Saddle bags returning 3 years after lipo. Surgeon said hormonal changes can cause fat cells to return - is this true? (photo)

Question

3 years ago I had lipo on my thighs..I was very happy with my results. In 2020 I became pregnant and gave birth aug 2021. My pregnancy weight didn’t impact my results. I lost my baby weight n started the pill this year. After a few months I noticed my saddle bags gradually returning. My surgeon said hormonal changes can cause fat cells to return to the treated areas. Is this true? I am extremely upset that it has returned. Not as bad. But I thought it couldn’t regenerate

Omer Sagir, MD · Answer

Hello Dear, 
Firstly, i wish your baby a happy & healthy life! 
In some cases, the fat after liposuction do return to the body. Your hormonal changes due to the pregnancy can show its effects even after you drop the pregnancy weight.
Going back to taking contraceptive pills is also a great factor for the changes on the body. But that doesn't mean a small liposuction procedure can not fix it. And as long as you don't go through big hormonal changes again, your liposuction results can be preserved.

Garrett Jones, DO · Answer

It’s possible for fat to return after liposuction, and hormonal changes can play a role in this. Liposuction removes fat cells from specific areas, but if there are significant hormonal changes or lifestyle factors, remaining fat cells can expand and cause fat to return. It’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to minimize the chances of fat returning after the procedure. You should consult with your surgeon for specific recommendations related to your situation.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Yes true plus appears you had weight gain??? Best to consider re operation using very superficial lipo sculpt. Fee $6,000. Try virtual consults with...

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

When comparing the picture on the left to the picture on the right it looks like you have less subcutaneous fat in the outer thigh on the picture on the left. That picture also shows increased Skin laxity which can often cause the back part of the outer thigh as the transitions into the area called the banana and roll to bulge. even moderate weight fluctuations and a few years of age is enough to have an impact on skin with loss of skin elasticity and developing mild skin laxity. If you divide the outer thigh into a front half and a posterior half you’ll find that the front half probably still looks just like it did before but it is the back half that has changed. The posterior aspect of the outer thigh will bulge with even mild skin laxity in an upright standing position. As you flex your hips like when you’re bending forward the contour flattens out because the skin is put under tension. It’s not that you’re fat came out but rather that you were seeing the effects of time and weight fluctuations in this area is prone to contour changes from skin that is not as tight as it was a few years ago. liposuction is permanent and the fat cells do not return.
The changes you’re seeing are not related to subtitanious fat but are related to how the skin drapes your body.
If you take both hands and gently pull up on the skin a few inches above the area of concern and put the skin under mild tension you’ll probably see the contour you were hoping for. Try this using the timer on your camera or have someone else take the picture.
Saddlebags when they are on the lateral aspect or front part of the thigh respond very well but the posterior aspect or backside of the outer thigh often does not deliver the results patient had hoped for. In your case you were young and had really good skin when you had the procedure but often when this procedure is done on older patients they often feel like the back side didn’t get as much results as they had hoped for.
To make an assessment on the outcome of an operation we really need to always see before and after pictures. If you don’t have before and after pictures then ask your surgeon to forward the ones they take. Even if it’s an issue regarding change over time it’s important for us to see the impact that surgery had and what you look like before you had the procedure. It tells a big part of the story when trying to understand why people look the way they do.
Always include before and after pictures when posting regarding plastic surgery results.
I’ve been a board-certified plastic surgeon doing Liposuction for 22 years. 12 years ago I begin focusing on my career exclusively on only Liposuction and fat transfer procedures and today these are the only procedures I performance. I have performed over 8000 Liposuction procedures.
After specializing i started seeing things as patterns that seemed random earlier when I was doing all the other surgeries.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Saddle bags returning 3 years after lipo. Surgeon said hormonal changes can cause fat cells to return - is this true? (photo)

Answers (4)

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