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Awake Liposuction in Sarasota with Dr. Kristopher Hamwi

When lifestyle changes, like exercising and dieting, fail to help you achieve your body contouring goals, liposuction treatments offer another option to help you attain that sleek, trim appearance. At Florida Plastic Surgery and Medspa, double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Kristopher Hamwi can help you decrease stubborn fat and sculpt those troublesome areas with Awake Liposuction.

When it comes to body contouring, you deserve a surgeon with unparalleled expertise who understands your needs and delivers the highest quality results.

Double Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Kristopher Hamwi has undergone years of extensive, specialized training in liposuction with some of the industry’s leading specialists. He has been performing awake liposuction since 2009 and has performed thousands of these procedures, making him your best choice for awake liposuction in Sarasota, FL. 

Restore your figure with Sarasota awake liposuction! Contact Florida Plastic Surgery and Medspa to schedule your complimentary consultation at (941) 800-2000 or complete our online form today.

What is Awake Liposuction?

Awake liposuction is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that removes unwanted fat to give desired areas of the body an improved shape and contour. Often, there are certain areas of the body that maintain their specific shape and, no matter what weight you are or how much you exercise, they won’t change as you would like. Liposuction can help reshape those areas.

Awake liposuction procedures can  be performed without requiring patients to go under general anesthesia, helping them avoid the potential risks of the anesthetic. During the procedure, Dr. Hamwi can move the patient into a variety of positions to sculpt each area and have better control over its symmetry, shape, and outcome. This method allows him to navigate the entire surgical process with the utmost levels of precision and consistency.

What Areas Can Be Treated with Awake Liposuction?

As a versatile body contouring procedure, awake liposuction can be used to treat most areas where the body stores fat. Awake Liposuction is used to sculpt the body and create new contours, shapes and curves by permanently removing fat cells.  This does not mean that you can’t still gain or lose weight as that depends on your diet and exercise habits, however, it does reset your baseline size and shape.  For this reason, awake liposuction is best used for people who are in control of their weight and are more interested in sculpting particular areas of fat on the body.

Typical areas treated with awake liposuction include:

  • Abdomen
  • Flanks and Waist
  • Chin
  • Arms
  • Thighs
  • Chest
  • Buttocks

Dr. Hamwi has also developed a special way of sculpting the abdomen, flanks, waist, and buttock to accentuate the silhouette that he calls buttock sculpting. This sculpting creates natural-looking results similar to a Brazilian butt lift.

Examples of Liposuction treatment areas with before and after results:

Abdomen

Awake Liposuction to the Abdomen Before & After Sarasota

Silhouette

Awake Liposuction Before & After Silhouette in Sarasota

Silhouette & Buttock Sculpt

Awake Liposuction to the Back Before & After

Chest

Chest Liposuction Before & After in Sarasota

Chin

Awake Liposuction Chin Before & After

Multiple areas can be treated at once but limitations may be necessary for safety reasons. When discussing what area you would like to target with your surgeon, you may want to refer to the below images:

How Is Awake Liposuction Performed?

  1. During your awake liposuction procedure, Dr. Hamwi will create small incisions in your skin that are about half the size of a grain of rice. 
Liposuction Incision Sarasota

2. From these incisions, medicated fluid is injected into the fat layer. This fluid numbs the area and causes the capillaries in the fat to contract, minimizing bleeding.

3. A small tube called a cannula is inserted into the incisions to remove the fat, using a back-and-forth motion through the fat.

Unlike other fat removal modalities that rely on the body to absorb the eliminated fat over time, with liposuction, that fat is immediately removed and collected, so the results develop in front of your eyes.

Fat Removed During Liposuction Procedure

Is Everyone a Candidate for Awake Liposuction?

Awake surgery is not always the best option for every patient, and other treatment options may be better suited. A person’s health, medical history, and desired outcome are always considered when pursuing an aesthetic treatment. During your complimentary consultation, you will be able to discuss your aesthetic goals and will then be evaluated to determine how your particular anatomy will respond to treatment.

For patients considering awake liposuction, we evaluate:

  1. The structure underneath the fat and how it affects the shape of the body
  2. The thickness and location of the fat to be removed
  3. The condition of the skin overlying the area of Liposuction’s biggest drawback is that it does not directly address loose skin and in some cases can make issues with the skin worse. In these situations other procedures may be indicated; see Tummy tuck or Renuvion

Liposuction can reduce fat thickness significantly but is not a good weight loss tool by itself. Rather liposuction is better at sculpting specific areas. If you are looking to address fat over the entirety of your body, traditional weight loss may be a better option.

What Are The Potential Complications with Liposuction?

While liposuction is considered extremely safe, complications are possible and should be considered before deciding to pursue a procedure. Most complications associated with liposuction are aesthetic and do not affect your health such as resulting looseness in the skin or irregularities. Other potential issues involve scarring at or below the skin, bleeding, infection, sensory nerve problems or injury to deeper structures. While extremely rare, it is also possible to have reactions to the medications that are used that could be potentially life threatening.

