Hagopian Plastic Surgery: Thomas Hagopian, MD
99 Krog St. NE, Unit C110
Atlanta, GA 30307
Phone: (404) 885-8542
Tuesday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Do you feel you do your best to stay in shape yet still struggle to slim down stubborn pockets of fat? You’re not alone. You can put the finishing touches on your healthy body with VASER® and SAFELipo® liposuction in Atlanta, GA. Board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Thomas Hagopian and Dr. Courtney Cripps perform these advanced techniques to help people finally reduce frustrating areas that resist even the best diet and exercise efforts.
On this page, you’ll find answers to common questions about liposuction and find out what sets VASER and SAFELipo apart.
Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure that removes isolated areas of fat that don’t respond to diet and exercise. It is not a weight loss procedure. Instead, think of it as a cosmetic complement to a healthy lifestyle.
With traditional tumescent liposuction, the surgeon injects a tumescent solution into the targeted fat to numb the area, minimize bleeding, and make the fat firmer and easier to remove. The surgeon then inserts a long, thin tube, called a cannula, near the treatment areas, moves it in and out to dislodge the fat cells, and suctions them away.
Liposuction can benefit healthy adults of all ages who are at or near their ideal weight, have good skin elasticity, and want to address localized areas of excess fat. Treatment areas commonly include:
If you want to add volume to one area while reducing it in another, you can have your harvested fat transferred to your buttocks via a Brazilian butt lift or your breasts via fat transfer breast augmentation.
VASER is an enhancement to traditional liposuction that uses ultrasound energy to break up targeted fat, making it easier to suction away with a cannula.
VASER offers the following benefits over traditional liposuction:
Because VASER is less invasive than other options, recovery is typically quicker. Most patients can return to work, school, and normal activities within 4 to 7 days.
SAFELipo is a liposuction and body contouring technique, created by Dr. Simeon Wall Jr., that provides smooth, even results. It involves the following three steps:
Dr. Hagopian performs SAFELipo as an outpatient procedure, typically using a general anesthetic. To learn more, watch our YouTube video or visit Dr. Simeon Wall’s website.
The SAFELipo approach offers many benefits over traditional liposuction, including:
SAFELipo recovery is typically shorter than traditional liposuction. Most people return to desk work after just a few days and feel like their usual selves again within a week. You can gradually resume your workout routine after about 2 weeks.
Plastic surgery is the perfect field for Dr. Hagopian, who has a knack for fixing things and helping people. He’s a former firefighter/paramedic, and he had a business building highly sought-after custom taillights in medical school. He met his wife, Nurse Hagopian, at Emory University, and they bonded over many shared interests, including a commitment to exceptional patient care.
Meet Dr. Thomas Hagopian
Georgia native Dr. Courtney Cripps has returned home to bring her expertise in facial, breast, body, and reconstructive plastic surgery to Hagopian Plastic Surgery. With advanced training at NYU Langone Health and a personalized approach to patient care, she is dedicated to helping every patient achieve natural-looking results that reflect their goals and lifestyle.
Meet Dr. Courtney CrippsLiposuction 360 (also called circumferential liposuction) treats fat around the entire midsection, including the abdomen, flanks, and back, rather than isolated areas, achieving smooth, proportional results. Dr. Hapopian and Dr. Cripps perform lipo 360 at our Atlanta practice for patients who want to address every angle, not just the front or sides. It is performed using the VASER or SAFELipo technique.
Liposuction offers the following advantages compared to “spot” treatment:
Recovery from Liposuction 360 is generally similar to standard liposuction using the same technique (VASER or SAFELipo), though treating a larger combined area may result in slightly more swelling and a longer return to full activity. We’ll walk you through a personalized recovery timeline based on the extent of your procedure.
At our Atlanta practice, the cost of liposuction varies with the technique, size and number of treatment areas, and other factors. For example, arm liposuction cost and full body liposuction cost both scale with the extent of treatment. After consulting with you about your goals, we will provide you with a personalized pricing estimate. Many patients use healthcare financing to make their liposuction procedures more affordable. Please visit our Fees & Financing page to learn more about your financing options.
Two issues most commonly disqualify patients from liposuction: a protuberant abdomen, and excessive lax or poor-quality skin:
Most patients who come to our practice for a liposuction consultation would also benefit from skin tightening or skin removal.
There isn’t a single universal BMI cutoff for liposuction, but a higher BMI generally means higher surgical risk, especially for larger-volume procedures. Ideally, patients should be at or near a stable, healthy weight with realistic goals for spot contouring rather than significant fat loss. Dr. Hagopian and Dr. Cripps evaluate candidacy individually at consultation, taking your full health history and aesthetic goals into account.
For liposuction on large portions of the body, our practice prefers that our patients be asleep in the operating room under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. This approach allows our team to take their time while targeting the areas of concern. Touch-ups and minor revisions may be carried out in the office, either with the use of anti-anxiety medication or with the patient being fully conscious under local anesthesia (direct numbing).
For smaller areas, we can perform liposuction in the office with the patient awake, using tumescent anesthesia along with light sedation. This approach is comfortable and generally well tolerated for small areas, such as the chin, lower abdomen, and flanks.
Contour irregularities are the most significant risk associated with liposuction. Occasionally, liposuction can result in lumps and bumps. The SAFELipo technique was specifically designed to minimize contour irregularities; however, even with a powerful technique like SAFELipo, contour irregularities can still occur.
Another significant risk is the formation of seromas, which are fluid collections. Typically, proper compression can resolve a small seroma or prevent its formation in the first place. In other cases, seromas may need to be drained in the office. This is a painless procedure that may need to be repeated before the seroma completely dissipates. The most effective way to prevent seromas is through consistent and early application of good compression and lymphatic massage following the procedure.
Liposuction incisions are typically less than a half-inch long, and while they do scar, these scars generally are very inconspicuous. We offer silicone gel strips from the Silagen® scar refinement system, laser treatments, steroid injections, and other forms of scar therapy to fade and flatten any scarring.
You should refrain from heavy exercise for 6 weeks. At the 3-week mark, you may resume light cardiovascular exercise, such as housecleaning or taking a leisurely walk. The more active you are, the more likely your body will experience swelling in the area where liposuction was performed. This temporary side effect is expected and normal; it will improve over time.
Manual lymphatic drainage or post-operative massage is a great way to reduce swelling. Starting the week of your liposuction surgery, have a post-op massage 1 to 3 times per week for up to 6 weeks to achieve the best results and minimize swelling. We have several excellent post-operative massage practitioners we can recommend for this purpose.
Compression can be individualized, but our recommended level of compression is approximately 20mm Hg immediately post-op. The initial post-operative garment will be provided by Marena®. After 2 weeks, many patients choose to transition to a tighter garment, shaper, or faja, which we encourage. You should wear compression continuously for 6 weeks, except when showering.
If you would like to learn more about shaping your silhouette in Atlanta with liposuction, please call (404) 885-8542 or request a consultation online. We look forward to meeting you and helping you make your cosmetic goals a reality.
