Explained
Explained
Most people are great candidates for our awake procedures. In general, if your BMI is under 38 and you don’t have serious medical conditions, you’ll likely qualify.
Before moving forward, you’ll complete a medical questionnaire and meet virtually with a Body by Heart consultant and plastic surgeon to make sure the procedure is safe and aligned with your goals. If you’re not a candidate, your consultation fee will be refunded.
All surgery carries some risk, but our awake-only approach is designed to make liposuction and fat transfer as safe as possible. By specializing exclusively in awake procedures under local anesthesia, we avoid many of the risks associated with general anesthesia and reduce trauma to the body.Our surgeons perform these procedures every day using highly controlled techniques and strict safety protocols, resulting in an almost zero complication rate.
Yes: the results of awake liposuction and fat transfer are considered permanent. The fat cells removed during liposuction are gone for good, and the fat that successfully heals after transfer becomes a living part of your body. After the initial healing process, typically around 70% of the transferred fat remains permanently, while the remaining portion is naturally reabsorbed by the body during the first few weeks. Once healed, the transferred fat behaves like any other fat in your body, meaning it can grow or shrink slightly with major weight fluctuations. As long as you maintain a relatively stable weight and healthy lifestyle, your results should last for many years.
The difference comes down to precision, safety, and how gently the fat is handled throughout the entire process. Traditional fat transfer methods are often more aggressive, exposing the fat to air and relying on manual injection techniques that can damage fat cells and increase trauma to the body.
At Body by Heart, we use awake liposuction with small vibrating cannulas that gently remove fat while keeping patients comfortable under local anesthesia. The fat is collected in a fully closed sterile system, never exposed to open air, then carefully cleaned and processed to preserve the healthiest fat possible.
Instead of manually forcing fat through syringes, we use a controlled delivery system that allows the surgeon to place the fat smoothly and evenly for more natural contours and better long-term survival of the transferred fat.
The result is less trauma, smoother recovery, higher fat retention, more precise sculpting, and an almost zero complication rate.
We have financing relationships with Cherry, CareCredit, RepeatMD and Credee.
Most patients are pleasantly surprised by how manageable recovery feels. You can expect soreness, swelling, and tightness during the first week — similar to the feeling after an intense workout. The discomfort gradually improves each day, and most patients are back to regular daily activities within 1–2 weeks. By 4–6 weeks, the majority of soreness has fully resolved. We provide detailed recovery guidance and medications to help make the healing process as smooth and comfortable as possible.
Yes, awake liposuction can create a noticeable skin tightening effect, especially in patients with good skin elasticity. By removing fat and stimulating natural collagen production during healing, the skin often retracts and conforms more tightly to the body’s new shape.
Patients with mild to moderate skin looseness frequently see significant improvement, often around 50–80% tighter depending on the area and skin quality. However, if the skin is severely loose or overhanging, liposuction alone may not fully correct it, and procedures like a tummy tuck or arm lift may still be recommended.
During your consultation, our surgeons carefully evaluate your skin quality and elasticity to determine what kind of tightening result you can realistically expect.
Absolutely not. One of the core principles of our body contouring approach is creating a more defined waist while preserving and often enhancing your natural curves.
Our surgeons use precise sculpting techniques to remove fat from the flanks and waist without taking volume from areas that create shape and projection. By increasing the contrast between the waist and buttocks, the result is often a more sculpted silhouette without flattening the butt.
Everything is done with a highly controlled and artistic approach designed to keep results balanced, natural, and proportional.