Attached is a sample consent form from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons which helps inform patients and guide their discussion with a provider.

How to Prepare Your Awake Liposuction Procedure

Being in good health before your surgery is important. If you have any medical conditions they should be discussed with your surgeon ahead of time and clearance from your Primary Medical Provider may be necessary along with indicated lab work.

Discuss any medications you take and if they should be continued or discontinued as the procedure approaches. You will be provided with list of herbal medications that should be stopped at least 2 weeks prior to your procedure as they may affect your body’s ability to clot. 

Some patients may consider taking supplements that aid in healing or reduce inflammation. As the medical literature is mixed about the effectiveness of supplements Dr. Hamwi does not always recommend these. Dr. Hamwi can provide you with additional information about supplements which may be considered to aid healing.

It is Dr. Hamwi’s opinion that liposuction is best performed when you are at average weight or a little heavy. This allows for the fat to be removed to be a little more complete. Then when you lose weight afterward the results look even better. Make sure that you have arranged for someone who can drop you off and pick you up after surgery and assist you as necessary for the first few days after the procedure. Depending on the area being treated patients may need assistance putting on their compression garments for the first few days after the procedure.

For a more detailed description of how to prepare please see our attached pre-operative instructions.

Awake Liposuction Recovery

Your liposuction recovery will depend on the area being treated. Under most circumstances, for larger treatment areas we typically recommend taking at least four days off from work. The area that we treat will be sore and you will have discomfort for approximately 2-3 weeks that may limit your activity level.  The treated area and the area surrounding it will swell to some extent, but bruising is typically minimal. As you continue to heal, your swelling and discomfort will dissipate, but it usually takes 6 weeks or more for all of the swelling to resolve before you start to see your final results.

While liposuction recovery is not incapacitating it does require that you follow close guidelines in order to achieve the best possible results. We typically recommend that these guidelines are followed for 6 weeks after the procedure. Swelling is a normal part of the healing process but if it is excessive it can compromise your results. For this reason, it is recommended that swelling be controlled through compression, avoidance of exertional or prolonged activities and manual massage. Depending on the area being treated, a compression garment will be provided. In most cases it is advised that this be worn for 6 weeks. Sometimes an additional layer of foam will be provided to be applied under the garment for the first 10-14 days.

For a more detailed list description of the post operative instructions, click here

Various scar treatments are available for the small skin incisions. These are not necessary unless you desire. Dr. Hamwi can provide you with some recommendations after surgery.

Your Sarasota Awake Liposuction Results

Following your awake liposuction procedure, many patients will notice improvements to their figures immediately. However, you will also experience swelling and bruising that obscure your true results. While residual swelling may take several weeks to fully resolve, you will see continued improvements to your figure as your body heals and adjusts to its new contours. By maintaining your healthy weight and lifestyle, you will continue to experience long-lasting results from awake liposuction.

Schedule Your Awake Liposuction Consultation Today!

At Florida Plastic Surgery and Medspa, Dr. Hamwi performs complimentary consultations either in person or virtually over the phone with the assistance of photographs. We will advise you on how to take the photos necessary for your complimentary virtual consultation.

To schedule your complimentary consultation today, contact us at (941) 800-2000, complete our online form, or email reception@floridaplasticsurgery.com!

Traveling from Out of Town?

Many of our awake liposuction patients travel from other parts of the United States and from other countries. We’ve gathered some important information for you about local accommodations here, or please feel free to call us to speak with a staff member who can assist you.

Awake Liposuction Florida - FAQs

Awake liposuction cost is determined by individual needs and aesthetic goals. During your complimentary consultation, Dr. Hamwi will provide an estimate for your awake liposuction cost in Florida.

Typically, most patients do not have a lengthy recovery period and can return to most jobs in three to five days. However, you may need to avoid strenuous activities, such as exercise, for approximately four to six weeks.

You can experience long-lasting results from your awake liposuction procedure by maintaining your ideal, stable weight through your healthy lifestyle choices, including your diet and exercise regimen.

Awake liposuction refers to a technique of performing liposuction on an area that has been numbed with anesthetic, but the patient is not put to sleep. During the procedure, the patient remains awake and interactive. This allows the patient and doctor to move into a variety of positions to better sculpt and evaluate the outcome while the treatment progresses. 

Dr. Hamwi likes awake liposuction because it allows him to place the patient into multiple lying positions that he can continually change as he performs the treatment. Dr. Hamwi finds that this allows him to get a better sense of the symmetry and shape that he is creating. Awake liposuction also avoids the medications used with general anesthesia. This allows for a faster recovery from anesthesia at the end of the procedure. Patients are able to stand up immediately after the procedure is complete and walk out of the office without assistance.  

When Dr. Hamwi performs liposuction on an awake patient vs. an asleep patient, the procedure is done in the same manner. The main difference in the technique is that Dr. Hamwi will ask an awake patient to hold certain positions that they couldn’t do if they were asleep. Also, when a procedure is done awake, the patient can stand up to evaluate the shape, contours, and symmetry. We often find that a body shape will look different when the patient is standing up compared to lying down. This also allows us to evaluate for any small irregularities that may not be evident when a patient lies down.

