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Liposuction, La Jolla
Liposuction removes stubborn fat through small incisions using a thin cannula, to slim and shape areas such as the abdomen, flanks, thighs, back, arms, or under the chin. At your La Jolla consultation, Tim Sayed MD evaluates your fat distribution, skin quality, and goals and discusses whether liposuction, a skin-tightening operation, hi-def liposculpture, or no surgery fits.
The La Jolla consultation office is in University City, at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121. Consultations and follow-ups take place here. Surgery is performed only in accredited operating rooms separate from both consultation offices, not at the University City office.
Ask about operations similar to yours and how your health, tissue quality, and goals affect the plan.
Where it is used
Common areas: the abdomen, flanks (love handles), thighs, hips, back, upper arms, and under the chin and jawline.
Anesthesia
General anesthesia, or local anesthesia with sedation for smaller areas, as an outpatient procedure. It usually takes one to three hours depending on the number of areas.
Downtime
Most people return to desk work within a few days to a week and to full activity by about four to six weeks, wearing a compression garment while swelling settles.
Results
A slimmer, smoother contour. With a stable weight, the removed fat does not return, and the final shape shows as swelling resolves over a few months.
Who it suits
Adults near a stable weight with good skin elasticity and localized fat that resists diet and exercise. A consultation confirms candidacy.
Why patients choose Tim Sayed MD
After marking and anesthesia appropriate to the plan, tumescent fluid is placed, small incisions are made, and fat is removed with a cannula. The goal is even contour, not maximum extraction. A thin fat layer is typically left to support smooth skin. Compression garments are commonly used afterward.
Liposuction does not meaningfully tighten loose skin, treat cellulite as a primary goal, or replace weight loss. Poor skin elasticity may leave irregularities unless a lift or other plan is chosen. Fat cells removed from treated areas do not return there, but remaining fat elsewhere can still change with weight gain. Results are not guaranteed.
Related options for La Jolla patients include tummy tuck in La Jolla, hi-def liposculpture in La Jolla, Brazilian butt lift in La Jolla, and body contouring surgery in La Jolla.
Consultation
Note which areas you want addressed and any prior body procedures. You do not need to finalize a plan before the examination.
Ask whether the issue is fat, loose skin, or both; how much volume can reasonably be removed; whether skin will retract; and whether a tummy tuck, energy-based adjunct, or fat transfer would be more appropriate. Review garment use and the recovery help you would need. Nicotine use, unstable weight, or unrealistic size goals may affect whether and when surgery is appropriate.
Related options for La Jolla patients include tummy tuck in La Jolla, hi-def liposculpture in La Jolla, Brazilian butt lift in La Jolla, and body contouring surgery in La Jolla.
Compare liposuction with a mommy makeover
The procedure
Ask to see photographs relevant to your concerns. The same practice gallery is used for both offices; these are not location-specific results. Photographs do not guarantee your outcome. Practice photo gallery information for La Jolla patients
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4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121
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Many patients return to desk work within several days to about a week; fuller activity often takes longer. Swelling, bruising, firmness, and temporary numbness are common. Wear compression as directed. Exact timelines are individualized. Arrange an adult to drive you home from the operating facility when sedation or general anesthesia is used. Ask about medications, drainage from incisions, garment use, and activity limits. Do not drive while sedated or until cleared and able to control a vehicle safely. Exercise and swimming require individual clearance. Contour continues to refine for months as swelling resolves. Report concerning pain, redness, fever, or breathing symptoms promptly. Your follow-ups are at the same University City office where you had your La Jolla consultation. Ask when each examination is needed and how to reach the team outside office hours.
Liposuction risks include anesthesia complications, bleeding, infection, fluid imbalance, contour irregularity, asymmetry, numbness, burns (with energy-assisted methods when used), seroma, skin injury, blood clots, fat embolism (rare), and the need for further surgery. Large-volume procedures carry higher risk and may not be appropriate.
Discuss volume limits, anesthesia choice, your medical history, and staging if multiple areas are planned. Seek urgent care for chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, or rapidly worsening swelling.
