Choosing the Right Practice for Your Liposuction

Dr. David Stoker

Woman shows her flat tummy following a liposuction.

Sometimes, selecting a provider for your plastic surgery procedure can be as challenging as planning the procedure itself. This is especially true of liposuction here in Los Angeles, where it seems like there’s a specialist on every corner.

While liposuction may seem like a relatively simple option in the world of plastic surgery, it’s still important to choose a practitioner with extensive experience and skill. Liposuction requires a high degree of technical expertise in order to create results that look smooth and pleasing. It’s so much more than just suctioning away fat!

So how do you determine a surgeon’s skill level? First, take a look at his or her credentials like board certification (your surgeon should be a board-certified plastic surgeon), education, and the number of years in practice. Most surgeons have this information readily available on their websites.

Here’s one of my favorite tips: Browse the surgeon’s photo gallery. Before-and-after photos can help you learn a lot about a surgeon’s abilities and his or her unique aesthetic vision. You can also see for yourself the type of results that are possible in various areas of the body. You can browse my photo gallery here to see the type of results I’ve created for past patients. Truly great liposuction results don’t just remove fat—they also improve the patient’s contours, creating beautiful results that look and feel natural.

Depending on the area of the body being treated and the volume of fat being removed, liposuction may not require a patient to be completely anesthetized. For simpler procedures, I prefer local anesthesia with sedation. This improves the patient’s comfort level after surgery (no nausea or grogginess which are typically associated with general anesthesia) as well as safety—local anesthesia is simply less risky. Qualified surgeons should be comfortable recommending one type of anesthesia over another and you should feel comfortable asking about all your options.

In my practice, I offer both local and general anesthesia, depending on the patient and the specifics of the procedure. Anesthesia is administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist—not a nurse anesthetist—with whom I work on a regular basis. My priorities are your safety, comfort, and creating excellent results.

I know it can be an overwhelming experience to research and pick the right surgeon. And I want to make sure you feel comfortable and confident in your decision. If you’d like to learn more about my credentials, my practice, or if you feel ready to schedule a consultation, contact my office online. A member of my staff will quickly reach out to you.

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