Will I Lose Weight After Liposuction?

    TAMPA, FL, October 15, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure. Instead, it is intended as a body contouring procedure that refines and reduces stubborn fat deposits to give you a smoother, more attractive body shape. People are encouraged to try to get to a stable, healthy weight prior to getting liposuction because this will help you identify the places where liposuction will best help you. Make sure this is the weight you are willing and able to maintain because if you gain weight after liposuction, you may be unhappy with its distribution.

The Amount of Fat Removed

Some states have specific rules about the maximum amount of fat that can be removed during a liposuction procedure, but in general the assumption is that about 12 lbs of aspirate is the upper limit considered to be safe. Not all of this is fat. Much of it is the fluid injected to facilitate fat removal, some of it is connective tissue, and some of it is blood. You may expect that about 8 pounds of fat may be removed.

Why You Won't Lose Weight

If you weigh yourself right after your liposuction procedure, you may find you actually weigh more than before the fat was removed. That is because during the liposuction procedure you are injected with significant amounts of fluid to facilitate the removal of fat. The amount of fluid injected is intentionally high--this reduces the risk you will experience dehydration as a result of fluid and blood loss associated with liposuction.

Over time, your body will absorb the fluid and replace lost blood and other fluids. Excess fluid will be excreted, and you may see a slight dip in your weight, perhaps a few pounds, but nothing too significant.

Why Weight Loss after Liposuction Doesn't Matter

If you are trying to look your best, the goal is not, after all, to lose all your fat. If you did this, your face would be gaunt and your body skeletal, not generally considered an attractive look. Instead, the goal is to achieve an appropriate distribution of fat deposits. You want to get rid of the ones you don't want, while maintaining the ones you do.

For women, this means maintaining a good amount of fat in the breasts and buttocks, a small amount in the thighs and tummy, with very little elsewhere, especially in the waist. For men, the goal is to remove the majority of fat everywhere except the buttocks and face. Ideally, you should work to achieve your goal weight before liposuction, then use liposuction to help you remove the fat deposits you still have that prevent you from being happy with your figure.

If you would like to learn more about liposuction and weight loss, please visit the website of Tampa board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Antonio J. Gayoso at http://www.gayosoplasticsurgery.com.

# # #