The popularity of awake liposuction has created a problem: not every surgeon offering it necessarily has the expertise to perform it safely. Social media feeds might flaunt impressive before-and-after photos, but these don’t tell you much about the surgeon’s training or experience, let alone their facilities or safety protocols. When you’re trusting someone to sculpt your body, credentials matter more than clever marketing.
Dr. Michael Hakimi has witnessed firsthand how the wrong surgeon can turn a routine procedure into a complicated situation. Board certification, specialized training and experience with awake techniques are the foundation of safe, successful outcomes that patients can trust.
Why Board Certification Is Non-Negotiable
Board certification in plastic surgery is the single most important credential your surgeon should have. It means they have met the following requirements:
- Graduated from an accredited medical school
- Completed six years of general surgery training (with at least three of those years spent in a plastic surgery residency)
- Passed comprehensive written and oral exams
It’s rigorous, it’s competitive and it demands commitment, but being board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) means your surgeon has undergone years of education and training and demonstrated an elite level of skill and expertise.
Dr. Hakimi earned his board certification in plastic surgery through the traditional pathway: medical school at UCLA, followed by residency training at Loma Linda University. But unlike other surgeons, he has gone above and beyond with fellowship training in aesthetic surgery at the Plastic Surgery Center of Sacramento, learning from some of the best in the field.
This extensive background has given him in-depth knowledge of the nuances of anatomy and aesthetics, taught him how to handle complications, and enabled him to make split-second decisions that protect patient safety.
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon vs. Board-Certified Cosmetic Surgeon
If you’ve been researching plastic surgery procedures, you might have stumbled upon a “board-certified cosmetic surgeon” promising great results at lower rates. If you thought it sounded too good to be true, that’s because it is.
Board-certified plastic surgeons and board-certified cosmetic surgeons are not the same. “Cosmetic surgeon” is more loosely defined than plastic surgeon, enabling physicians with backgrounds in non-related specialties like otolaryngology, ophthalmology or internal medicine to offer cosmetic procedures. The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS) isn’t even recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the most trusted certification organization in the U.S., meaning you aren’t getting the same level of training or oversight.
While these doctors may be skilled in their original fields, plastic surgery requires specific expertise that comes only through years of dedicated training and education.
Did you know?
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), a leading authority in the plastic surgery space, nearly 10% of ABCS-certified doctors had zero training in any surgical discipline, and over half (62.6%) performed procedures outside the scope of their residency training.
Does Facility Accreditation Matter?
Your surgeon’s credentials matter, but so does where they operate. Accredited surgical facilities meet strict safety standards for equipment, emergency protocols and staff qualifications.
Dr. Hakimi’s surgical suite, called the Transformation Room, is a beautifully designed AAAASF-certified OR. The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), also called Quad-A, is the gold standard in accreditation, ensuring that facilities provide the highest quality of patient care, safety and surgical excellence.
Practice Makes Perfect
Aside from board certification and accredited facilities, your surgeon should also have experience in awake lipo. Performing liposuction while patients remain conscious requires different skills than other types of liposuction. For one, surgeons must manage patient comfort in real-time, adjusting their approach based on feedback. If certain areas feel more sensitive, they need to know how to react without compromising results. They also need to learn how to maintain precise techniques without the ‘stillness’ that general anesthesia provides.
Dr. Hakimi spent years perfecting his awake liposuction technique, learning to balance patient comfort with surgical efficiency. This experience taught him to recognize when a patient needs additional numbing, how to position patients for optimal access, and when to modify his approach based on individual anatomy.
Surgeons new to awake techniques often underestimate the complexity involved. Inadequate numbing leads to patient discomfort, while excessive tumescent solution can cause complications. The learning curve is steep, and patients shouldn’t serve as practice cases for inexperienced surgeons.
Red Flags to Avoid
Certain warning signs indicate a surgeon lacks proper qualifications or prioritizes profits over patient safety. Surgeons who promote unrealistic results, pressure patients to book immediately, or offer tempting discounts for same-day decisions often cut corners in training or safety.
Be wary of surgeons who downplay risks or claim their technique eliminates all complications. Every surgical procedure carries inherent risks, and honest surgeons acknowledge these while explaining the steps they take to minimize them. Similarly, surgeons who can’t clearly explain their training background or provide facility accreditation information should be avoided.
Social media marketing can also be misleading. Before-and-after photos might not represent the surgeon’s typical results, and patient testimonials can be fabricated or cherry-picked. Focus on verifiable credentials rather than marketing materials when evaluating potential surgeons.
To help you get a handle on whether a particular surgeon might be qualified to perform your awake procedure, ask the following questions at your consultation:
- Are you a board-certified plastic surgeon?
- How many awake liposuction procedures have you personally performed?
- Did you receive formal training in awake lipo techniques?
- What happens if I become uncomfortable or anxious during the procedure?
- Is your surgical facility accredited, and by which organization?
- What emergency protocols are in place if something unexpected occurs?
- Can I see before-and-after photos of patients who had awake lipo with you?
- How do you decide whether someone is a good candidate for awake lipo?
- What should I realistically expect in terms of recovery time and results?
Dr. Hakimi encourages patients to ask detailed questions during consultations. He views informed patients as partners in achieving safe, successful outcomes. Surgeons who seem rushed, evasive, or dismissive of safety concerns should raise immediate red flags.
How Can I Verify My Surgeon’s Credentials?
Don’t rely solely on information provided by the surgeon’s office when verifying credentials. The American Board of Plastic Surgery maintains an online database where you can confirm a surgeon’s certification status. State medical boards also provide licensing information and disciplinary history.
Hospital affiliations can indicate a surgeon’s standing in the medical community. Hospitals typically require credentialing processes that verify training and competency before granting operating privileges. While not all qualified surgeons have hospital affiliations, those who do have undergone additional scrutiny of their qualifications.
Professional society memberships, particularly in organizations with strict admission requirements, also suggest a commitment to maintaining high standards. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The Aesthetic Society (formerly the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) require board certification and ongoing education for membership.
Trust Your Body to True Expertise
Awake liposuction offers excellent results with minimal downtime, but these benefits only materialize when performed by a skilled, highly trained plastic surgeon. When you’re ready to experience awake lipo under the care of a board-certified plastic surgeon with years of specialized training, schedule your appointment with Dr. Hakimi today. Call his Beverly Hills office at 424-239-5201 or request a virtual consultation and see for yourself how the right credentials, years of expertise and a state-of-the-art facility translate into better, safer results.