Would 2 L Liposuction Be Enough?

Question

I’m 5’5, 198 lbs. Previous panniculectomy performed about 10 months ago. Doctor says 2L is what she can do safely. Is this enough for me to see a difference? I’m worried about paying all this money to get the liposuction done just to have to go back because I don’t see any difference. Surgery is in six days.

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, RareDiamond4,

Firstly, congratulations on your previous panniculectomy; that's a significant step towards achieving your desired body contour.

Regarding your upcoming liposuction, I genuinely understand the apprehension about the procedure's potential impact, especially when considering the associated investment.

In your specific case, without visual aids or photographs, it's a bit challenging to accurately determine if 2L of liposuction will yield the desired result. However, here's some perspective: A panniculectomy typically involves the removal of a considerable amount of excess skin and fat. Given that you underwent this procedure just about 10 months ago, one could hope that the majority of excess tissue was already addressed.

2L is a significant volume, and removing that amount can lead to noticeable changes in body contour. Your doctor's recommendation of 2L is likely based on what she believes is safe and effective for your specific situation. That being said, it's essential to keep your expectations realistic.

If you have concerns, communicate openly with your surgeon. They should be able to provide before-and-after examples of similar cases or use technology to give you a simulated view of potential results.

I hope this provides some clarity. Wishing you the best for your upcoming surgery and the beautiful journey ahead.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Matthew Schulman, MD · Answer

Generally, a board certified plastic surgeon will be able to remove up yo 5 liters of fat when the procedure is done in a certified facility, by a board certified plastic surgeon, under the care of a board certified anesthesiologist. I am not why your doctor says she can only remove 2 L safely, but maybe the 3 things I mentioned are not being met. But without photos, no one is going to be able to answer your question specifically. It is best to speak to your surgeon, or see other surgeons if you are having doubts.

Jesus Eduardo Chung Gallardo, MD · Answer

Hi, thanks for your question. In my opinion you need lose weight first. You have BMI of 32.9 wich is risky. I would not do a Liposuction, you don't see any difference. You need to lose weight first.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

Depending upon the area treated, 2 liters should make a very nice difference.  Please discuss your concerns with your surgeon.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

More information is needed to accurately answer your question.  Is the fat being removed from several areas or one? What are your goals for surgery? Enhancing curves? Removing stubborn fat from an area?  I encourage you to discuss your concerns with your surgeon and learn more about what you can expect in terms of results.  Keep in mind that more is not always better and that safety is always the number one priority in surgery.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

I generally do not commit to any specific volume when it comes to Liposuction before surgery other than I do not remove more than 5 L during a single procedure.
It may be appropriate to make general estimates, but even highly experienced surgeons can be off on how much fat should be removed to get optimal results.
The amount of fat that should be removed. Friday outcomes depends a lot, and how thick the subcutaneous fat layer is, and especially depends on what areas are being treated. I generally view the Torso as a single anatomic unit when it comes to Liposuction. This means I generally treats the entire tour, so if I’m going to do Liposuction. Unless someone has had previous surgery or has a highly abnormal fat distribution it’s generally better to reduce the fat layer of the entire torso to avoid the transition areas between treated and untreated areas. I generally define a full torso as including upper abdomen, lower, abdomen, love handles, waist, full back, and under arms(arm pit area) all the way to the side of the breast.
I generally do not believe in cheating the front of the Abdomen, without addressing the love, handles, waste and back. The concept of not spot treating the torso, but rather treating the entire torso as a single anatomic unit becomes more important when treating patients who are obese.
I can generally treat a full torso to completion and patients who weigh approximately 165 pounds or less and stay below 5 L.
When patients weigh 175 pounds or more than to get ideal results, sometimes requires more than 5 L of fat being removed. When that’s the case, patient can either choose having a partial treatment that treats the entire torso or splitting the procedure into two operations. The idea of having two rounds of liposuction becomes very legitimate on patients who are bordering 200 pounds or more. 5 L of fat removal and sub being about 8 pounds of fat. That’s a pretty marginal amount of fat to remove on somebody who is 198 pounds. One way to put this in context is asking yourself if reducing your fat to the point of weighing 192 pounds is worth having liposuction for.
Obviously weight loss and Liposuction are quite different but when it comes to obesity, the primary problem is not fat distribution but an issue related to food consumption.
My practice is focused almost entirely on doing liposuction and fat transfer and has for many years.
A lot of thought goes into making an accurate assessment and treatment plan for each patient. Understanding each patient’s candidacy is key to understanding what a procedure can, or cannot deliver. Having had years of experience, I have literally thousands of before and after pictures to choose from and can almost always find lots of examples of previous patients who had a very similar body characteristics to show Future patients what the results are very likely to look like. 
Patients should always have a good understanding of what results are likely to be based on being shown lots of before, and after pictures of the previous patient who had similar body characteristics, and had the same procedure.
If your pictures from your previous post or a good indication of what your body looks like and your true wait, it’s close to 200 pounds in 2 L of fat removal sounds very conservative unless you were treating a small single area.It’s not unusual for me to remove 2 L of fat, treating someone’s arms weighing around 200 pounds.
Delivering consistent quality, liposuction, results is more difficult than most people realize. The number of plastic surgeons who have mastered this procedure are in a small minority. In the hands of a sufficiently talented provider, there should be very little question about what type of results you can expect in the hands of that provider for any given procedure.
I generally encourage patient to have multiple in person, consultations before choosing any permanent irreversible procedure. Poorly done Liposuction can leave people disfigured and correcting poor result is very difficult and often if not possible.
Considering how much variation there is in Liposuction’s skill among plastic surgeons, patients should be on the side of being cautious interviewing multiple providers before scheduling surgery.
During each consultation, ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before, and after pictures of previous patient who had similar body characteristics to your own. An experienced plastic surgeon should have no difficulty showing you the before and after pictures of at least 50 previous patients.
When, in doubt, slow down and schedule more consultations.
This response is probably simply going to add anxiety to your uncertainty.
I generally am to the point, and straight forward and find the patience prefer honesty over lip service.
In the end, your surgeon is responsible for the outcome, and you are responsible for choosing that provider.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD

Emmanuel Perez, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hello, it would be nice to be able to see images of your abdomen before your next surgery so you can have an idea&hellip;

Would 2 L Liposuction Be Enough?

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