4 Months Post Lipo & I See Very Little Results, is This Normal?

If you are unsatisfied with your liposuction results, after 5 liters of fat were removed, it might be that you were not an ideal candidate for the procedure. 5 Liters is a significant volume to remove of fat. If one liter of the 5 were removed from the abdomen, and more fat from the arms and back, then you probably didn't have a focal bulge of fat in one area and had more of a generalized fatty accumulation throughout the body. If the latter is the case, then liposuction won't be as effective as performing it on those patients with localized fat accumulation. furthermore, you might need to consult with a surgeon to see if you need an abdominoplasty which would explain why the fat was removed from the abdomen, but the muscle mass under the plane of liposuction, needs tightening with an abdominoplasty.

Five liters of fat is considered high volume liposuction . Cleraly if you are 200 lbs this will not be as dramatic as if you were 120 lbs. The results may also vary dependind on your weight loss and skin elasticity. Photos would be very helpful.

The question I asked myself when I read your question was "what was your starting weight?"  If a person is very heavy and has liposuction there may be unrealistic expectations concerning the results.  5 liters of a reasonable candidate will produce results.

Dr. ES

4 Months Post Lipo & I See Very Little Results, is This Normal?
5 liters was removed from my upper arms back and abdominal areas. I see a little improvement in my back and slightly in my lower tummy but that is it. I am 30 years old, and have had no children. I know that it not just in my head because the person that went to the procedure with me is also wondering when results will be seen. My abdomen also I still rounded and no inches have been lost. Is there something I should be doing? My doc keeps telling me to be patient.

Usually by four month times you should notice a difference and are most likely at your final results.  It would help to know what your height and weight were at the time of surgery.  Liposuction is for body contouring and it has to be done on the right patient to get optimal results.  It may be that you were not the best candidate or you may have regained some of the weight you lost from the procedure secondary to inactivity during the time you were healing.

I would discuss this with your plastic surgeon and see what can be done from here on out.

Good luck. 

At 4months you should be seeing the result of your liposuction. 5 liter removal is substantial.  If you have gained weight since your procedure it may not be as noticeable.

It depends on at least two things; what type of liposuction was used and what the body shape was before.  With the Bodyjet, you get large volumes of fluid out because you use a stream of water during the liposuction to force the fat out. so there is a lot more fluid mixed in with the fat that was taken out. That makes it harder to judge exactly how much fat was removed.  Also, how loose was the skin before the liposuction? You may have a lot of deflated rolls of skin now that fat was removed, and it takes up to a year for skin to finish shrinking after lipo. You should discuss with your surgeon if you will need extra skin removed.

Also, have you gained weight?  I track my patients' weight the day of surgery, the day after surgery and each week for six weeks or until the swelling is mostly gone.  That way I can tell if there is a water retention problem, which I treat with different types of massage and ultrasound, as well as padded compression.  Sometimes, in my older patients, I actually talk to their doctors before and after to adjust medications for those patients that are already on blood pressure medicines, or diuretics.  That way we can get their medicines in balance if necessary.  If my patients are gaining weight, I start them on weight and lifestyle management to help them optimize and keep their results.

Finally,  I show my patients several pictures before liposuction of different body types and skin looseness so that they can get an idea of how much their skin will tighten up, and if they may need skin tightening after surgery.  I call this staged procedures, so that my patients can plan on being a work in progress for a while if liposuction alone is not going to be enough to give the results they want.  Good luck, and don't be afraid to talk to your surgeon about your concerns.

With Liposuction as well asa lot of other operations in Plastic Surgery for you to obtain great results you MUST be a good candidate for the procedure, have the procedure done well, be compliant with post-operative regimen AND be able to evaluate it with before and after photographs when the swelling has subsided.
IF you were obese before surgery, the removal of 5 liters (just over 10 pounds) of fat and tumescent fluid may not make much of difference. IF you gained weight in the post-surgery period, it could negate any beneficial effects of the liposuction. Many people unfortunately regard Liposuction as their "Get out of Jail" card to poor eating after the operation. If your surgeon removed a little from many areas, the result may not be resoundingly obvious. Lastly, if you are still swollen, you are not seeing the final result. By 4 months after surgery you may be looking at the resolution of swelling. If the skin and fat feel supple and not woody then you ARE looking at the final result.
As with ALL things Plastic, your Plastic Surgeon IS your friend and advisor. Talk to him. Ask his opinion andunderstand where you stand.

Good Luck.

Dr. Peter Aldea