Does Liposuction in One Body Area Make Another Get Fatter?

If you have a stable weight, you should not gain weight in strange places after liposuction.
If you gain weight, that fat has to go somewhere. If the patient gains a lot of weight, that fat will go literally everywhere, including even the areas that had liposuction.
The areas that received liposuction will be relatively protected against small weight gains; it is usually the trouble spots that get the most attention at the time of surgery.
Patients need to be just as vigilant about their weight after undergoing liposuction.

Thank you for your question. While there are definitely safety concerns with respect to weight and liposuction there are several considerations:1) Are you goals for the surgery achievable with liposuction? E.g. Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure, even though you will lose a few pounds. It is more to contour areas of the body.2) Is your weight stable? i.e. does it fluctuate upwards or downwards more than 10lbs?  Weight gain after liposuction will diminish your body contouring results as the remaining fat cells enlarge to store more energy.  In addition, you may that other parts of the body that were not liposuctioned may enlarge disproportionately compared to pre-liposuction weight gain. If your weight is stable, your results will also be stable.3) There are increase risks with liposuction if your BMI is greater than 30.I would recommend that you visit with a board certified plastic surgeon who can work with you to discuss your goals and discuss whether liposuction is the right procedure for you. In our practice, we offer a pre-surgical and post-surgical weight management program to balance our patient's weight and body contouring goals.

Thank you for the commonly asked question.

Fat cells that are gone (for example removed with liposuction surgery) are gone forever.  However, if a patient gains weight the fat cells that remain in the area treated with liposuction and in areas that were not treated will grow.  Do your best to maintain a healthy weight  after your procedure.

I hope this helps.