Liposuction to Help COPD?

COPD is a disease related to lung destruction and a critical decrease in the lung absorptive surfaces. It is managed medically except for a few cases in which patients are candidates to specific lung surgery procedures which remove large areas of damaged lung areas in an effort to stop blood from needlessly flowing there. The surgery then directs the flow through the less damaged areas for a better absorption of oxygen.  Liposuction does NOT figure anywhere in the surgical management of COPD.

Liposuction is a contouring operation - NOT a weight reduction surgery. At most, it could only remove about 10 pounds of fat off in an out patient setting. To remove the amount of fat that MAY be causing your ? apnea would be exceedingly dangerous.

If you are obese and are not a candidate for thoracic surgery, you may want to see a Bariatric surgeon for weight reduction surgery. The lose of weight MAY ease your work of breathing to say nothing about improving your health.

 

As Dr. Aldea has said, there is no role for liposuction in your care.  If you have a big belly that is hurting your breathing, it is from fat inside the belly around the intestines, and not from fat just under the skin.  

The fat inside the abdomen only responds to weight loss and if you can't do this the natural way with diet and exercise, perhaps a lap band might be possible.  You should visit surgeons who specialize in "bariatric" surgery for their evaluation, not a plastic surgeon.