Weight Gain Before I Have Liposuction Done

asked 3 years ago by mimi-jelly in chicago, IL
Latest answer by Peter A. Aldea, MD
Question viewed 1,468 times
Tags: weight gain

I usually gain 5 lbs in the winter and naturally lose it in the spring. If I want to get Liposuction done on my thighs, belly, and hips, should I get it after I gain the winter weight so the doctor can take out what he can see? I'm worried that if I go through the procedure before I put on the winter weight, the doctor won't see much fat, and therefore he won't take out enough.

11 answers to Weight Gain Before I Have Liposuction Done

Do it Now and look great for the spring.

If you see that your belly, thighs and hips are bothering you then do the liposuction now. We take out as much as possible safely and contour the area. 5 lbs won't change the way we do the procedure or the final outcome. A good surgeon can tell the amount of fat that is there and what can and can't be removed. That is why we don't tell patients to lose the weight ahead of time anymore like we did 20-25 years ago. We are going to get what is needed to contour the area regardless of weight... more

David Hansen, MD
Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

www.DrDavidHansen.com

Liposuction contours your body, so I would proceed now.

Your best results are achieved when you are at your "fighting weight". However, 5 lbs either way will not change the contour that the doctor can achieve. If you have liposuction now, with exercise starting about 4 weeks after surgery, you should have the shape you wanted by spring. You will be able to shed those extra pounds and tighten the skin. Don't use the liposuction as an excuse to eat more and gain extra weight. This would destroy your results and feel as if you... more

David A. Dreyfuss, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Stable weight and stable contour

Ideally you should have a stable lifestyle with relatively stable weight. If your area in question does not appreciably change with your five pound weight fluctuations, you shouldn't worry too much. But do not gain or lose the weight just for the surgery because if the area in question does change enough for you to notice, then when your weight changes, so will your result.

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction is about contour improvement not a volume reduction

Liposuction is about changing contour. I like to describe it to my patients as beach ball removal. Think of your fat as a bunch of small beach balls distributed throughout your body. With every pound of fat gained, every beach ball gets a little bigger. The areas on your body that show more of the weight gain are areas with more beach balls. The number of beach balls does not change during most of your life. The times when the number of fat cells increase is: 0-3 years... more

Robert M. Freund, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

In most cases, 5 lbs does not make a big difference

Unless you are nautrally very thin, 5 lbs really won't make much of a difference in your final result, and you're probably ok to proceed with the procedure at your convenience. Talk it over with your doc and see if he agrees, but it should not be a major issue.

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.drsalemy.com

If it is only 5 pounds, then go ahead with the liposuction

Mimi, Before you have any surgery it is very important that the surgeon examines you. Most people have weight fluctuations, so do not worry about 5 pounds. When doing liposuction, I concentrate on how much (actually how little) I leave behind. How much I take off is just a product of what was necessary to achieve the desired results (shape, contour). Enjoy your liposuction.

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Fluctuating Weight and Timing of Liposuction

Ideally, body contouring procedures, including Liposuction, should be done on people with stable weight. Five pounds is not a lot of weight and since the operation is intended to CONTOUR the figure NOT to reduce weight, it will not make a big difference either way in my opinion. It is a lot more important to communicate to your surgeon what areas you would like to contour.

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

5 pounds and liposuction

It is really your choice when to have the liposuction performed. Five pounds of body fat probably will not make much of a difference in the long run.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction not affected by 5 pound weight change.

Hi. I recommend that you have your liposuction when it is best for your schedule. Gaining or losing five pounds before or after the procedure will have no impact on the result.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Gain the wieght

It is always easier to remove fat in an area that has fat.

Charles Perry, MD
Sacramento Plastic Surgeon

5 pounds could make a difference - Ask your surgeon

The most straightforward answer I can give is to discuss those issues with your surgeon. Once the two of you inderstand your goals, you can formulate a plan. Most surgeons would want to talk with you and examine the areas of concern. Then you would discuss the amount of change desired in each area. Five pounds of fat concentrated in your hips, thighs and tummy could certainly affect how your surgeon performs your liposuction procedure. However, if those same areas are a problem even... more