposuction due to precise liposuction techniques he utilizes that allow for even and uniform results.
PREVENTING BLOOD CLOTS FOLLOWING LIPOSUCTION
Dr. Kenneth Hughes will not generally perform surgery on a patient who is moderate or high risk for blood clots. Only those patients who are deemed low risk are typically considered as candidates for liposuction. Deep venous thrombosis (blood clot in the legs or arms) with possible pulmonary embolus (clot migrating to the lungs) represent possible risks of liposuction. Patients with pulmonary embolus may present with shortness of breath or chest pain. Treatment may include thrombectomy, thrombolysis, or anticoagulation.
Dr. Hughes operates in a fully accredited surgery center and will ensure that every measure is utilized to reduce these risks. In addition to shorter operative times, Dr. Hughes utilizes sequential compression devices to circulate blood during surgery and he mandates early ambulation following surgery. Pulmonary embolus or fat embolus may occur at a rate less than 0.1%.
what to expect on the day of your liposuction surgery
The day of surgery the patient will come to the office about one hour before surgery to check in and sign remaining paperwork as necessary. Dr. Hughes will reiterate the operative plan and any additional questions will be answered and additional concerns will be addressed.
The nursing staff and board-certified anesthesiologist will perform additional history and physical assessments to assure optimal patient health and safety. Sometimes patients will be asked to obtain medical clearance in addition to routine lab or blood work prior to surgery and this will be reviewed as well.
The liposuction surgery may be performed under local anesthesia for smaller areas or less involved surgeries. When areas that involve more fat removal or when multiple areas are to be liposuctioned, general anesthesia is usually more comfortable for the patient and allows for the most precision on the part of the surgeon.
The surgery itself usually lasts between 30 minutes and 5 hours, based upon the number of areas that are to be liposuctioned and the relative complexity of the procedures. The patient usually remains in recovery for 1 or 2 hours as he or she awakens and is assessed appropriately prior to discharge.
liposuction recovery
Although Dr. Kenneth Hughes has extensive experience with liposuctioning larger volumes, it is of paramount importance that the patient follow postoperative instructions to the letter and that the compression garment is worn as instructed. A less than desirable result may occur when a patient develops fluid collections postoperatively, which can create a wavy nature to the skin, bumps, or wrinkles in the skin.
When the proper postoperative regimen is followed, the risk for contour irregularity is exceedingly small. The reason for this is that Dr. Hughes will liposuction the subcutaneous fat as evenly as possible so that every area is liposuctioned to the exact same thickness with machine-like precision.
liposuction videos with Dr. Kenneth Hughes
Dr. Kenneth Hughes’s plastic surgeon competitors perpetually report his videos and age restrict them so that you as the prospective patient cannot see Dr. Kenneth Hughes’s talent or prowess live. This is unfortunate so each video is provided within Dr. Hughes’s website if you tube has placed an age-restriction on the video after it has been reported.
Liposuction Revision
Liposuction in LA
liposuction surgery follow-up
Dr. Hughes typically sees out-of-town patients prior to departure and he sees local patients in about 1 week following surgery. Dr. Hughes will assess at follow-up if the garment is being worn correctly and if postoperative instructions are being observed accordingly.
Dr. Kenneth Hughes will then usually follow-up with patients at 4 weeks or sooner if any complications develop. If there are ever any issues with healing, Dr. Hughes can be contacted at all hours by calling the office phone number.
Patients may not realize the full results from liposuction until 6 months or longer.
final results of liposuction surgery
Dr. Hughes’s physical gifts and prowess in liposuction really pay big dividends for patients who are looking for dramatic results as liposuction is an extremely labor intensive surgery. It is so labor intensive that many surgeons will give up before optimal results are obtained. Dr. Hughes will not give up on you, and he never leaves the operating room until your best result is achieved.
The typical liposuction patient can go back to work in a week’s time, while wearing the compression garment for the first 4 to 6 weeks. Strenuous exercise can usually be resumed in 6 weeks. The final results can be seen at about 6 months time, at which time the swelling has dissipated.
preventing complications
Patients with a higher body mass index have been found to have a significantly increased risk for developing postoperative fluid collections (seromas) as have smokers. Dr. Hughes will ask patients to achieve a reasonable BMI prior to surgery and to abstain from smoking for approximately 1 month. A well-fitting compression garment must be worn 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 4 to 6 weeks following surgery to reduce the risk for fluid collection development.
Burns have also been associated with ultrasound-assisted liposuction, as the ultrasound cannula can become very hot, and prolonged contact with the skin may result in skin damage. This has also been well reported with laserlipo, SmartLipo, vaserlipo, and others. Dr. Hughes does NOT use these types of liposuction.
Infections are uncommon after liposuction, and you will be prescribed perioperative antibiotics to minimize the risk of infection. With current tumescent techniques of liposuction, blood loss has been reduced to 1% of the total lipoaspirate.
frequently asked questions
Can Liposuction Be Combined With Other Procedures?
Yes. Liposuction can be combined with breast surgery, tummy tuck, rhinoplasty and almost any other procedure.
What Is Aggressive Liposuction?
This term just refers to making the most of the procedure and getting you the best result. Dr. Hughes, honored as one of the best liposuction surgeons, will not give you the results that are seen so often when one cannot tell the difference between the Before and the After Picture. The result will be significant and, if you want, dramatic.
What Method of Liposuction Does Dr. Hughes Employ?
Dr. Hughes uses small cannula, tumescent liposuction without heat sources. In this way, Dr. Hughes avoids burns that have become quite common with Smart Lipo and other liposuction methods.