Liposuction and breast augmentation are the two most popular cosmetic procedures year after year, and both of them happen to be our #1 and #2 specialties here at MAS. Lipo can be an excellent way to jump start motivation and self-esteem necessary to finally live up to that New Years resolution of losing weight, exercising, and eating right. At Manhattan Aesthetic Surgery in Los Angeles, we take liposuction to another level, and we like to refer to our procedures as “liposculpture” rather than liposuction.

Good liposuction should be a tool for sculpting the body into a new form, not simply a quick procedure with no thought or artistic skill involved. That’s why Liposculpting™ is one of the main specialties of our practice. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Nicholas Vendemia about getting your bikini body today! We encourage you to contact us online or give us a call at 917-703-7069 to schedule a visit.


Our Signature Liposuction and LipoSculpting™ Procedures:

We encourage you to View our Liposuction Photo Gallery to see pictures of real patients who have seen great results from our practice.

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What’s in this section?

Click any of the links below to jump to the section you are most interested in, or simply continue scrolling to learn more about liposuction:


Why is liposuction so popular?

There’s a very good reason that liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the world…it works, and people are happy they did it. Liposuction and liposculpture can improve so many body areas in a way that no other non-surgical fat loss procedure can match. In a single session, liposuction can dramatically improve the appearance of all of the following:

  • Love handles
  • Bra rolls
  • Abdomen and waist
  • Saddle bags (outer thighs)
  • Inner thighs (diamond of light)
  • Knees and ankles
  • Arms
  • Breasts


What liposuction techniques are available?

  • Tumescent Liposuction. This is the gold standard liposuction technique that all other techniques are based on. It is a very common misconception that other techniques like laser lipo are fundamentally different than tumescent lipo… they’re not. All forms of liposuction involve a tumescent step where a solution containing saline, lidocaine and epinephrine is injected beneath the skin to numb the area and constrict blood vessels. Any liposuction procedure performed without a tumescent solution would be extremely painful and dangerous, and that is why is a part of every liposuction procedure regardless of the technique used. Because the tumescent technique doesn’t include any extra steps beyond the tumescent step and the suctioning step, the procedure usually takes less time than with other techniques, and that usually translates into a quicker recovery and a lower cost.
  • Laser Liposuction. The idea behind laser liposuction is that a fiberoptic laser cannula is used to melt fat cells and tighten skin before the suctioning step of regular liposuction. The biggest misconception with laser liposuction is that it is a different technique than tumescent liposuction… it’s not. Laser lipo stll requires a tumescent solution, and it still requires a regular fat suctioning step that utilizes the same cannulas as tumescent lipo. The only difference is the additional “laser” step in between the tumescent solution and the regular suctioning. For most liposuction patients, this step only adds additional time and cost to the procedure with no better results than regular lipo, but for some specific body areas that are prone to sagging skin like the arms, inner thighs, and neck, this can be a good choice. SMART Lipo, VASER Lipo, Cool Lipo, and SLIM Lipo as all laser lipo systems made by competing companies, and are all essentially the same technology.
  • Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL). This technique involves the use of a specially designed hand piece that vibrates the liposuction cannula very fast. This vibration allows the cannula to pass through fibrous tissue easier, and therefore speeds up the fat removal process. This is a major benefit to most liposuction patients because shorter procedures lead to shorter recovery times and less discomfort after surgery.
  • Ultrasonic Liposuction. Ultrasonic lipo is very similar to Power Assisted Lipo except that instead of mechanical vibration, ultrasound waves are used to ease the passage of the cannula through the tissue. The ultrasonic method isn’t quite as popular as the power method because the ultrasound cannulas can heat up and lead to a slight risk of skin burns, which is also possible with laser lipo.
  • Aqua Lipo. This technique is similar to both power and ultrasonic liposuction in that the goal is to ease the passage of the cannula through the tissue, but Aqua Lipo uses water to accomplish this. The main criticism of the Aqua Lipo procedure is that the addition of extra water on top of the already present tumescent solution changes the concentration of that solution and may predispose patients to electrolyte abnormalities during surgery, which can be dangerous if not properly monitored.
  • Tickle Lipo. Tickle lipo is also very similar to Power Assisted Lipo, but takes the vibration one step further so that the patient feels only the vibration instead of pain. This theoretically leads to a more comfortable procedure, but as discussed above, the tumescent solution is what is responsible for numbing the surgical areas regardless of which technique is used so the “tickle” component of Tickle Lipo may not be providing much additional benefit.
  • SLIM Lipo. SLIM Lipo is a form of laser liposuction, but it distinguishes itself from it’s competition by using a patented two-laser system that targets the skin and fat in a more specific way. Other laser lipo systems apply only a single laser wavelength to the tissue, but SLIM Lipo applies two unique wavelengths… one specifically for the fat, and another one specifically for the skin. This may lead to a better overall result in some patients, especially in the areas of the body that are prone to skin sagging after liposuction like the arms, inner thighs, and neck.
  • Micro Lipo. Micro Lipo involves the use of ultra fine cannulas to reduce the volume of delicate areas of the body like the chin, jowls, knees, and ankles. Since the volume of fat in these areas is very small to begin with, the margin for error is much smaller, and therefore smaller, more delicate cannulas must be used. Micro Lipo isn’t as much as fat removal as it is about skin tightening, so sometimes laser liposuction cannulas may be a part of this procedure as well.