Any areas that can be treated with asleep liposuction can be treated awake. Some of the more common areas include the abdomen, hips, waist, flanks, arms, armpits, legs, chest, and chin.

Liposuction 360 refers to liposuction of the entire torso, which includes the hips, waist, back, and abdomen. You can think of it as everything from under the bra down to the top of the underwear in the front, back, and sides.

Yes, for safety reasons, there are limits to how much fat and how much medicine can be given in one liposuction treatment. This means that if extensive areas are needed to be treated, they may need to be broken up into separate procedures. During your consultation, Dr. Hamwi will discuss your goals and a treatment plan with you during your consultation.

Loose, hanging, or wrinkled skin, back folds, building stomach muscles (diastasis recti). These things can be treated but may require a technique other than liposuction. Dr. Hamwi is skilled in these as well.

Similar to asleep liposuction, awake liposuction tends to work best as a sculpting tool. An ideal candidate for awake liposuction would be someone who is looking to shape their body by decreasing their fat volume in troublesome areas. Because liposuction deflates the skin as fat is removed, patients will either need to have good skin elasticity or be willing to consider a skin tightening treatment with their liposuction or a skin excision procedure. Patients with loose skin or wrinkles prior to a treatment will find that those problems can get worse after liposuction alone. Patients should also be free of all nicotine products for at least 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after any surgical procedure, as this increases their risk for serious complications. It is also essential to be in good health prior to any surgical procedure. Make your surgeon aware of any health problems, medications you take, and allergies to medications you may have before your procedure.

Liposuction should not be used as a weight loss tool but as a mechanism to shape and sculpt the body.

○ The areas to be treated are marked in a mirror with the patient so that they can help design the treatment. 

○ Oral medications are administered, and the patient is numbed by injecting a local anesthetic into the fat that will be removed.

○ Liposuction is then performed by using a small tube called a cannula which removes the fat. 

○ The patient will roll from front to back, side to side with various tilts and angles to assist Dr. Hamwi

○ The patient is continuously evaluated as their results are revealed through the sculpting. 

○ As the procedure concludes, the doctor will stand the patient up, and they will check the results together in the mirror.

○ A compression garment is put on, and often, a layer of foam is applied depending on the area treated

○ Patients usually need to take 3-5 days off of work. Small areas only need one day 

○ Patients will be sore for approximately 2 weeks, and it is usually 4-6 weeks until they may go back to strenuous physical activity.

○ The full recovery from liposuction usually takes a total of 6 weeks before you are fully cleared to return to all activity 

○ It is important to give your body this time to rest and recover, as this affects your final results. Recovery includes refraining from strenuous physical activity, wearing the appropriate compression garments, and monitoring the treated areas for swelling or irregularities.

○ Surgery time depends on the volume and location of the area being treated, but the average length ranges from 1-4 hours. The total recovery time is 6 weeks. 

○ Tenderness lasts for 2-3 weeks, but it takes the body approximately 6 weeks to be fully healed.

A patient can prepare for liposuction by creating realistic goals and finding a good time when the procedure and recovery can fit into one’s life. Making sure that you have the time and support while you heal is necessary to achieving the best results and minimizing the chances of a complication.

Small incisions are made where the cannula enters during a procedure. These incisions typically heal very well and require minimal care. Incision sites tend to be less than half the size of a grain of rice, but Dr. Hamwi tries to minimize how noticeable these are. Dr. Hamwi tries to place his incisions in places that will be covered by underwear or bras; he also uses a specially designed skin protector that he puts over the incision during surgery to minimize the irritation to the skin from the cannula.  

Post-op care includes wearing your compression garment, reducing your strenuous physical activity, and massaging the treated area as needed.

Patients can expect to come back into the office the day after the procedure. We also want to follow their healing at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks following their procedure. We offer virtual follow-up appointments if needed. 

Our patients have a total of 4 scheduled post-operative appointments 1 day after the procedure, then again at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks. That being said, patients are encouraged to openly communicate with the doctor and office at any time if they ever have any questions or concerns. 

After your initial consultation, our surgical coordinator will find a time that works with your schedule! Because Dr. Hamwi is typically booked out for several months, it is best to begin your consultation early.

Liposuction costs typically range from $3,000-$12,000, depending on the size and number of areas being treated.

We require a $500 deposit to schedule your procedure. The full amount is due 1 week prior to your surgery. We also participate with financing through Care Credit offering 0% interest for 6 or 12 months.

Patients will see their results immediately after the procedure is completed. Swelling will occur over the following weeks and will dissipate over the course of the 6-week recovery period.

Yes, Dr. Hamwi is certified by the American Board of Surgery, The American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The American Board of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. 

Dr. Hamwi has been performing awake liposuction since 2009 and has performed thousands of procedures 

Yes, Dr. Hamwi specializes in awake arm lifts, tummy tucks, and facelifts

Absolutely; liposuction can be used in addition to other procedures in order to meet one’s individual needs. It is often done in conjunction with a tummy tuck, for example.