Can a Doctor Remove More Than 5 Liters of Fat from a Patient Without Admitting the Patient into a Hospital?

Here in Florida, the limit is actually only 4 litres of "floating fat" which can be removed as an outpatient, or just a mere 1 litre if the liposuction is combined with another procedure.  But for most people, a 4 litre liposuction gives a pretty dramatic result.  

The limit of 5 litres of fat removal is a guideline for improving safety with outpatient surgery. Large reviews of complications with liposuction identified more problems when more than 5 litres of fat was removed without admission to hospital. Determining how much fat to remove and achieving optimal contours in a safe manner requires exceptional judgement and proper qualifications. Having any liposuction procedure performed in a fully accredited ambulatory surgery facility is also essential for improving safety and outcomes.

Although large amounts of fat can be transferred successfully, outcomes are less predictable and risks are higher with larger fat transfers. In many cases where a large amount of fat is required to achieve the desired result, more than one procedure may be necessary and safer. Removing 5 litres of fat from a single area would be unusual and unwise.

Next time you buy milk, take note of the size and weight of a 2 litre carton!

The limit of 5 liters of liposuction on an outpatient basis came from a critical review of factors that were responsible for complications. About 15 years ago there were increasing reports of very serious complications including deaths after liposuction, so the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (both societies consist of board-certified plastic surgeons) put together a task force, which determined that high volume lipo - more than 5 liters - was the main cause.  Safety is the bottom line.