Would 4 liters of fat be enough to make a noticeable difference? (Photo)

Question

I'm considering liposuction of the abdominal and flanks next month. I was told 4 liters would be removed. Would that make a noticeable difference considering my pics?

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

4 liters taken off the abdomen and flanks would make a significant difference. However, you may be a better candidate for other procedures. The reason I mention this is because you already have hanging skin. Liposuction will make this worse and you will need a tummy tuck to correct that. If you are interested in losing weight, I recommend you consider abdominoplasty with mesh reinforcement. The mesh creates a more hourglass figure by compressing the abdominal wall resulting in early satiety and helps maintain a reduced weight.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Get your abdomen done in 1 procedure and your back side in another and the thighs in a 3rd one.  They can be done just 1 day apart under local and you will probably get about 6 liters in each procedure.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

4L is a lot of fat but it appears you have more than that and you need skin removal (ie tummy tuck). without it you will have loose skin still.

my whole practice is doing lipoabdominoplasty, or at least liposuction with internal heating (which is not the gold standard for skin tightening with body contouring).

the smaller you are before liposuction the more contouring you can get from the procedure. most of my liposuction patients get pre and post surgical optimization with hormonal therapy (see link to help boost their weight loss before surgery and help them heal after).

You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

Salih Onur Basat, MD, EBOPRAS · Answer

Hello and thanks for your question.
Based on your photos, you are not good candidate for liposuction. You have skin excess and a separation in your abdominal muscle (rectus diastasis). Because of this I recommend a tummy tuck for you. In tummy tuck surgery, rectus diastasis can be repaired. Vaser liposuction can be done for your flanks and belt region to get more slimmer belt. In my opinion combination of tummy tuck and vaser liposuction (for flanks and belt region) give a better result for you.
Best of lucks.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Afroblue306,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Liposuction alone will leave a lot of loose skin. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Karol A. Gutowski, MD, FACS · Answer

Four liter liposuction may be enough but it also depends on the technique being done. Based on your pictures, you may be disappointed with lipo in the front of your abdomen as it looks like you really need a tummy tuck, not just lipo. See more in the link below.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Based on your pictures you’re not a particularly good candidate for Liposuction because of the skin laxity.

You’re far better off considering a full tummy tuck

In regards to liposuction if you want to have your torso treated to completion which includes upper abdomen and lower abdomen, love handles, waist Full back and under our area we can typically get this accomplished on patients under 160 pounds. for patients 160 pounds to 180 pounds less than ideal results but some improvements can be had from limiting Liposuction to  less than 5 L. Patients over 180 pounds typically  need two surgeries and take into consideration that in California we typically go up to 5 L.

In your case the best results would come from weight loss followed by a full or extended tummy tuck.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

Richard H. Bensimon, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear Afroblue306, 4 liters will certainly make a difference in the areas you have inquired about. Many states have a legal limit of not exceeding 4.5 liters ( or 5% of your body weight in kilograms) of fat removal at the time of one liposuction procedure. If you need more fat removal to help you achieve your contour, it can be performed in stages. 4 Liters of pure fat is quite a large amount and should a make a wonderful difference in your shape. Seek out a board certified plastic surgeon with experience in high BMI patients and you should have good result!Best of luck to you!