Cost and financing
The practice’s current liposuction range is $4,000–$9,000, including the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, facility fees, and the compression garment. The same range framework applies at both consultation offices. More areas and combined procedures cost more. Anesthesia type also affects the quote.
Liposuction pricing depends mainly on how many areas are treated and the anesthesia used. The quote covers the surgeon fee, anesthesia, and the facility. Because it is cosmetic, it is not covered by insurance.
Ask about liposuction financing
Recovery
Many patients return to desk work within several days to about a week; fuller activity often takes longer. Swelling, bruising, firmness, and temporary numbness are common. Wear compression as directed. Exact timelines are individualized.
Days 1 to 3
Soreness like a hard workout, bruising, and some fluid drainage from the tiny incisions. Wear the garment and walk gently.
Days 4 to 7
Bruising begins to fade. Many people return to desk work toward the end of the first week, still wearing the garment.
Weeks 2 to 3
Swelling and firmness are normal and expected. Keep wearing the garment; the treated areas may feel numb or lumpy, which settles.
Weeks 4 to 6
Return to exercise as Dr. Sayed clears you. The contour starts to emerge as swelling drops.
Months 2 to 6
Swelling fully resolves and the final, smooth shape shows. Numbness and firmness continue to improve.
Ask about liposuction recovery
Your surgeon
Dr. Sayed is certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and he has been recertified in both after ten years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He earned his medical degree at the UCSF School of Medicine, completed general surgery training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard, and returned to UCSF for his plastic surgery fellowship.
Dr. Sayed is a double board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 20 years of experience. His approach to liposuction is sculptural: even removal, a thin layer left under the skin, and the right areas treated so the whole silhouette improves.
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Board certified and recertified
American Board of Surgery
Board certified and recertified
UCSF School of Medicine
MD and plastic surgery residency
Harvard, Mass General
General surgery training
Kellogg School of Management
Executive MBA, Northwestern
Alpha Omega Alpha
National medical honor society
Office
For your La Jolla consultation and follow-ups, use the University City office’s San Diego postal address shown below.
Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. On Mondays, this office opens at 9:00 AM, half an hour later than Newport Beach.
Choose the office you can return to for follow-ups, not just the first consultation. Those visits take place at your consultation office, so discuss the choice before scheduling.
Consultation details for La Jolla · Compare the Newport Beach consultation office
Before surgery, obtain the operating facility's address, arrival time, and discharge instructions from the team. Do not use the University City consultation address as your surgery destination. Arrange transportation from the accredited operating room and for return visits to this office. If you will recover outside the area, discuss how long to remain nearby and when you must return; no fixed stay length applies to everyone.
Tim Sayed MD, La Jolla / University City
Address
4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121
Phone
(858) 247-2933
Hours
Mon 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Tue–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM PT; Sat–Sun closed
Surgery
Accredited operating rooms only, separate from both consultation offices
Approved copy
For your La Jolla consultation and follow-ups, use the University City office’s San Diego postal address shown below.
Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. On Mondays, this office opens at 9:00 AM, half an hour later than Newport Beach.
Choose the office you can return to for follow-ups, not just the first consultation. Those visits take place at your consultation office, so discuss the choice before scheduling.
Consultation details for La Jolla · Compare the Newport Beach consultation office
Before surgery, obtain the operating facility's address, arrival time, and discharge instructions from the team. Do not use the University City consultation address as your surgery destination. Arrange transportation from the accredited operating room and for return visits to this office. If you will recover outside the area, discuss how long to remain nearby and when you must return; no fixed stay length applies to everyone.
Note which areas you want addressed and any prior body procedures. You do not need to finalize a plan before the examination.
Ask whether the issue is fat, loose skin, or both; how much volume can reasonably be removed; whether skin will retract; and whether a tummy tuck, energy-based adjunct, or fat transfer would be more appropriate. Review garment use and the recovery help you would need. Nicotine use, unstable weight, or unrealistic size goals may affect whether and when surgery is appropriate.
Arrange an adult to drive you home from the operating facility when sedation or general anesthesia is used. Ask about medications, drainage from incisions, garment use, and activity limits. Do not drive while sedated or until cleared and able to control a vehicle safely.
