Lipo for 59 Year Old, is it Worth it?

As we age, many people can accumulate a bit of extra around the midsection. When considering body contouring surgery, we must evaluate your skin elasticity. If your skin elasticity has remained good, then liposuction may be an option, but if there is excess skin or the skin elasticity is poor then a tummy tuck may be a better option. I recommend that you consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who will be best able to make a recommendation for you.

We see many people at the age of 59, who are healthy and have the same problem you are describing.  Each person is an individual and must be assessed for liposuction.  Usually, if a woman has undergone pregnancies or weight fluctuations, the skin has laxity and possibly thinned.  One must be careful with liposuction for this reason because the surgical area may thin the skin more and skin laxity be worse.  You would be trading one troubled area being excess adipose, for another, increased skin laxity.  Although, your skin could be good, with minimal laxity and you may be willing to except a decrease in inches for laxity.  Also, if the skin is lax, you may need to consider a tummy tuck for the best result.  As long as you are in good physical health and understand the expections of the result, you should be able to procede with an elective procedure.

   Liposuction can produce a good result if the skin elasticity is good.  There are a number of factors that play into this.  Only a physical exam will be able to determine if liposuction or tummy tuck is more appropriate.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Liposuction can be done starting at age 18 and it doesn't have an age limit.  As a person ages, however, the skin does not tighten as well as before.  That might result, depending on your exam, in the need for a tummy tuck to have an optimal result.  There are safety precautions that many doctors will follow after a certain age.  Surgeons usually require patients to have an EKG after the age of 40, just to determine if the heart is healthy enough to undergo the procedure.  When you go in for a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, make sure you voice any concerns, and the surgeon will advise you on the perfect option.

Dear historylover- depending on the amount of loose skin you have, liposuction may be very effective, especially if some dimpling can be tolerated.  I would need to see photos to give you a better recommendation.  Small cannulas such a 3 -4 mm are the norm these days.