Liposuctionin Minneapolis
Liposuction is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures for men and women alike. It can remove stubborn pockets of fat in virtually any area of the body that do not respond to diet or exercise. The procedure is designed to enhance body contours and create a more balanced, proportionate appearance. With advanced techniques like SAFELipo®, patients can achieve smoother, more natural-looking results with minimized bruising and faster recovery.
Top female plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Harrington prides herself on helping men and women achieve natural-looking plastic surgery results. At Harrington Plastic Surgery, we provide a personalized treatment plan for patients undergoing liposuction in Minneapolis, MN.
Your Trusted Surgeon
Dr. Jennifer Harrington is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field. She is locally and nationally renowned for bringing the highest standards of medical excellence and aesthetic sensitivity to all procedures of the breast, body and face.
Find out why so many women and men choose us for their cosmetic surgery enhancements, and see why Dr. Harrington should be your top choice.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
Almost anyone who is in good overall health may be a candidate for body sculpting with liposuction. While liposuction is not a substitute for weight loss, it can be an excellent option for men and women who are close to their ideal body weight but struggle with stubborn fat in specific areas.
Some of the most common reasons to consider getting a liposuction procedure include:
- Fat bulges or rolls that do not respond to traditional weight loss methods.
- Pockets of fat that prevent clothing from fitting comfortably.
- Isolated fatty deposits despite good overall general health and fitness.
- A desire for more defined or sculpted contours.
Schedule Your Consultation
Use our convenient online scheduler to book your initial surgical consult online. Choose a time that works for you and meet with Dr. Harrington's RN, Saebra. We look forward to seeing you!
Liposuction Benefits
Liposuction is a versatile cosmetic procedure that can help to sculpt stubborn areas like the hips, love handles, thighs, back and more. Just a few of the most notable benefits of liposuction include:
- Targeted fat reduction. Unlike traditional diet and exercise, liposuction is able to target and remove stubborn fat in specific areas.
- Improved body contours. By removing and sculpting pockets of fat, lipo can enhance your natural body proportions for a smoother, more sculpted silhouette.
- Better-fitting clothing. While liposuction isn’t a weight loss procedure, it can help your clothes to fit better.
- Boosted self-confidence and body image. Many of our Minneapolis liposuction patients have reported feeling more confident in their own skin after liposuction.
- Long-lasting results. Fat cells removed during liposuction do not come back, making results very long-lasting when paired with healthy lifestyle habits.
- Motivation for healthy lifestyle habits. Liposuction patients often feel inspired to maintain their smooth, sleek results by adopting long-term healthy diet and exercise habits.
Liposuction is not intended for weight loss. Instead, this procedure will help to refine the body for better proportions. At Harrington Plastic Surgery, we provide professional cosmetic care. We take precision, education and realistic goals into consideration in every body contouring treatment.
Benefits of SAFELipo®
Dr. Harrington uses a specialized liposuction technique called SAFELipo® that requires advanced training and certification. SAFELipo involves a three-step process. The first step involves breaking apart fatty deposits using manual probes. During the second step, Dr. Harrington aspirates the fat using a suction device. While all liposuction procedures use suction to remove fat, the SAFELipo method uses smaller, more precise cannulas, which results in significantly less bruising and swelling than with traditional liposuction.
The third step of SAFELipo involves fat redistribution. Dr. Harrington leaves a localized area of fat grafts in the target area to act as a cushion and prevent the skin from attaching itself to the underlying muscle. This final step is the key to preventing contour irregularities, such as wavy skin, lumps or divots that can occur with less sophisticated methods of liposuction.
In a nutshell, SAFELipo offers these benefits compared to traditional liposuction techniques:
- Minimizes bruising and swelling
- Reduces the risk of contour irregularities like lumps, divots or wavy skin
- Provides smoother, more natural-looking results
- Enhances overall body contouring precision
- Supports faster recovery and less discomfort during recovery
- Performed by a board-certified surgeon with specialized SAFELipo training
Your Liposuction Consultation
The first step of your liposuction journey is to schedule a consultation. During this appointment, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss your specific goals and target areas, and we will determine whether liposuction is the best procedure for you. We will also walk you through the SAFELipo process in detail, explaining what to expect before, during and after your procedure.
Additionally, we will review the potential risks and complications associated with liposuction, ensuring you have a clear understanding and feel confident in your decision. We will answer any questions you may have, discuss your medical history and provide personalized recommendations to help you achieve safe, natural-looking results.
Liposuction with Other Procedures
Depending on your cosmetic goals and natural anatomy, Dr. Harrington may recommend including liposuction with additional procedures to achieve the best outcome. Because liposuction removes fat cells but doesn’t tighten the skin, people with excess skin around the abdomen may consider combining liposuction with a tummy tuck. Many women also include liposuction as part of a mommy makeover, which often also includes breast enhancement procedures such as a breast lift, augmentation or reduction.
Additionally, we are excited to offer our liposuction patients BTL CELLUTONE as part of their surgical procedure. CELLUTONE uses the power of therapeutic vibrations to increase lymphatic drainage, waste elimination and blood flow. It addresses the main factors causing cellulite formation and can lead to a considerable improvement in post-surgical skin appearance.
