Liposuction

Detroit Liposuction (Lipo) Fat Removal

Diet and exercise alone are not always enough when trying to eliminate stubborn body fat. It can be frustrating for those who otherwise appreciate their bodies, but wish they could reduce fat in certain regions.

Liposuction is one of the most effective methods to treat unwanted fat and improve your body contour. Detroit board certified cosmetic surgeon Dr. George T. Goffas at Cosmetic Surgeons of Michigan, P.C., offers this treatment to create defined curves and a slimmer appearance. Dr. Goffas performs liposuction in our private AAAHC-accredited Surgical Center to ensure patients’ safety, convenience, and confidentiality. With our affordable lipo body contouring procedure, you can get the work done that you want and soon enjoy the appearance you’ve dreamed about.

• What is liposuction?
• Benefits of liposuction
• Tumescent liposuction
• Are you a good candidate?
• Your liposuction consultation
• What happens during liposuction surgery?
• Recovery
• Results
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is liposuction?

Liposuction is a body contouring procedure that uses a surgical vacuum to suction fat out from areas of the body, helping you improve your physique and feel confident about your appearance. Plus, unlike weight loss through diet and exercise, which only shrinks fat cells, liposuction permanently removes fat cells from the treated area for long-lasting results. Cosmetic surgeons have been performing liposuction for decades as it is a popular way to rid the body of stubborn fat.

Video transcript

“Generally, with liposuction, it’s a really nice procedure in my mind because it doesn’t leave any telltale scars. The incisions are very tiny. I’ll usually tell patients never tell anyone you had it done because they’re not going to be able to tell. Your results will take a few weeks to a month or so to get noticed, so it really mimics weight loss. When you see people who lost weight, you don’t think, “Oh, gee, you must have had liposuction.” You just think, “Oh, you lost weight; you’re looking good.” I usually tell them not to tell people that they had it done because certainly, no one would know that they had it done.

I usually try to encourage them to get in the best shape they can get to because targeted areas give you your best results. Like when you see aerobics instructors with just a little pooch in the abdomen, you’re going to hit a home run on a patient like that, and they’re going to really appreciate it because they know how hard they work to get to that point, and they know they can’t do any more. So you turn out to be the hero because you solved the problem, which is nice.”–Dr. George T. Goffas

Benefits of liposuction

Oftentimes, no matter how frequently you exercise or whether you stick to a strict diet, local fatty deposits can get in the way of all the positive work you have accomplished. If you find you have reached a stable weight, but are still having trouble getting rid of that last bit of body fat, lipo can be an effective treatment option. This popular body contouring procedure is commonly used to remove stubborn fat cells in these treatment areas:

• Abdomen or belly
• Buttocks
• Thighs
• Arms
• Muffin top
• Neck

Video transcript

“Liposuction is generally just a really good procedure for people. If you can get to patients earlier, they get better results because you can just remove the fat, and their skin will tighten. So, on young patients, sometimes men and women, even at 20 or 25, they have a good amount of fat under their neck because it’s just genetic; that’s where they have more fat cells. If you can target those areas, they’ll get a great result, and it’ll solve their problem forever, which is nice.

Other areas you can treat include women and even men with extra breast tissue or extra fatty tissue in the breast or under the breast or the side of the breast. Liposuction works well there. Even in some younger patients that need breast reductions, like patients who are 19 or 20, a lot of the women that you don’t really want to do an invasive breast reduction on because of scarring and issues with possible breastfeeding, sometimes we’ll just do a reduction of any fatty tissue. If there’s enough fatty tissue, you might knock them down 3/4 of a cup size or a cup size. Then you just tell them, “This is going to give you a good start, and then once your family is set, potentially maybe we can do something more invasive if needed for a formal breast reduction.”

I find it useful for the face, breast area, abdomen, really almost any part of the body—arms, inner thighs, even knees. As much as you think that’s silly, if someone’s legs are perfect and they have fatty knee areas, it kind of makes the knees not look as elongated as they’d like. So just targeting that small area makes a big difference because people get bothered by all sorts of things. To trivialize it, if you can help them, I think liposuction is a great equalizer. It just equalizes genetic problems that people are born with.”–Dr. George T. Goffas

Tumescent liposuction

One of several liposuction options at our practice, tumescent liposuction is especially effective for treating smaller areas of stubborn fat with a quicker recovery period than conventional lipo. Tumescent liposuction is an advanced technique used by Dr. Goffas that involves using a saline solution infused with a local anesthetic to assist with fat removal and pain management. This solution is injected into the treated area prior to suctioning to help break up fat and make it easier to suction out. Because the procedure causes less trauma, it helps expedite the recovery process.

