Sagar Patel, MD

I barely saw any information on perioral liposuction when I was looking up my procedure. In the interest of helping other potential patients, I wanted to outline my healing process as it has progressed.

Consultation: I loved my consultation. It was over WhatsApp. Dr. Patel will talk if you like to talk, and guess what. I like to talk. I've never had a consultation with a doctor that felt so natural and it feels like he truly enjoys talking about plastic surgery, the results, and what you, the patient, should expect. I want every other consultation that I go through to be like this one because I've realized that other consultations I've had by comparison aren't as personable or open to longer conversations. He didn't make me feel rushed at all, and I love how focused he seemed on making sure I got to say what I wanted to. I asked him about some other procedures that tend to come up when people talk about perioral liposuction and he was happy to lend his expertise on that. I love it that I didn't feel like I'm a person they have to get through in x amount of minutes. It's funny because I'm not a person that is big on "social media" doctors and it can even be a turn off for me, but my consultation with Dr. Patel definitely sold me on the idea that I wanted to do this procedure with him.

Background: I want to note since this review is for a liposuction procedure that I'm within the 20-22 BMI range and I'm decently fit. I walk every day and I'm toned all over. I have photos from high school when I can see my perioral mounds even when my BMI was underweight. I also still had the perioral mounds when I had an eating disorder and had an even lower BMI than my BMI in high school i.e. this is definitely genetic in some way. The mounds themselves didn't bother me until a few years ago when I was 24, probably because I did gain some weight when I went through recovery from my ED and I'm guessing my skin is a little more lax than it used to be just due to normal aging. I'm now 27 and part of my reasoning for getting this procedure now is because the longer I wait, the less likely I can solve this issue with perioral liposuction alone.

Day of Procedure (Day 0):
I ate 2 pieces of toast for breakfast to make sure I came in fed. I parked in the recommended parking structure and that went smoothly. It cost $5 for the entire duration of the visit which was a few hours, I highly recommend the parking structure that the office informs you of.

Procedure:
Dr. Patel numbed me up with Novocaine and it was 1 shot per mound. I waited around 45 minutes and then the procedure began. It is surreal seeing the little bits of fat come out (I like to look at what's happening to me during procedures if I can). The total amount was probably less than my thumbnail if I combined the fat taken out of both sides. I had a needle shaped bruise from the cannula on where one of the mounds used to be and some bruising under the other perioral mound right after the procedure. After the numbing shots wore off completely, maybe 1.5-2 hours later, I was definitely sore and fatigued. There was general swelling in the lower third of my face. I looked like those 60s illustrations of kids with the mumps when that was still an illness people took seriously. I took a nice long nap when I got home on an elevated pillow (and the bruising that I noticed right after the procedure was gone, save for the needle bruise mark). I already use an elevated pillow for my GERD and other GI issues, so it was nothing for me, but if you're new to elevated pillows, you may want to sleep on it before the procedure so you're used to and know how to make yourself comfortable on the pillow (it took me a week to get used to the pillow when I had first bought it). I use a regular pillow on top of the elevated wedge pillow (I slept with a wedge pillow for all the following days mentioned). I iced the area before and after my nap and I iced it again before I went to bed, making sure to press down on the perioral area each time. I ate ice cream for dinner and I made sure to rinse out immediately (dairy products are sometimes considered a risk for internal mouth wounds).

Day 1: I was still quite sore in the face, but I didn't feel bad enough to skip work, or so I thought. I nearly vomited a few times in the morning a few hours after my breakfast (a simple sandwich with the white fake bread that was not grainy). Please note I tend to vomit easily, so that may not be the experience for everybody. I had a large meal for lunch and that made me feel significantly better. I felt "good" for the rest of the day. I iced 3x today for maybe 10-15 minutes each time while pressing down and that seriously helped the inflammation. I slept elevated. By now, I was comfortable eating pretty much any food, but of course, it hurt to open my mouth too much so I avoided anything large to eat. I wasn't swelling as much as on Day 0 and it didn't look so crazy, but I would say it was still noticeable that I was swollen. There was no noticeable bruising on this day except for the needle mark, but that was lightening.

Day 2: The swelling all across my lower face had subsided somewhat, but it was still present. By now, only people who really knew me could clock the swelling. There was some minor bruising that reappeared slightly lower than where the initial bruising was after the procedure. I started massaging my cheeks and that was not fun, you're basically massaging bruised tissue, but it's at worst uncomfortable and sore, so it's nothing a person couldn't handle by then. I grew obsessed with the massaging because you can see how it helps to flattened the tissue. I still was icing, but I only did it 2x on this day. It looks like I'm going to love the results, but I'm cautious because I know there's still swelling that needs to go down.

Day 3: The swelling is now unnoticeable to most people and it's barely there (or perhaps I'm just so used to it that it seems like it's barely there). The bruising "falls" down the face and it's the most noticeable it's been, but it's still nothing that would make people concerned. It could be waived away as a shadow on the face. The "needle" bruise is now a light pink and seems to still be fading. I so far still like the results, every time I think of the fact I like how that area looks, I remind myself to massage it so it has the best chance of staying that way. I started taking Arnica since my package arrived late (yeah...you're supposed to take that the day of the procedure and afterwards). I feel like my healing has been fast anyway even without the Arnica. I did not ice in the morning, but I did ice in the afternoon and evening. It feels like overkill at this point because again, the swelling is barely noticeable anymore. I'm right now so glad I got this procedure done. I was worried it wouldn't be noticeable when I had just finished the procedure since there was such a tiny amount of fat that actually came out, but it is 100% noticeable to me even 3 days later. I will post pictures when the swelling has gone down for comparison.

