5 Months Later and Still NO Results. And Yes I Did Go to a Reputable Surgeon.

asked 11 months ago by tracywe in Columbia, MO
Latest answer by Jonathan Berman, MD
Question viewed 290 times
Tags: 5 months post-op, not working

I had lipo done 1/24/11 by a cosmetic surgeon well known in St. Louis MO. I have always thought things did not look right and overall i had minimal bruising and pain. I have little to NO results and think he just pocketed money and did NOT perform all the surgery he was suppose to. Im so at a loss and frustrated. He continues to tell me to give it more time. RIDICULOUS!! Im wearing the same size and people ask me " I thought you got liposuction". Now he tells me to see my PCP for thyroid ck

10 answers to 5 Months Later and Still NO Results. And Yes I Did Go to a Reputable Surgeon.

No result liposuction

You should check your pre and postop weight. If it is up at all, you need to lose weight before assessing the final result. Also, get the pre and postop photos and compare them. Finally, ask for the op note to see how much was removed. While you are frustrated, the worse thing would have been to be overdone with permanent dents and grooves. Also, please understand that a "cosmetic" surgeon is not necessarily a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

No noticable change post liposuction

It is a good idea to have a "heart to heart" with your surgeon. Reviewing the pre- and post- surgical photographs is recommended. Many times there are changes. Hopefully better! We always weigh patients before surgery and several months after surgery. Liposuction is not a weight reducing operation but often there is a change in weight if a large liposuction is performed. Reviewing the operative liposuction tally sheet is helpful as well.... more

Jonathan Berman, MD
Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.drberman.com

Results after liposuction

I can't tell you how often I've heard simillar comments from patients, after liposuction. Half of them are eventually satisfied and the other half had gained weight. If you are the same weight, minus the weight of the fat that was taken out, you too will be happy by years end. If not, then you must trust this "reputable surgeon" to do the right thing and re-do his or her surgery. 10-15 percent of surgeries require revisions, talk to him or her and cheer up.. more

Ayman Hakki, MD
Washington Plastic Surgeon

No change?

Without more information, it is impossible to give you any suggestions. We need to see pre and post-op pictures. We need to know your pre and post-op weight and BMI. We also need to know the areas treated and the volume of fat removed. Without any of this information, we cannot be helpful for you. Good Luck

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

No Results From Liposuction Suggests Not Enough Fat Was Removed

While there is no question that the results from liposuction take months to evolve and become final, seeing no change over and after this many months is very unusual. Provided that your weight has been stable, and most liposuction patients don't gain any appreciable weight in the first six months after the procedure, the reality may be that not enough fat was removed. Liposuction results are affected by many factors including technique and effort. It would be relevant to know how your... more

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

Liposuction results should be noticeable by 5 months

You should be able to see some results by the 5 month mark after liposuction. The skin shrinkage and contraction may take up to one year, however, you should certainly see some changes by now. You should review your before photos to see if there is any change in your contour. I recommend consulting with a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery for any future surgery. Best wishes, Dr.Bruno

William Bruno, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction - 5 Months Later and Still NO Results...?

Hi tracywe, I'm obviously sorry for your results so far. Hopefully, you'll still get the result you hoped for. In my experience, it takes about 4-6 weeks to see 85% of the result, 3 months for 95% and 6 months for the entire result (sometimes even longer). That assumes that your weight is at or below the pre-surgical weight (depending on how much lipo was done) and that you are otherwise in good health. If you have not seen adequate results by 6 months (I... more

Alan Engler, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

NO lipo results 5 months post-op!

Tracy, I am sorry your experience was a bad one. Please review what you mean by "reputable." Is your surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery? (This is the ONLY American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) board that certifies plastic surgeons.) There is no "American Board of Cosmetic Surgery" in the ABMS, but there is a self-designated "American Board of Cosmetic Surgery" that certifies doctors of various ABMS specialties that wish to perform... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Probably you need a second opinion. Has your weight changed?

Every surgeon has patients who return disappointed after liposuction. If I have a patient who is disappointed I immediately weigh them and compare their weight with their preopeative weight. Invariably it is the same or greater, meaning the patient gained weight after surgery (even without knowing) and this has compromised the result. The good news is that with a little weight loss the benefit can be seen. Liposuction removes fat so the treated areas should be less... more

Eric Swanson MD
Leawood Plastic Surgeon

www.swansoncenter.com

Tough question.

Your experience is not unheard of. I agree that patience is no longer an option. the result is probably the result. if you have gained weight then that is something you need to address. on the other hand if with careful eval of pre and post op photos you guys can come to some agreement, then there is no reason more can't be removed. on the bright side, this is something that can be improved as opposed to over resection which can be a disaster.good luck