Video transcript

“The tumescent technique anesthesia was developed primarily by Dr. Klein years ago. It was a newer technique where you would inject a dilute solution of Lidocaine, adrenaline, and either salt water or lactated Ringer solution.

You infiltrate the fatty areas with this fluid, creating a few different things. One, it helps dissect the area better. It also reduces blood loss and provides anesthesia, which is nice. The earlier liposuction procedures had high mortality rates because people just put the cannulas in and started sucking out fat and a lot of blood, and patients didn’t make it a lot of the time. With the newer advances like the tumescent techniques, you’re not seeing any of those problems, and a lot of them can be done just in the office with local anesthesia. You’re seeing a kind of Renaissance of that technique with a lot of the places that are opening. You can go in there, get a targeted area, and get good results with it.

The recovery with liposuction, if you’re doing smaller areas, I’ve had people get back to work in a few days. If we work on them on a Friday, they can work on Monday. They might be a little tired, sore, but they’re in clothing. I just tell them to wear compression garments, and if you’re a little sore, you could have injured your back. There’s a million things that could create your being a little sore, but there’s nothing really risky as long as the patient’s in fairly good health. With the liposuction technique, it’s small incisions, a millimeter or two, so there really isn’t too much risk for them.”–Dr. George T. Goffas

Are you a good candidate for liposuction?

To be considered a good candidate for liposuction, you should be at a stable weight and in good health overall. Patients who are still in the process of losing weight should wait until they have reached their goal weight before receiving liposuction, as lipo is most effective when eliminating localized regions of fat that will not disappear on their own.

If you smoke, it is also important that you refrain from all tobacco and nicotine products leading up to surgery and while you recover. These substances can impair your ability to heal. Please talk with Dr. Goffas for further details or if you need assistance quitting before your procedure.

Video transcript

“Probably non-good candidates or poor candidates for liposuction, I would say, are people who are obese with a high BMI. Individuals who aren’t healthy, mostly those with diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac issues, are just not good candidates for it. I try to encourage them, suggesting they try to get into a better place with their health. I advise them to talk to their family doctor about weight loss issues. As they start losing weight, they might notice improvements, such as their diabetes reducing to minimal levels and their blood pressure getting better. This can make them a better candidate. Giving them something to hope for provides motivation. Even if they never get to the point of having liposuction, they’ve improved their general health, which is a win.”–Dr. George T. Goffas

Your liposuction consultation with Dr. Goffas

When you visit our office for the first time, you will sit down for a personal consultation with Dr. Goffas to discuss the issues you have with the fat on your body. We will perform a physical examination to make sure you are healthy enough for liposuction and view the areas that you wish to be treated. We will also assess your medical history and explain the procedural details of liposuction so that you have a full understanding of what will occur during your procedure.

Your consultation is the perfect time for you to ask any questions you may have about body contouring with lipo. Our goal is for you to feel absolutely comfortable with the procedure so that you’re able to make an informed decision about whether liposuction is right for you. You can view before & after images of previous liposuction procedures, review post-operative care instructions and determine payment as well.

Video transcript

“Liposuction, you know, could either be a standalone procedure, or frequently, we will use it with breast reduction procedures to help contour the side of the breast and limit the extent of those incisions. In an abdomen, I’ll use it usually on the lateral aspects, but being careful not to injure any of the blood supply to the flap, and sometimes even in the mons pubis area. That’s an area that sometimes gets neglected, so we’ll use it there as well, just to give an overall improvement in the contour for the patient. Because, you know, if you have a flat abdomen but you have bulgy areas on the side or a prominent mons, it’s not really a great thing for the patient. They might not even know why it doesn’t look right, but, you know, they know it doesn’t look right. So, I think using it also as a secondary procedure is very helpful.”–Dr. George T. Goffas

What happens during liposuction surgery?

