Liposuction

Dr. Frank Agullo offers tumescent, power-assisted (PAL), and VASERlipo ultrasound-assisted liposuction in El Paso, including 4D liposculpture etching for visible muscle definition. Treatable areas include the abdomen, flanks, arms, back, thighs, axilla, mons, and neck. Laser liposuction has been discontinued due to burn risk. Liposculpture with fat transfer to the buttocks (BBL), pectoral muscles, and biceps is also available. 360-degree liposuction is included as standard with every tummy tuck procedure.

Liposuction at Southwest Plastic Surgery in El Paso is available in three distinct technique variants, with the choice guided by the patient's goals, the target anatomy, and whether revision scar tissue is present. Tumescent liposuction is the standard approach performed under general anesthesia: a tumescent solution of saline, lidocaine, and epinephrine is infused into the target tissue, causing vasoconstriction to minimize blood loss and providing intraoperative and post-operative analgesia, before a cannula is used to aspirate the emulsified fat. Power-assisted liposuction (PAL) uses a vibrating cannula tip to mechanically break up fat cells as it travels through the tissue, reducing the physical effort required and allowing awake liposuction under local anesthesia for suitable patients and treatment zones. VASERlipo (vibration amplification of sound energy at resonance) uses ultrasonic energy transmitted through a specialized probe to selectively emulsify fat cells before aspiration — an approach particularly valuable for fibrous areas such as the male chest and back, for revision cases where scar tissue has formed, and for high-definition (HD) liposculpture etching where precise, millimetre-level fat reduction is needed to reveal underlying muscular anatomy. Laser liposuction (Smartlipo) has been deliberately removed from Dr. Agullo's practice due to the thermal burn risk to surrounding tissue. 4D liposculpture etching is the most technically demanding variant: by removing fat in selective negative-space patterns aligned to the underlying musculature, Dr. Agullo creates the visual impression of enhanced muscular definition — visible rectus abdominis segmentation, oblique shadowing, and deltoid or pectoral contours — rather than simply reducing overall volume. Treatable anatomical zones include the abdomen, flanks, arms, axilla, back and bra rolls, lateral chest, inner and outer thighs, saddlebags, mons pubis, and neck. Liposculpture — fat transfer using the harvested adipose as autologous filler — is performed for Brazilian butt lift (BBL) starting at $11,500, as well as pectoral and bicep augmentation. Recovery from liposuction is typically two weeks before returning to work and cleared for exercise, with final results visible as post-operative swelling resolves over several weeks to months. All fees include anesthesia, facility, pre-operative testing, compression garments, and recovery products.