Thomas P. Sterry, MD
1080 5th Avenue #1b
New York, NY 10128
Phone: (212) 249-4020
Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Liposuction in NYC
If you have stubborn body fat that won’t budge no matter how much time you spend in the gym, the ideal solution could be liposuction surgery. NYC patients choose Dr. Thomas P. Sterry because his office is discreet and he offers a range of liposuction techniques. Connecticut patients followed suit, knowing that Dr. Sterry’s office is discreet about every liposuction case.
Dr. Sterry offers the optional enhancement of Smartlipo™, a very low-key procedure typically requiring only a weekend of recovery time. The best part is the dramatic results experienced with this type of liposuction. Women and men continue to love liposuction because it is simple and affordable, and with Smartlipo, it’s easier to recover than ever before.
Liposuction
Before & After Photos
Case: 1 of 9
Before & After
Smartlipo™ Liposuction Before & After Photos Patient 5 | NYC | Dr. Thomas Sterry
This 36-year-old man was frustrated that nobody could see his abs despite him working out fairly hard. He asked for Smartlipo liposuction at our New York City practice to help showcase his physique. This is also known as "liposculpture."
At the time of his initial procedure he was 6 feet tall and weighed 188.6 pounds on the... Read More
At the time of his initial procedure he was 6 feet tall and weighed 188.6 pounds on the... Read More
Before and After
Smartlipo™ Liposuction for Arms
This is a 33-year-old woman who felt cheated by her "fat arms" despite a steady diet and regular exercise program. Her friends, family, and personal trainer all told her that she could "work it off," but after a few years with a flat tummy, slender thighs, and no results on her arms, she decided to come in to meet me for a consultation. ... Read More
Before & After
Smartlipo™ Liposuction
This is a 39-year-old woman who asked for hip and thigh liposuction using Smartlipo in NYC. Like so many of us, she had been struggling with diet and exercise for years but was never able to get her hips or thighs to be quite as small as she wanted them to be.
In this case, we chose to perform Smartlipo liposuction of the hips and thi... Read More
In this case, we chose to perform Smartlipo liposuction of the hips and thi... Read More
Before & After
Liposuction Case #230
Before & After
Lipo 360 sculpts the entire torso for an overall fit and natural look
This is one of our younger male patients who wanted a more fit appearance and was asking for liposuction. We chose to use a technique called "Lipo 360" to address his entire torso circumferentially. This procedure required sedation due to its aggressive nature - and it really cannot be tolerated with local anesthesia. That s... Read More
Before & After
Lipo 360 and Liposculpture for Men
This male patient in his mid 30's was looking to improve his physique and asked me for liposuction of his abdomen and flanks. I thought he was a perfect candidate for Lipo 360 and (fortunately) was able to help him understand why this was a better choice. With Lipo 360, I don't simply suction the front and back of the patient in t... Read More
Before & After
Laser Liposuction
This 27-year-old woman was 5 feet 4 inches tall and 125 pounds. She wanted laser liposuction at our New York office with the Smartlipo™ system. We were able to melt her fat and tighten her skin at the same time in our private OR.
Dr. Sterry performs a lot of body contouring procedures, but liposuction is clearly the mo... Read More
Dr. Sterry performs a lot of body contouring procedures, but liposuction is clearly the mo... Read More
Before & After
Arm Liposuction Using Smartlipo™
This is a patient in her 20s who was upset by her upper arm fat and loose skin. She wanted a solution that did not involve a long scar on the upper arm such as an arm lift or brachioplasty would create, but she still wanted tight arms and an athletic look.
Dr. Sterry has good experience with the Smartlipo liposuction technique... Read More
Dr. Sterry has good experience with the Smartlipo liposuction technique... Read More
Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
Liposuction is easily one of the most popular procedures in New York City.
Good Liposuction Candidates
A good candidate for liposuction is reasonably fit, but has areas of fat that don’t respond to diet and exercise. Many people have these areas of stubborn body fat despite being at or near their target weight. Some women may find that losing weight causes their breasts to get smaller, but does nothing to reduce “saddlebags” or belly fat. Men tend to have problems in the flank area — typically called a “spare tire.”
There’s something about these areas — a genetic preference for the body to put fat there. So sucking out that fat and getting those fat cells out of the area results in more evenly distributed weight fluctuations in the future.
Dr. Thomas P. Sterry
Thomas Sterry, MD, is a board-certified New York City plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience. He has been president of both the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons and the New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons. In addition, he sits on the executive council of the New York County Medical Society and has been a delegate to the Medical Society of the State of New York for years. At his inviting, boutique-style practice in Manhattan, he focuses on each patient’s unique needs and aesthetic goals so that he can provide the most attractive and natural-looking outcomes possible.
Meet Dr. Sterry Request a ConsultationCredentials you can trust
Which areas can be improved with liposuction?
