Most people benefit from having liposuction of the entire abdomen or trunk. This generally includes the hips, waist, upper abdomen and lower abdomen. What you call love handles and flanks is what I would probably refer to as the hips and waist. We generally prefer to sell this as a full abdomen. Even if the love handles and flanks are what bothers you, there is a natural fat distribution that typically continues onto the front. In order to have a balanced and overall appropriate look, it is usually necessary to continue liposuction into the adjacent areas. Expect liposuction prices to be around $1,500 per area with multiple-area treatment. The price for a single area is often higher, and discounts are often given when multiple areas are treated. I prefer to do liposuction by avoiding general anesthesia. Some form of sedation is typically always needed. Local anesthesia alone is typically not sufficient to keep this as a pain-free procedure. If the procedure is done in a formal operating room, then facility fees will apply. These can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Most plastic surgeons who avoid general anesthesia do not use an anesthesiologist to give sedation. If an anesthesiologist is used, then expect to pay around $300 an hour. What you describe will take most surgeons one and a half to two and a half hours to do correctly. While price is never a guarantee of quality of work, most talented plastic surgeons rarely give substantial discounts. Liposuction is one of the easiest procedures to perform, yet one of the most difficult to perform well. Experience makes in a big difference, as does board certification. Consult with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.Best of luck, Mats Hagstrom, M.D.
