Not all fatty tissue responds to diet and exercise. Some areas of the body store fat more stubbornly than others — often because of genetics, hormones, body composition, or simply the way fat deposits distribute during aging and weight changes. For patients who have reached a healthy weight and maintained it but still struggle with specific pockets of fat that will not budge, liposuction offers a precise, surgical solution: targeted removal of unwanted fat cells that permanently sculpts the treated area. Unlike weight loss, which shrinks existing fat cells throughout the body, liposuction physically removes fat cells from a specific area — and once removed, those cells do not return.

Dr. John Anastasatos performs liposuction at his Beverly Hills practice with published authority directly on this procedure. Dr. Anastasatos has delivered plenary lectures at the Pan-Hellenic Congress of Plastic Surgery on suction-assisted lipectomy and body contouring — suction-assisted lipectomy being the formal medical term for liposuction itself — and has published peer-reviewed research on cell-assisted lipotransfer applied to breast augmentation. Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), and named by The Luxe Insider as one of the Top 10 Plastic Surgeons in the World.

Liposuction Procedures at Los Angeles Plastic Surgery

Different body areas, different patient goals, and different underlying conditions call for different liposuction approaches. Dr. Anastasatos performs the full range of liposuction techniques at the Beverly Hills practice, each matched to the specific anatomy and goals of the patient:

Dr. Anastasatos uses the safest and most effective methods for body contouring and fat removal. Both tumescent and laser liposuction can be performed without general anesthesia. Only local anesthesia is needed, and there is little discomfort for the patient.

“Liposuction is not a weight loss tool — it is a contouring tool. The patients who get the best results from liposuction are not the patients with the most fat; they are the patients who are already close to their target body composition and have specific stubborn areas that refuse to respond. When the right patient meets the right technique, liposuction produces a refined result that diet and exercise alone could never deliver.” — Dr. John Anastasatos

Who Is a Good Candidate for Liposuction?

Liposuction is not a weight-loss solution. The best candidates are patients who are already within a normal weight range for their height and frame but have resistant pockets of fat they want removed. Genetics — a family pattern of fat storage in certain areas such as the double chin, flanks, or thighs — is the most common reason for these resistant areas. Liposuction permanently removes these fat cells; once removed surgically, they do not grow back in the same area.

Common areas treated with liposuction include:

• Face Contouring: Cheeks and chin, often for double-chin correction and jawline definition.
• Neck: Refining the cervical contour, often combined with facial contouring work.
• Upper Arms: Addressing arm fat, sometimes as an alternative to or combination with arm lift.
• Abdomen: One of the most commonly treated areas, particularly in combination with tummy tuck.
• Flanks and Hips: Refining the waistline and “love handle” area.
• Thighs: Inner thighs, outer thighs (saddlebags), and anterior thighs.
• Buttocks: Contouring to refine shape, sometimes in combination with fat transfer for Brazilian Butt Lift.
• Knees and Calves: Fine contouring of the lower legs.

Almost any area of the body can be reduced and contoured using liposuction. With the modern tumescent and laser techniques Dr. Anastasatos uses, bruising and swelling are typically minimal, and most patients return to normal activities within a few days. Visible results can appear within a week, with final refinement emerging over the following months as residual swelling resolves.

Body Contouring With Liposuction

Liposuction can produce the body contour that diet and exercise alone cannot deliver. Patients who have always carried heavier thighs, “matronly” upper arms, or a midsection that refuses to let go of its final few pounds often find that liposuction is the final piece of a transformation that training and diet had otherwise completed. Once fat is removed from a specific area, it does not return to that same area. If a patient later gains weight, the additional fat redistributes to other locations — making liposuction a durable aesthetic investment in areas the patient consistently wants to keep refined.

As with most elective cosmetic procedures, liposuction is best performed on healthy, non-smoking patients. Although modern liposuction is only minimally invasive, patients should plan for a proper recovery period — typically a few days of downtime for smaller treatments, longer for more extensive work — to ensure healing without complication.

Liposuction Combined With Other Procedures

Liposuction is frequently combined with other body contouring and plastic surgery procedures for a more comprehensive result:

• Lipo Abdominoplasty: Combining liposuction of the flanks and abdomen with standard tummy tuck for patients whose concerns span skin, fat, and muscles.
• Mommy Makeover: Liposuction as a component of combined postpartum body restoration alongside tummy tuck and breast surgery.
• Brazilian Butt Lift: Liposuction from one area (commonly abdomen, flanks, or thighs) with the harvested fat transferred to the buttocks.
• Facial Contouring: Chin or neck liposuction combined with facelift, neck lift, or other facial rejuvenation.
• Arm Lift: Liposuction of the upper arms sometimes combined with skin excision for patients with both fat and skin laxity.

Why Choose Dr. Anastasatos for Liposuction

• Pan-Hellenic Congress Lecturer on Suction-Assisted Lipectomy: Plenary lectures on the precise medical term for liposuction — direct authority on the core procedure.
• Published Research on Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer: Peer-reviewed publication on CAL applied to breast augmentation — foundational research on the biology of fat harvesting and transfer relevant to all fat-based body contouring.
• Board-Certified and FACS: Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons reflect rigorous, verified training.
• Full Range of Modern Techniques: Tumescent, laser, and area-specific approaches — matched precisely to each patient’s anatomy and goals.
• Integrated With Other Procedures: Expertise coordinating liposuction as part of Mommy Makeovers, Lipo Abdominoplasty, Brazilian Butt Lift, and facial contouring for comprehensive results.
• Featured in Leading Media: Reuters, the Boston Globe, FOX News, Forbes, Vogue, Elle, and the plastic surgery series Nip/Tuck.
• Top 10 International Recognition: Named by The Luxe Insider as one of the Top 10 Plastic Surgeons in the World and recognized as a Castle Connolly and U.S. News Top Doctor.

Schedule Your Liposuction Consultation in Beverly Hills

If diet and exercise have taken you most of the way to your goal but specific stubborn fat pockets are the last thing keeping your body from feeling the way you want it to feel, liposuction is the precise, permanent contouring tool that finishes the work training alone cannot. Dr. John Anastasatos welcomes patients to the Beverly Hills office at 436 North Bedford Drive, Suite 202, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, for a private consultation covering your anatomy, the appropriate liposuction approach, and realistic outcomes. Contact us at Los Angeles Plastic Surgery to arrange your liposculpture consultation with Dr. Anastasatos.