Your liposuction procedure will take place either in a private hospital setting or within our very own AAAHC-accredited surgical facility. Both locations ensure your peace of mind, safety and confidentiality during the surgery.

Before we begin, Dr. Goffas will locate the areas of your body that liposuction will target. Then we will administer an anesthetic to ensure you feel no discomfort during the procedure. Because liposuction uses a narrow tube or cannula to remove fat from the body, the incisions made are rather small and unnoticeable to the eye.

To facilitate the fat removal, Dr. Goffas will inject a liquid solution into the fatty area, after which he will insert the tube and begin removing the fat. The tube acts as a vacuum, which makes it easier for the fat to leave the body. He will move the tube back and forth to break up the fatty deposit and eliminate it from your body.

Once Dr. Goffas has finished removing the fat, they will carefully close your incisions and transfer you to a private recovery room.

Recovery After Liposuction

Depending on the areas of your body where liposuction was performed, compression bandages may be wrapped around the treatment area to help blood circulation and reduce swelling. Drains may also be inserted to eliminate excess fluids.

After liposuction, patients typically spend a few hours in a recovery room under observation to ensure there are no immediate complications, such as excessive bleeding or reactions to anesthesia.

Your post-operative instructions provided to you by Dr. Goffas will detail how to care for your body after returning home, and it’s important that you follow each step in order to expedite the healing process and reduce any chances of infection. Swelling and bruising are most pronounced during the first few days, and we recommend that you refrain from any strenuous activity for the first few days after surgery to aid in your healing.

In the first few weeks after your surgery, swelling will continue but should gradually begin to decrease. It’s essential to continue wearing the compression garments as directed during your recovery period.

Video transcript

“With liposuction, we know that when you remove the fat from the targeted areas, that fat will stay away permanently. If a person gains a good amount of weight, unfortunately, it’ll go to other areas that weren’t treated. So you have to make sure to let patients know that they still should diet and exercise properly, and that there’s a limit to what we can take out safely. That’s usually about five liters. To patients, that doesn’t sound like it’s very much, but you have to explain that fat takes a lot of space, and 5 liters is a good amount to remove. I think if you stay that way with the safety of it, patients seem to understand that.”–Dr. George T. Goffas

Your Results

It will likely take several weeks for your new body contouring results to take shape, but once the swelling subsides, you should notice a significant improvement. Your body shape and contour will continue to refine itself as the body heals fully, which can take several months. It can take up to 6 months for the final results to be apparent. The fat cells are permanently removed, so your results should be permanent; if you maintain a stable weight and remain healthy, there’s no reason why your results shouldn’t last for years.

Depending on your skin’s elasticity, the skin will retract and adjust to the new body contours. In some cases, additional treatments or surgeries may be recommended to address excess skin.

Frequently Asked Questions about Liposuction

Can liposuction improve my skin, cellulite, or wrinkles?

Liposuction will have no effect on cellulite and cannot be used as a skin-tightening mechanism. However, there are other procedures available that can improve areas of skin laxity. It is common to perform a combination of procedures to achieve your ideal results. After discussing your goals at a personal consultation, Dr. Goffas can recommend the best options for you and your body.

Video transcript

“The liposuction, again, will help. In my practice, it helps people who have good skin quality issues. But even people that don’t have the greatest skin quality, for many of them, I just ask them, “Do you need to look better in clothes, or do you have to look better naked?” If the answer is, “I have to look really great naked,” then liposuction would likely need to be combined with either a tummy tuck or some breast procedure or a skin excision procedure because you really can’t count on their skin to tighten up after. You can try it, you know, see how it goes, and I’ll usually tell patients, “Give it six months to a year, and then at that point, we can talk about excision.” Some of them are just happy losing the volume, which is nice. But some of them come back, and then we will do secondary procedures on them. But even those procedures will be better because now there’s even more skin you can remove than if you would have done that initially.”–Dr. George T. Goffas

Will liposuction in my thighs help me go down a pants size?

Lipo in the thighs can potentially help you go down a pants size by removing excess fat and improving the contour of the thighs. However, the change in clothing size depends on the amount of fat removed from your thighs as well as your individual body proportions. It’s important to have realistic expectations and discuss specific goals with your surgeon when discussing how liposuction can reshape your thighs.