Dr. Sterry uses liposuction to reduce localized fat deposits on virtually any part of the body. Areas he commonly treats include:
- Abdomen
- Flanks
- Inner and outer thighs
- Buttocks
- Upper and lower back
- “Bra bulge” in the mid-back
- Upper arms
- Enlarged male breasts
- Neck and under the chin
- Upper chest near the armpit
- Knees, calves and ankles
- Back of thighs above the knees
Smartlipo Triplex
When it comes to liposuction, men and women can trust Dr. Sterry to offer them the most recent technologies available. For local anesthesia with minimal downtime, Smartlipo is the latest in liposuction. Men particularly appreciate being able to get rid of their “spare tire” as shown in this patient of Dr. Sterry:
I am convinced that Smartlipo yields tighter skin and a better liposuction result in areas like the arms, chin, and neck.
Your Liposuction Procedure
Liposuction is a customized procedure Dr. Sterry tailors to meet your needs. He performs liposuction in his office using a local anesthetic or using general anesthesia at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. The advantage of using a local anesthetic is that patients do not need general anesthesia; many get up and walk out of the office without assistance.
Dr. Sterry performs tumescent liposuction, a classic, tried-and-true method that works very well. He first injects a saline solution directly into the fatty tissue. The solution contains a local anesthetic, lidocaine, and epinephrine (adrenaline). The adrenaline constricts the blood vessels to minimize bleeding during the procedure and bruising afterward. After injecting the solution, Dr. Sterry waits 15 or 20 minutes for the adrenaline to take effect.
Next, Dr. Sterry begins the procedure by making tiny incisions — only 1/8 to 1/2-inch each — and inserting a hollow, blunt rod called a cannula so the tip penetrates the underlying fat. The cannula is attached to a flexible plastic tube connected to a high-powered vacuum machine. He then suctions excess fat from your body.
Liposuction is a common, safe procedure, but Dr. Sterry’s experience helps him create excellent results. He tells his patients, “Liposuction is easy to do—but hard to do well. I’m a stickler for symmetry; I’ve invested in equipment to make sure I achieve it.”
Why Compression Garments Are Important After Liposuction
After your liposuction surgery, Dr. Sterry will instruct you to wear a compression garment for a few days to several weeks, depending on the treated areas. The reason for this is to minimize bruising and the buildup of fluid under the skin and help the skin heal flush with your new contours. The gentle pressure can also minimize discomfort in the early stages of healing.
“Awesome doctor. Definitely more on the conservative side, and won’t talk you into having a million things done. Really nice guy and his staff is really supportive.”
Wantanewlook, Smartlipo of abdomen and flanks patient on RealSelf.com
*Your results may vary.
Dr. Sterry Answers Common Liposuction Questions
Are people simply programmed to carry fat in certain places?
I’m a strong believer in ‘genetic fat’ or ‘diet-resistant fat,’ whatever you want to call it. It really does exist. I have weight-loss patients who have lost 100, 150, even 250 pounds. Of course, I evaluate them and take photographs.
Their faces are drawn-out; they have ‘turkey necks’ hanging. Their breasts are empty sacks of skin. If you look at their lab values, they’re on the verge of malnutrition. They have to take vitamin supplements every day and they’re constantly trying to get enough protein into their body.
But when I examine them, I find that their hips and buttocks are still tremendous, despite their weight loss. You can’t convince me that there’s not something about our genes that makes us put fat there, because God does not want you to let go of that.
So now you extrapolate that to normal-weight people, and it’s no surprise that many women can’t get rid of their saddlebag hips without liposuction. We all know people like that—they’re pear-shaped for whatever reason.
How has liposuction evolved over the years?
Today we have much smaller, narrower cannulas than ever before. Even though these smaller cannulas make liposuction takes a little bit longer, we find that we get smoother, more consistent results.
And we don’t suction nearly as much fat as we used to. We’ve learned over the years that it can be dangerous to remove too much fat.
How much fat can you remove during liposuction?
I will remove up to five liters of fat in one session, but never more than that. I typically remove 2,000 to 3,000 cc’s—which is 2-3 liters.
Can liposuction help you lose weight?
No. It’s important to realize that liposuction is not intended as a weight-loss technique. It’s for spot reduction; it’s to help you improve your shape. You’d be surprised at how much that fat doesn’t weigh.
It always amazes me. I remove volumes of fat during liposuction, and it really doesn’t weigh very much. But if I gain 10 pounds, it’s enormous.
You’ve probably heard that 10 pounds of fat take up a lot more volume than 10 pounds of muscle. It’s true.
Is liposuction a good method to trim women’s tummies after pregnancy?
That’s something that needs to be evaluated on an individual basis. Some women, even when they manage to lose the weight they gained during pregnancy, tend to have a different shape—particularly in the flank area. A little suctioning right there certainly helps them out quite a bit.
But as for suctioning the abdomen itself, it depends. Sometimes when women are left with a lot of loose abdominal skin, they don’t need liposuction—they need a tummy tuck. I often perform liposuction as part of Mommy Makeover surgery to refine my results.
Would you ever combine liposuction with a tummy tuck?
People have read on the internet that you can’t do both. It depends. I can certainly do liposuction on the flanks and do a tummy tuck at the same time. I can suction the hips and do a tummy tuck at the same time, and nobody would ever care.
The question that arises is, ‘Can you suction the abdomen if you’re doing an abdominoplasty?’ That is a little bit more tricky. I will do it, but only if I have done my tummy tuck in a specific way. I try to leave a lot more blood vessels intact; then I have a lot more faith that liposuction on the abdomen will do well.