Does Weight Gain After Stomach Liposuction Bring Fat Back to Upper Body?

Yes, this is true. You will tend to accumulate fat in areas that have not been liposuctioned especially when you tend to gain more than 10% of your ideal body weight.

Thank you for your question.  Liposuction does indeed remove fat cells - storage reservoirs for fat - from the areas treated.  With that in mind, if a significant amount of weight is gained after liposuction (>20-30lbs), fat can be disproportionately stored in other areas that have not been treated.  It is always my recommendation to liposuction patients to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle after surgery and going forward.  If this guideline is followed, abnormal fat distribution from weight gain should not become and issue.

Thank you for your question. While there are definitely safety concerns with respect to weight and liposuction there are several considerations:1) Are you goals for the surgery achievable with liposuction? E.g. Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure, even though you will lose a few pounds. It is more to contour areas of the body.2) Is your weight stable? i.e. does it fluctuate upwards or downwards more than 10lbs? Weight gain after liposuction will diminish your body contouring results as the remaining fat cells enlarge to store more energy. In addition, you may that other parts of the body that were not liposuctioned may enlarge disproportionately compared to pre-liposuction weight gain. If your weight is stable, your results will also be stable.3) There are increase risks with liposuction if your BMI is greater than 30.I would recommend that you visit with a board certified plastic surgeon who can work with you to discuss your goals and discuss whether liposuction is the right procedure for you. In our practice, we offer a pre-surgical and post-surgical weight management program to balance our patient's weight and body contouring goals.

Gaining weight after liposuction, the fat has to go somewhere.  It will go in some degree to the entire body, even the areas that are suctioned.  Hopefully, you won't gain so much weight that it creates contour abnormalities elsewhere, as this is unusual.

Liposuction is a procedure that targets localized
collections of fat. The fat cells in these problem areas are different from
other fat cells because they’re typically hormonally sensitive and diet
resistant. For this reason, these fat cells don’t respond to diet and exercise.
When patients diet and exercise, they lose weight in the surrounding areas, but
the problem areas are only minimally effected.

Liposuction is an effective method for removing fat
cells from these problem areas. Once these fat cells are removed, fluctuations
in weight are associated with a more even distribution of fat.

Following liposuction of the abdomen, subsequent
weight gain wouldn’t occur primarily in the upper body, but would be more
evenly distributed throughout the body. In contrast, prior to liposuction,
weight gain might affect the mid-section disproportionately.

Liposuction is a significant investment and for
this reason, should be accompanied by life style changes. These changes are the
best way to insure that fluctuations in weight don’t create these types of
problems in the future.

Most people who undergo liposuction are very in tune with their bodies.  They are very good at maintaining their physique and will not allow weight gain.  If you put on a few pounds you will not notice an abnormal distribution of fat.  However if you put on a significant amount of fat you may get abnormal deposits.

We are born with a certain number of fat cells in our body. These fat cells dont multiply but they can get larger.
Once you have liposuction performed those cells are removed and they can not grow again. But the cells that are still there in the area, not all the fat cells are removed, will get big after weight gain.
So after liposuction and weight gain you will have fat distribution in a similar area and location as you would have before having had the liposuction.
Hope that helps.

As you know, liposuction is done to remove areas of fat that are localized and out of proportion to the rest of the body. These fat cells behave differently than fat cells in other areas, and are very resistant to diet and exercise. Think of them as your body's "favorite" spots to store emergency energy reserves in the form of fat.
The key with lipo then is to make sure that you treat all of these areas. A common example would be the "apple" body, where there is excess fat around the abdomen and hips. Typically the upper inner thighs are affected too so if they aren't done then you will have a bigger problem there. Otherwise, any weight gain should distribute evenly.

Simply having liposuction will not cause weight gain. Overeating and lack of exercises will, however. Fat gained after you have had lipo tends to deposit in areas you did not have the lipo, which can result in your figure becoming disproportionate.
Lipo is best for patients who are near their ideal weight and who are stable with that weight. It is an expensive, temporary, and generally poor substitute for weight loss.

Liposuction removes fat from targeted areas. Liposuction is not magic and does not prevent you from gaining weight in the future. That is up to you. You have to maintain a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you do gain weight after liposuction, the majority of the fat goes to areas of the body that were not treated with liposuction previously. This means that if you had abdominal liposuction and then gained weight, the weight would go to areas other than your belly. It may go to your thighs, your back, your butt, your breasts, etc. Liposuction is a great procedure and, when used performed on the right patients, can have excellent and long-lasting results. Good luck.