Arm and shoulder lipo: Should I do it before or after pregnancy?

Question

I have done lipo so many part of my body when I was very skinny. I couldn’t maintain that weight and I gain weight and all fat showed up on my arm and back. I tried back lipo few times but couldn’t take it cuz it was too fibrous. I have been using cool sculpting on those area and it’s getting better. But my arm and shoulder are huge. I am thinking to have lipo but not sure if I should wait for pregnancy which I might plan in 5years.

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Getting the arms and back done with the power assisted liposuction just blasts threw those tough fibrous areas of the back nicely and cleanly. Get it done now and don't worry about getting pregnant later. You deserve to look great now. sincerely, dr hansen

Robert M. Lowen, MD · Answer

There is no reason not to do liposuction on the areas that have residual fat and are getting bigger than the liposuction areas after you gained weight.  I commonly do office liposuction for the upper lateral back, underarms, bra rolls, and upper posterior arms.  You do not have to wait for pregnancy to do this.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

If you are planning on having children in the near future, I would wait until after pregnancy for liposuction.  If it will be a while before having children, liposuction may be a reasonable option.Safety should always be the first priority when undergoing any type of surgical procedure.  BMI is just one measure of your fitness for surgery.  The two main reasons for targeting a BMI close to 30 are to lower the risks of complications during and after surgery and to increase the probability of attaining your ultimate goals in one surgery.  Distribution of fat and overall health as well as goals all factor into this decision.   It is best to be within 10 pounds of your goal weight for six months prior to your surgery.  Different surgeons will have different opinions and comfort levels with regard to BMI so it is best to ask the individual surgeon at your virtual or in-office consultation.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

pregnancy has nothing to do with liposuction although if you gain weight you can lose your improvement in the liposuction but typically arm contouring will be improvement that lasts forever or declines just with aging.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear creamy77,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you plan a pregnancy in the near future, then it is better to wait to get the surgery. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD

Charles Nduka, MD · Answer

The best option would be to have the liposuction after fully healing from pregnancy. This is because pregnancy includes a process that may increase the body mass as the body works double as hard during and after pregnancy. This means that pregnancy can alter the results of the liposuction if done before.

Tania Medina de Garcia, MD · Answer

Hello dear!!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well. 
This is a very personal decision. Unfortunately, without pictures, it is very difficult to give you a proper answer. l recommend you to make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon to talk about your goals and anything you need to know.
Good luck :)

Brian A. Pinsky, MD, FACS · Answer

This question can be difficult to answer.  In general, I recommend body contouring surgery when patients are at their lowest stable weight and after significant life changes such as pregnancy.  However, I would consider five years in the future long enough that it would not be a factor in decision making for me.  It's really a question that's up to each individual.  The changes that occur during pregnancy may negatively affect your prior surgery; however, this is hard to predict.  I recommend seeing a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options in person.  Best of luck!

Ven Erella, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Without seeing picture difficult to comment. You can have lipo if you are a right candidate, as you are not planning pregnancy soon. Please see a board certified PS for evaluation.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

pregnancy has nothing to do with liposuction of the arms and legs.  The decision of having liposuction of these areas should be determined by the desire to have the results compared to the drawbacks of having a surgical procedure.  I'm a big fan of arm liposuction. It is a technically challenging area for those who do not have extensive experience. My approach is always circumstantial liposuction without etching  or creating muscle definition.  You can see some of my arm liposuction results posted on real self. I'm not sure what happened with your back liposuction in the past but the back responds very nicely to liposuction.  I do all my liposuction procedures with my patients awake using local anesthesia with mild sedation.  The area is fairly easy to anesthetize and most patients do fine.  The fat is a bit more firm in this area but there should be no reason why the fat cannot be removed appropriately with any form of liposuction.  There is a large variance of outcomes among different providers for liposuction.  My practice is devoted exclusively to liposuction and fat transfer procedures. It has been for the last decade. During my career I performed over 7000 liposuction procedures.   My experience has given me a unique perspective on this procedure. One thing that is certain is that liposuction is far more difficult to perform well on a consistent basis the most plastic surgeons or patients believe.  I suggest to get a few in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons who have expertise with this procedure. Make sure they have lots of before and after pictures specifically of the areas you're looking to get treated.  All plastic surgeons can perform liposuction but is a bit more difficult to find someone who is truly an expert at this procedure.  Best, Mats Hagstrom MD

Arm and shoulder lipo: Should I do it before or after pregnancy?

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