He was incredibly honest and straightforward with me. I initially wanted buccal fat removal, but during our consultation, he expressed concerns about the long-term effects. At the time (two years ago), I wasn’t as appreciative since I was looking for a dramatic, instant change. Now, I’m grateful that he prioritized what was best for me in the long run. The results are subtle, but I value the care and foresight he showed. However, I didn’t have a great experience with some of his female staff, who gave off ‘mean girl’ vibes, except for Marcella—she was the sweetest. And, of course, Sagar was great as well. I hope to come back in the future for other work. Maybe facelift? Lol

The world is a funny place. I found Dr. Patel on TikTok, an app originally designed for young girls shaking their asses, and one year later, I left his office with the best surgical result I could have ever hoped for.

My original concern was an overdeveloped fat pad under my chin. I workout routinely and maintain a low bad fat percentage, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get rid of the fat under my chin. But once I met Dr. Patel in person, I realized that my issue didn't involve excess fat alone but that my platysma (neck muscle) didn't have an ideal insertion and that I also had a relatively weak chin.

Dr. Patel NEVER pushed additional surgery on me and was always up front with me regarding what I could expect from different surgical routes we would take. That's why, among other reasons, I felt comfortable electing going with the full package (chin lipo + deep neck lift + chin implant). At first, I thought I would only get chin lipo, but I guess I ended up walking out with the "full all you can eat buffet" lol.

But I couldn't be happier with my result. My neck looks beautiful. My chin looks natural. And the surgery went flawlessly without any complications or major issues.

On top of that, Dr. Patel is a really nice guy as are his entire staff. Stephanie was always responsive and extremely helpful, and I'm grateful I found them.

Thank you!

I got a unilateral otoplasty with Dr. Patel and could not be happier. Dr. Patel explained each step of the process to me, and was patient with all my questions. The procedure went smoothly, and Dr. Patel and the entire team still made themselves available to me post-surgery. I'm very happy with the results. If you're trying to decide on a clinic, look no further!

Do it! Dr. Patel is professional, realistic, and has a very friendly staff. I felt well taken care of throughout the entire process starting with my consultation. I love my results and so glad I chose this office to perform my chin lipo.

My experience with Dr. Saga and his staff was amazing!! I did my consultation virtually and had some issues on my end with scheduling my surgery day because of work schedule changes; however, Dr. Patel’s staff worked with me every step of the way to get me scheduled for a time that was convenient for me. The day of surgery I was a little nervous but Dr. Saga and his staff were very friendly and professional so that eased my nerves. Surgery went well. Since you’re awake for the procedure you will feel the tugging, but I’ve been awake for a prior procedure with a different doctor so this didn’t bother me. There was some minor discomfort when my buccal fat was getting removed, but it was at the very end when the last bit of fat was getting cut off (I had an enormous amount of fat in my cheeks). Aside from that it just felt like tugging (no pain). I really appreciate that Dr. Patel administered some local anesthesia at the moments when I felt discomfort. I like that he didn’t force me to just power through because there was only a little bit of fat left to get rid of. He listened to my needs and handled them accordingly. I’ve had a few cosmetic procedures prior to this one and I can say hands down that Dr. Patel and his staff are definitely the kindness, most caring, and very thoughtful. Not to mention my result exceeded my expectations!!

I had the most pleasant experience with Dr Patel. He is a very knowledgeable doctor and a kind human being. I came looking for an expensive procedure but he said I needed Sculptra injections instead. He doesn't perform them but recommended another doctor. Most other doctor would have agreed to do the facelift but not him. He said that even though it would help, that's just not what he recommends in my particular situation. If I ever need another procedure I will most definitely go see him first. The director of the clinic, Stefanie, is absolutely wonderful as well.

Dr. Patel is amazing. From the moment I had the virtual consultation with him I knew I wanted him as my doctor. I got chin lipo/buccal fat removal. He has a great personality and bedside manner and is with you every step of the way. I'm a little over 1 week post op and LOVING my progress so far. He truly cares about his patients. His staff is sweet and amazing as well. If I decide to get work done again I'm definitely going to him and I'll refer those who are interested to him as well.

Dr. Sagar is a wonderful doctor. he addressed my issues perfectly on my video consultation. He does his job properly and doesn’t suggest unnecessary procedures just to get money. I believe his judgement and if I need anything in the future, I will make sure to come here. He’s one of the best in this profession.

Weighing the options to get jawline definition came down to three options for me. (1) Cool-sculpt, (2) kybella or (3) chin lipo. At first I thought cool sculpt was the route but it's so expensive and they warned it may cause numbness and irritation at application site. I decided to opt out of coolsculpt. Kybella is expensive and seemed to have varying results (with swelling and pain during healing). My research led me to lipo. Good old lipo. I had the procedure done under local anesthetic. I had a bit of discomfort during the injection of the local. The discomfort only lasted a few seconds then I felt jittery. Dr. Patel was very kind throughout the injection process. After getting the injections my neck went numb and my smile was all crooked lol. I laughed about my smile and went into the OR. The OR was pretty cool and looked very futuristic. Dr. Patel did the lipo (I did not feel any of it) then the sutures and I was good to go. After the numbing injections I had no pain or discomfort! The whole thing was a breeze. Dr. Patel and his stuff are very kind and functional, they have replied to every question I've had very quickly. Although I didn't have much fat to remove, I saw immediate improvements in my jawline definition!