Tumescent Lipo upper and lower abdominal area, 500cc of fat removed ...is that enough? (Photo)

Question

Hello, I just had upper and lower tumescent lipo 1 week a go with one of the most rewarded plastic surgeons in Boston. Im 5"2 and 125 pounds and have 4 kids. The surgeon removed 500cc of fat of the whole area .Is 500cc of fat enough ?? Or should I have a second lipo for retouch?

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

It is very difficult to say precisely whether this volume is adequate.  However, for comparison purposes it is very low.  However, a reputable plastic surgeon in a city with excellent medical care, you most likely had the right amount of fat removed.  You should evaluate the results of the surgery at 6 months by looking at the outcome, not by judging the numbers.

Ira H. Rex III, MD · Answer

I can't tell if you are displeased with your results, or not. 500 mL as a volume speaks nothing to the results. If you indeed still feel somewhat full in the abdomen, you may well be looking at a lot of swelling. You can get a fairly good impression at about six weeks of what your final result will be. It takes up to six months for the swelling to fully resolve.

Christopher Khorsandi, MD · Answer

While 500 cc may not seem like a lot, in a slender person such as yourself it can make all the difference.  Post liposuction you will have swelling which takes between 12-14 weeks to resolve.  Be patient.

Earl Stephenson, Jr., MD, DDS, MBA · Answer

Thank you for the pictures. 500 mL is enough if it obtained your goal. Your surgeon and you are the only ones that really know where you started and what your goals were. I will give this treatment three months to heal and reevaluate your results.

Yuly Gorodisky, DO, FACOS · Answer

You still have a lot of swelling.  You should  wait until you are fully healed to see if there is more fat ti remove, and it may take 3-6 months for that.  You should also discuss your results with your surgeon.

Kimberly Finder, MD · Answer

When a petite person has 500 cc of fat removed from a limited area such as the abdomen, that may be just right. It's never possible to judge the adequacy of fat removal at the one week stage. Be patient, keep in touch with your doctor, follow instructions, and ask questions if you're not sure how things are going. The earliest time to assess your result isn't until at least 2 months or more have passed.

Francisco Canales, MD · Answer

At one week after surgery, there will still be considerable swelling and you will not see your final shape for 2 months.  The amount is modest but you are a petite woman.  We usually do a three dimensional reduction to include the lovehandles as well as the abdomen to keep everything in proportion. Hang in there now, follow your surgeon's recommendations and wait two months before seeing your final shape. If you need a revision, I would suggest waiting a little longer, perhaps 4 to 6 months. Keep your surgeon abreast of your concerns. He/she has your best interest in mind. Best wishes. Below is a patient where 1800 cc were removed from the abdomen and lovehandles.

Joel B. Singer, MD · Answer

I typically get about 500-800 cc out of the abdomen and 500cc out of each love handle for a total of about 1500-2000cc of fat in a typical liposuction case.That being said, the actual number is really a poor indicator of whether liposuction was thoroughly done or not. The results are visual, not objective in a number. From the photos it looks like you are slender and that the after photos show a pretty flat belly with some swelling. The key to liposuction is to take out just the right amount, not too much and not too little. It's kind of like baking a cake; you don't want to undercook, but you definitely don't want to overcook. In liposuction cases, you want to take out the right amount but you really don't want to take out too much. This often takes restraint on the part of the surgeon, because there is always some swelling and you don't want to be overly aggressive and be fooled by the swelling and end up taking out too much (and risking skin issues).I'm sure once you are 6 weeks to 6 months after the surgery that you'll have a much better idea of the end results and it looks like you will be happy.Good luck in your recovery.

Jason M. Petrungaro, MD, FACS · Answer

You ask an excellent question.  The answer right now is patience.  You just had a fairly extensive surgery.  All surgeries need time for healing, especially liposuction because there is a lot of fluid that needs to work its way out of your body, and your skin needs time to "shrink back" and scar into place.  This occurs over many weeks and isn't complete for months.As you have probably heard, don't focus on the amount of fat removed in terms of a number.  We judge liposuction results strictly on appearance.  And right now it is nowhere even close to time to start asking about or considering a touch up.  You need to get an idea of your final result (see above).  Going back in right now would risk severe contour deformities because your surgeon cannot be sure of what might be fat and what might just be some excess fluid.At 5'2" and 125 pounds I congratulate you for having such a trim midsection after 4 children!  Your photos look great, and I would say it looks like you had a great result from surgery.  It will only get better!  Be sure to closely follow the instructions of your Plastic Surgeon.  Best of luck!

Stephen M. Davis, MD, FACS · Answer

Thanks for writing,It is way too early to ask that question. You need time for the tissues to settle the skin to shrink and your abdomen to soften. Liposuction is a multi-dimensional contouring operation so volume is not as important as how the contour changes. The operating surgeon is more important that the heavily marketed types of suction. Try not to get hook on numbers but how it looks and will look. Follow your Plastic Surgeons post-op instructions carefully and completely, you should do very well.CongratulationsStephen M. Davis, MD, FACSGreen Hills Plastic Surgery

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