Woman Calling

Are you looking for a liposuction specialist in Los Angeles? We offer the most innovative techniques and the quickest recovery times, and all of our procedures are performed by a fellowship-trained plastic surgeon. Please feel free to contact us online or call our office at917-703-7069.


Which liposuction technique is best for me?

For most patients, Power Assisted tumescent liposuction will give the best result with the shortest procedure time, the quickest recovery time, and the least amount of cost. Laser liposuction may be worth the extra time and cost for specific areas of the body that are prone to sagging skin like the neck, arms, and inner thighs, but it is not necessarily the best technique for other areas of the body that will respond just as well to the tumescent technique. At MAS, we commonly combined several different liposuction techniques by customizing them to the patients needs. For example, we may use Power Assisted Liposuction to remove a dramatic amount of fat from the abdomen and love handle to liposculpt a new waistline, and then use SLIM Lipo for the arms and inner thighs since there isn’t usually much fat to remove but we still want to tighten the skin.


Am I a candidate for Liposuction?

The best candidates for liposuction are…

  • men and women who are looking to improve the appearance of a specific area of their body, most commonly the love handles, abdomen, and thighs.
  • women who have not been pregnant, or who have no sagging skin after a single pregnancy.
  • men and women who want a “jump start” for motivation to get into a healthier lifestyle.
  • men and women with noticeable love handles.
  • women with noticeable saddle bags on their outer thighs.
  • men and women with a double chin.
  • men and women whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is 29 or less. Being severely overweight increases the risk for complications after any elective surgery, and liposuction should never be considered a replacement for a structure weight loss program.


Do I have to wear a compression garment after liposuction?

Yes, you must wear a high quality compression garment for at least 6 weeks after the procedure. Purchasing a high quality garment, and wearing it according to your surgeon’s recommendation, is the most important part of the procedure (far more important the what technique is used). Compression garments keep swelling under control (which keeps discomfort to a minimum), and encourage the skin to tighten evenly and smoothly. Not wearing your garment puts you at a very high risk for excessive swelling and pain, and excessive scar tissue beneath the skin that may lead to lumps, grooves, or other contour irregularities. We will give you our recommendation for the best quality garment during your consultation.


When can I go back to work after liposuction?

Most liposuction patients can return to work in less than a week, and some can even go back as soon as a few days after the procedure. Everyone is different though, so as long as you plan about a week off, you’ll be fine.


When will I see the results after liposuction?

Most patients will notice a nice change around 2-3 weeks after surgery that will only continue to improve over a full 6-9 months. The most dramatic results will be seen about 3 months after surgery when most of the swelling is gone, and most of the skin tightening occurs. Results before the 3 month mark are modest, but noticeable.


