Debunking the Myth about Weight Gain after Liposuction
Posted on September 29th, 2015 by Dr. William FranckleAlthough it is not designed for significant weight loss, liposuction can produce remarkable cosmetic improvements in qualified patients. It accomplishes this by reducing the total number of fat cells in the patient’s problem areas. More than 200,000 Americans had liposuction in 2014. In the past most of those patients were likely to worry that if they gained small amounts of weight after their procedure, the fat would be overcompensated in the areas of their body that were not treated. Thanks to new research from The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), that worry has been quieted. We are here for one thing: debunking the myth about weight gain after liposuction.
The Myth
Doctors have known for quite some time that removing fat cells from areas of the body makes it harder to regain fat in those treated areas. They haven’t been as confident (or as vocal) when it comes to regaining fat in other areas of the body that were not treated. If, for example, a person had fat removed from their abdomen and then experienced weight gain after liposuction, would fat simply find another favorite hangout? Fortunately, this common canard doesn’t appear to hold water.
The Facts
Although liposuction does not affect your ability to gain or lose weight, there’s compelling evidence that re-growing fat cells after surgery is an old wives’ tale. According to research from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), new fat does not return or get redistributed in the body after surgery. These conclusions were reached after hundreds of liposuction patients were evaluated for at least three months after their procedures. Doctors found absolutely no evidence that fat cells re-grew or returned to the arms, abdomen, thighs, or other treated areas. They also observed that untreated areas remained unchanged, even when small amounts of weight gain after liposuction was reported. These findings suggest that fat was not redistributed to other areas. As such, patients need not worry about gaining fat disproportionately after surgery. They can feel reasonably assured that any cosmetic improvements they experience can last and that fat will not migrate to other areas.
Questions about liposuction surgery? Please contact us at your convenience.