Your Liposuction Surgery
Liposuction is a same-day procedure. The entire process usually takes around 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size and number of treatment areas. Liposuction can be performed using general or sedation anesthesia, although most patients prefer to have their lipo procedure done under general anesthesia. Patients with sensitivities to narcotic medications may benefit from our opioid-free or reduced surgery and recovery customized approach.
Incisions for liposuction tend to be small and discreet, resulting in very little noticeable scarring. Dr. Harrington will create a few short incisions on and around the areas of the body being treated. Through those incisions, she will insert a special instrument called a cannula, which is used to disperse and remove any unwanted fat cells. When the procedure is complete, the incisions are sutured and bandaged.
Plan to arrive at the surgery center 1 hour before your procedure is scheduled to begin. If you have opted to use general anesthesia for your liposuction procedure, you will be asked to stay in a recovery room for 1 hour after. A friend or family member should come to the surgery center with you to drive you home, and an adult will need to stay with you for at least 24 hours after your surgery.
Liposuction Recovery
After getting liposuction, most patients take anywhere from several days to 1 week away from work and other normal activities as their body recovers, although your experience may be different. Dr. Harrington may ask you to wear a post-surgical compression garment during the initial stage of your recovery to help minimize swelling. Some swelling and bruising is to be expected after your liposuction procedure and can last for days to weeks after the surgery. Patients who have a desk job that doesn’t require heavy lifting can often return to work after only a couple of days off.
During the first few weeks of recovery, you will need to avoid strenuous exercise, heavy lifting and high-impact activities to allow the treated areas to heal properly. Light walking is encouraged to support circulation and reduce the risk of blood clots, but more intense workouts should be avoided until Dr. Harrington clears you. Most people are able to return to their normal exercise routines within 2 to 4 weeks after SAFELipo.
Liposuction Results
Immediate results after liposuction are generally hidden by initial swelling and fluid buildup, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see results right away. It can take 1 to 3 months for swelling to dissipate and your liposuction results to become more visible. Expect to see continued improvements to the shape of your body for 6 to 12 months after getting liposuction.
Keep in mind that liposuction does not prevent future weight gain, although the fat cells that are removed via liposuction are permanently gone. Thus, adopting healthy diet and exercise habits is key to maintaining lasting liposuction results.
Liposuction FAQs
The exact cost of liposuction in Minneapolis and surrounding areas will depend on the specifics of your procedure, such as the size and number of areas being treated and whether or not you choose to include additional procedures with liposuction. For this reason, we will be able to provide you with a more accurate liposuction cost estimate at the time of your consultation. We are also pleased to offer several plastic surgery financing options for those interested.
No, most insurance plans do not cover liposuction because it is considered an elective procedure.
Most people lose around 5 to 10 pounds after liposuction. However, it is important to remember that liposuction is not a weight loss procedure, so you should already be near your target weight before treatment.
Liposuction can help to remove stubborn pockets of fat from the stomach area, improving contours and creating a slimmer appearance. However, liposuction does not remove excess skin or repair separated abdominal muscle tissue. If these are also concerns for you, talk to Dr. Harrington about including liposuction with a tummy tuck.
Liposuction can treat virtually any area of the body, as well as the chin and neck area. Some of the most popular areas treated with liposuction include the back, arms, waist, hips, “love handles” and thighs.
Liposuction is a popular body contouring tool that can achieve excellent results on its own or when combined with other procedures such as a tummy tuck or mommy makeover. If isolated areas of stubborn fat are your main concern, liposuction alone may be a suitable solution. If you are also looking to address loose or sagging skin or other cosmetic concerns at the same time, you might consider pairing liposuction with a tummy tuck and/or other cosmetic procedures to achieve the desired results.
You shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort during your procedure, as liposuction is typically performed under general anesthesia. However, some soreness, discomfort, swelling and bruising are to be expected in the days following your liposuction procedure. These effects are typically easily managed with over-the-counter or prescription pain medication and the use of a compression garment and should gradually improve as your body heals and recovers after liposuction.
Once fat cells are removed during liposuction, those cells are permanently gone. However, it is still possible to gain weight in areas that have been treated with liposuction in the future, so maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits is imperative to maintain your liposuction results.
The vast majority of men and women who get liposuction are pleased with their results and report that the procedure was well worth the investment. However, whether or not liposuction could be “worth it” for you will depend on your individual needs and goals, which you can discuss with your plastic surgeon to help you decide if liposuction could be right for you.
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Written By: Dr. Jennifer Harrington
Dr. Jennifer Harrington is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the medical director at SpaVie in Minneapolis. Dr. Harrington is recognized as one of the best female plastic surgeons, and is locally and nationally renowned for bringing the highest standards of medical excellence and aesthetic sensitivity to all procedures of the breast, body and face.
More about Dr. Jennifer Harrington | Dr. Jennifer Harrington Reviews
Last Reviewed: July 8th, 2026
Written By: Dr. Jennifer Harrington
Dr. Jennifer Harrington is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the medical director at SpaVie in Minneapolis. Dr. Harrington is recognized as one of the best female plastic surgeons, and is locally and nationally renowned for bringing the highest standards of medical excellence and aesthetic sensitivity to all procedures of the breast, body and face.
More about Dr. Jennifer Harrington | Dr. Jennifer Harrington Reviews
Last Reviewed: July 8th, 2026