Is 1 pound of fat not enough for lipo on 6 different areas? (photos)

Question

I normally weigh 120 but am sitting at 145 and am 4'11. I am aware that I am swollen but I feel like there wasn't much of a change. When the surgery was over they said that they removed 1 pound of fat. The lipo was done on my upper&lower abdomen, my sides, back, arms, and bra roll. I was curious if this was a normal amount of fat to take out for that many areas? I feel like they should have taken out more

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

George Marosan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photos. These photos cannot be compared since in the postop you are in a compression girdle. 1 pound of fat is less than 500 cc (1 milliliter 1 cc) or about 1/2 quart. Fat is measured in milliliters and not pounds. Based on your preop photo, by my estimate (based on over 25 years of liposuction experience) your abdomen alone has 1500 cc. The best results are obtained with liposuction 360 degrees and not isolated "areas". At this point, you need to wait about 4-6 months for healing and then discuss your concerns with your surgeon or seek a second opinion.  Over 50% of my liposuction practice is for patients who had a suboptimal result from their primary operating surgeon.Good luck with your healing.

Robert M. Tornambe, MD · Answer

shortstuff88 I appreciate your concern, but more information, including preop photos is needed to answer your question with more detail. Generally speaking most board-certified plastic surgeons measure and record fat removed during liposuction by volume in milliliters or liters, not pounds. Measurement in pounds is far less accurate and can be misleading.Generally speaking, it can take as long as six months for all swelling to completely resolve to realize your final result. If at that time you are still not happy, best to follow up with your plastic surgeon. Best of luck.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear  shortstuff88,
the amount of fat removed is mostly individual and it depends on how much extra fat you have prior to surgery. It is hard to tell for sure, but 1 pound of fat doesn't sound much and most plastic surgeons remove a few liters of fat in one session. If you have concerns, I suggest you to consult your plastic surgeon.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Alex Campbell, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. While you can liposuction several areas at once there is a limit to how much fat can be removed safely. Risks from liposuction increase significantly when over 5 liters of fat are suctioned out. We usually stay below this limit for patient safety. We’ve found that we’re able to achieve dramatic improvements for our patients with 2 to 4 liters of liposuction, depending on their needs.

Is 1 pound of fat not enough for lipo on 6 different areas? (photos)

Answers (9)

Answer: Liposuction results

Answer: Liposuction results

Answer: Is 1 pound of fat not enough for lipo on 6 different areas?

Answer: Is 1 pound of fat not enough for lipo on 6 different areas?

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Liposuction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Is 1 pound of fat not enough for lipo on 6 different areas? (photos)

Answers (9)

Answer: Liposuction results

Answer: Liposuction results

Answer: Is 1 pound of fat not enough for lipo on 6 different areas?

Answer: Is 1 pound of fat not enough for lipo on 6 different areas?

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Liposuction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.