Exercise and swimming require individual clearance. Contour continues to refine for months as swelling resolves. Report concerning pain, redness, fever, or breathing symptoms promptly.
Your follow-ups are at the same University City office where you had your La Jolla consultation. Ask when each examination is needed and how to reach the team outside office hours.
The practice’s current liposuction range is $4,000–$9,000, including the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, facility fees, and the compression garment. The same range framework applies at both consultation offices. More areas and combined procedures cost more. Anesthesia type also affects the quote.
Request a written quote for your proposed operation. Ask which planned procedures and follow-up services it covers and what could add to the cost. Cosmetic body contouring is typically not covered by insurance; confirm with your insurer if you believe a portion may qualify.
Practice pricing information for La Jolla patients · Financing information for La Jolla patients
Monday: 9:00 AM–4:30 PM. Tuesday–Friday: 8:30 AM–4:30 PM. Saturday–Sunday: Closed. Hours are Pacific Time. When you schedule, confirm the exact appointment time. Monday opening here is 9:00 AM — thirty minutes later than the Newport Beach office. Pick the office you can keep returning to for follow-ups. Consultation details for La Jolla · Compare the Newport Beach consultation office
The practice’s current liposuction range is $4,000–$9,000, including the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, facility fees, and the compression garment. The same range framework applies at both consultation offices. More areas and combined procedures cost more. Anesthesia type also affects the quote.
Dr. Sayed is certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and he has been recertified in both after ten years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He earned his medical degree at the UCSF School of Medicine, completed general surgery training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard, and returned to UCSF for his plastic surgery fellowship.
If stubborn fat is not responding to diet and exercise, a consultation with Tim Sayed MD is the place to start. He will examine the areas and your skin, explain which to treat and whether to combine liposuction with other procedures, and lay out the plan, cost, and recovery honestly.
FAQ
The practice range is $4,000–$9,000, including the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, facility fees, and the compression garment. Request a written quote for your proposed procedures and ask about any additional fees. This practice-wide range framework applies at both consultation offices.
Recovery timing is individualized. Follow your surgeon’s instructions. Your follow-ups take place at the same University City office as your La Jolla consultation.
Liposuction removes stubborn fat through tiny incisions with a cannula to slim and shape specific areas. It is not a weight-loss method and does not primarily tighten loose skin.
Liposuction addresses fat with reasonably elastic skin. A tummy tuck addresses loose abdominal skin and often separated muscle. Many plans combine both when appropriate. The exam decides.
Removed fat cells do not return in the treated area, but remaining fat cells elsewhere can enlarge with weight gain. Stable weight helps maintain the contour.
Not reliably. Mild retraction can occur, but loose or poor-quality skin may need a lift or a different plan.
Common areas include the abdomen, flanks, thighs, back, arms, and under the chin. Suitability depends on your anatomy and safety limits for volume and operative time.
No. Candidates are typically near a stable weight with localized fat that has not responded to diet and exercise.
It is not a primary treatment for either. Cellulite and significant laxity usually need other approaches.
Often, when medically appropriate — for example with a tummy tuck or fat transfer. Combining increases time and recovery demands; staging may be safer.
Risks include contour irregularity, asymmetry, numbness, fluid collections, infection, anesthesia problems, blood clots, and rarely more serious events. Large-volume liposuction raises risk.
Candidacy depends on health, stable weight, skin quality, and realistic goals. Smoking and major planned weight change may lead to delay or a different recommendation.
Discomfort is expected and usually managed with medication and compression. Pain experience varies; discuss your history and concerns at consultation.
Standard liposuction focuses on overall slimming. High-definition etching aims for more athletic surface definition and needs suitable skin and muscle. Not everyone is a candidate for etching.
The office is in University City at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121. Monday hours are 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Tuesday–Friday hours are 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, Pacific Time. It is closed Saturday and Sunday. Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. Call (858) 247-2933.
Your follow-ups are at the same University City office as your consultation. Surgery is performed only in accredited operating rooms separate from both consultation offices. Obtain the operating facility’s address before arranging transportation. If traveling, discuss how long to remain nearby and when to return for follow-up.
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