Video transcript

“Our liposuction techniques generally involve removing targeted fat from specific areas of the body. I don’t really feel it’s a very good treatment for patients that are just overweight. Early in my practice, I would treat some of those patients because they promised that they’re going to lose weight after they get the liposuction, and maybe 10% of them did. The other ones just felt it didn’t work or it wasn’t worth it.

Now I kind of approach it with the idea that if you’re 50 lbs overweight, maybe if you lose 25 lbs first through diet and exercise and having a plan, then we can help you once you lose the 25 lbs. You might get maybe a third of those patients that return to the practice, but that’s okay because they’re motivated and they’re going to get better results, and that’s what it’s about at the end of the day.

The different techniques we use—I still like doing the tumescent liposuction with the microcannulas. Two-millimeter and three-millimeter cannulas will treat as many body areas as we need to because usually, we’ll use general anesthesia with it. I just find it easier. I find I can do a better job than if I feel that I might be hurting a patient. I’ll back off a little bit under the tumescent, but if it’s a specific area that I know I can address well, like just a lower abdomen, sometimes we’ll do that with light sedation or just pure tumescent, depending on the patients. I find those combinations of techniques give good results, minimal complications, and it’s worked very well in practice.”–Dr. George T. Goffas

When can I go back to work after liposuction?

Most patients can return to work within a few days to a week after liposuction, depending on the extent of the procedure and the nature of their job. If your job is physically demanding, you may need more time off. Dr. Goffas will provide personalized advice based on your specific situation and recovery progress.

When can I resume my exercise regimen after liposuction?

You can typically resume light exercise, such as walking, within a few days after lipo, but it’s important to avoid strenuous activities for about 4 to 6 weeks. Dr. Goffas will give you specific guidance based on your recovery and the details of your procedure. It’s crucial to follow these instructions to ensure proper healing and optimal results.

Should I get Vaser liposuction instead?

The choice between VASER liposuction and traditional lipo depends on your specific goals, the areas you wish to target, and the quality of your skin. VASER liposuction is beneficial for more precise fat removal and better skin retraction, especially in fibrous areas, while traditional liposuction is effective for larger areas of fat removal. During your consultation, Dr. Goffas can assess your situation and recommend the most suitable technique based on your body type and desired outcomes.

Can I combine lipo with other body contouring options?

Yes, liposuction can often be combined with other body contouring procedures, such as tummy tucks, breast lifts, or fat transfer surgeries, to achieve more comprehensive results. Combining body contouring procedures in this way is commonly known as a mommy makeover. Because it allows your surgeon to address a variety of areas, a mommy makeover can treat excess skin, improve overall body shape, and enhance tone in ways that liposuction alone might not. It’s important to discuss your aesthetic goals with Dr. Goffas, who can design a personalized mommy makeover plan that safely combines procedures for optimal outcomes.

Learn more about liposuction with Michigan cosmetic surgeon Dr. George Goffas

Board certified cosmetic surgeon Dr. George T. Goffas, diplomate of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, has served patients in the St. Clair Shores and the surrounding metro Detroit area for over 15 years. He would be happy to discuss questions you have about liposuction and help you decide if Cosmetic Surgeons of Michigan, PC is the right fit for you. To schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Goffas, contact us online or call (586) 773-6900.

MI Areas served:

• St. Clair Shores
• Detroit
• Grosse Pointe

Read more about lipo and cosmetic surgery in our blog:

• 6 Factors That Make You a Good Candidate for Liposuction
• Answering Men’s Real Questions About Liposuction
• Why is liposuction not just for overweight people?
• Why having your cosmetic surgery in an accredited surgery center is more important than ever
• Unqualified doctors are offering cosmetic surgery. Here are 4 ways to find a great Cosmetic Surgeon

References »

Bellini E, Grieco MP, Raposio E. A journey through liposuction and liposculture: Review. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2017 Nov 6;24:53-60. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2017.10.024. PMID: 29158895; PMCID: PMC5681335.

Venkataram J. Tumescent liposuction: a review. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2008 Jul;1(2):49-57. doi: 10.4103/0974-2077.44159. PMID: 20300344; PMCID: PMC2840906.

American Society of Anesthesiologists. Smoking & Anesthesia – Before and After Surgery. Accessed 5/13/2024.