Woman Calling

Are you looking for a lipo specialist in LA? We offer the most innovative techniques and the quickest recovery times, and all of our procedures are performed by a fellowship-trained plastic surgeon. Please feel free to contact us online or call our office at 917-703-7069.


Do I need liposuction or a tummy tuck?

To answer this question properly, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
1) Have you lost more than 30lbs recently?
2) Have you been pregnant more than once?

If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, chances are that you will have a better result from a tummy tuck since it’s very likely that excess sagging skin is more of a problem than excess fat.

Repairing split abdominal muscles and removing excess skin are not possibilities with liposuction…only an abdominoplasty can solve those two problems. The more pregnancies you’ve had, the more weight you’ve lost, and more stretch marks you see, the less likely liposuction will give you the result you’re looking for. Keep in mind, however, that the recovery time after a tummy tuck is significantly greater than after liposuction, so if you can’t be out of commission for more than a few days, liposuction may be a good compromise procedure in the meantime if you just want to fit into your clothes better and can deal with the extra skin for a while. You can always have a tummy tuck at a later date when your schedule can accommodate a longer recovery period.

If you’ve only had one child or lost an average amount of weight, and you don’t have many stretch marks, the elasticity of your skin may still be well preserved allowing you to get a good result with liposuction alone.

The only way to know for sure which procedure is going to allow you to reach your goals is to schedule a consultation so that you can be examined by a plastic surgeon. He will evaluate your skin tone, your skin elasticity, your abdominal muscles, and of course your body fat layer, to determine which of the two options will give you the best result. He will also be able to discuss the differences in scarring, risk, downtime, and cost to help you make a final decision. Liposuction and abdominoplasty are two very different procedures that accomplish very different things, so make sure your plastic surgeon explains these differences to you if you aren’t sure which one you need.


Can liposuction lower your cholesterol?

According to research presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, liposuction may have more than just a cosmetic benefit. The researchers discovered that triglyceride levels were as much as 43% lower in a small group of patients who had were diagnosed with high triglycerides before having liposuction. The study was very small, and has quite a few limitations, but it’s still an interesting result. Of course, this isn’t a reason for everyone with high cholesterol to rush out and get liposuction since there are risks associated with the procedure, and those risks increase exponentially with conditions like obesity and heart disease, which are both associated with high cholesterol. Liposuction should never be a substitute for a healthy lifestyle and body weight, but it may have other benefits than simply looking better.


How much does liposuction cost?

It’s impossible to provide an accurate answer to this question without having a consultation. The price of liposuction is more variable than any other procedure because it’s affected by so many things: the experience and credentials of your surgeon, the number of body areas, the total amount of fat estimated to be removed, the use of special techniques like laser lipo, the type of anesthesia involved, and the total amount of time your procedure will take.

The average liposuction surgery will cost $7,500-$10,000 if it’s performed by a skilled surgeon with top of the line equipment and all applicable safety measures in place, but it can be more or less than this depending on the details of your procedure (how many areas are being performed, how much volume is being removed, any special techniques being used (LipoSculpting™). The most important thing is that you don’t base your decision solely on price. You will find plenty of inexpensive liposuction options, and while some of them may be legitimate, most are not. Bargain liposuction can lead to poor results with visible lumps and grooves that are nearly impossible to fix, and/or dangerous electrolyte abnormalities that can be fatal. Liposuction is real surgery, and it should be taken seriously be everyone involves, including you.


Are there payment plans available for lipo?

Yes, we have two excellent financing options available. Applicants with a good credit score will often qualify for a period of 0% interest, and for many applicants the monthly payments could be as low as $200. And the best part of these financing plans is that you’ll find out whether you qualify during your consultation.

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Woman Calling

Are you ready to take the next step? We offer the most innovative techniques and the quickest recovery times, and all of our procedures are performed by a fellowship-trained plastic surgeon. Please feel free to contact us online or call our office at 917-703-7069.