Will removing fat from the abdomen with lipo help speed up metabolism and lose weight faster? Any health benefit from lipo?

The majority of my patients (including myself when I had liposuction performed) lose weight and get major improvements after surgery.  I find that some people get an increase in hunger at the beginning (hormonally related I think) but the metabolism speeds up after.  There are no studies to prove this however I am just stating what I have seen in my practice..  Best, Dr. Emer.

There is some evidence in the medical literature that liposuction can improve some diseases such as diabetes.  However, liposuction is not a means for weight loss but rather a focused way to shape your body.   Expecting metabolic benefits from liposuction is not realistic.

Liposuction is an excellent procedure for some candidates to sculpt areas of the body, but there has not been any reports of improved metabolism.  Some patients have experienced increased motivation to work out and live a healthy lifestyle to keep their results.  

There are no known health benefits from liposuction. It does not treat obesity. It may seem like it should, but it doesn't. Weight loss is the appropriate treatment for obesity. Liposuction makes people look better, but the benefits end there. Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

Thanks for your question. The answer from a simple scientific basis is no, having lipo probably does not speed up your general metabolism. However, in the 25+ years I have been doing liposuction, I see almost every patient go on to lose more weight on their own after lipo -- and, for those who don't, but gain less than 10# or so, the gain tends not to go back where we suctioned, but elsewhere. The first effect is that people get motivation when they see the surgical improvement and are able to modify their diet and exercise more, to build on the improvement they got; the second effect is that there seems to be a change in the metabolism of the tissues where the lipo is done, to prevent more fat accumulation in the treatment zones (unless a lot of weight is gained, which can overcome this effect). So, the way to look at lipo is that it will "jump-start" your efforts to improve your body--but it does require your participation!