Is 1,700cc a lot to remove from abdomen and waist for a 37 yo woman with BMI of 28?

Question

I had smart lipo yesterday on my upper and lower abs/waist and the doctor said she "feathered" my lower back complimentary. I saw that one canister was filled with fluid and another about half way. She said that she removed 1,700cc of fat. I weigh 165lbs and am 5'4. I believe my BMI is 28. Is this an average amount of fat because upon reading blogs I am seeing other patients who say they had a lot more removed and are still unhappy. It was only done yesterday so I have yet to know my results.

Mark Edward Hennessy, MD · Answer

Liposuction is a procedural art form performed with the goal of improving a patient's contour. The amount of fat aspirated is far less important than the amount and location of the fat that is not aspirated. However, I believe your surgeon deserves kudos for removing 1.7 liters of fat from a relatively petite patient AND treating your back not for payment but with the pure motivation of optimizing your aesthetics. Awesome physician! Hope you will provide an update of your progress in 6 weeks.

Kevin M. Johnson, MD, FACS · Answer

Thanks for your question. I'm asked a lot if the amount of fat aspirated at the end of a liposuction case is a "normal" amount. There is not an answer to that question. Neither height, weight, BMI, nor gender have accurate predictive value on the "usual" amount of fat removed from any one person in any area of the body. The only way to predict the correct amount of fat removed would be to measure the thickness and volume of the subcutaneous fat in the area of interest in each particular patient. But, at best, it is still a guess because the amount of fat left behind can be variable and you can still have an excellent result. In fact, we leave fat on purpose to create the best result for you. The common false belief in many liposuction patients is that the best results occur if ALL the fat is removed from an area, or more fat removed equals a better outcome. Not true. The best liposuction surgeons are the ones that know how much fat to leave in the patient and when to stop sculpting. More is not always better. I'll bet your result will turn out great. Give it some time. Hope this helps!

Christopher Balgobin, MD · Answer

Hello,Don't worry about the cc's. Its about the contour and shape of your body after the procedure. Everyone is different and carries fat differently. You will have 4-6 months of healing to truly assess your results.

Marco A. Pelosi III, MD, FACOG, FACS · Answer

BMI can be high or low depending upon muscle mass and is totally inaccurate as a determinant of the quality of a lipo procedure. Obviously, the more fat you have, the more fat that is usually removed to improve contours. Before and after photos have more meaning than how many ccs are removed from people of different shapes and sizes.

Calvin Jung, MD · Answer

Hi there,
I always tell my patients that its not the amount of fat that comes out but what is left behind.  A lot of different factors go into your equation.  Being 164 lbs, is most of your fat intra abdominal vs underneath the skin/dermis which can be removed easily.  It also will depend on how much fat you carry in the areas being treated.  I have some patients who are 160 pounds but carry relatively little fat in the abdomen but have disproportionately larger legs and vice versa.  A lot of different factors go into it.  1700 cc of fat is a good amount of fat which equates to about 3.5lbs of pure fat!  You should notice a difference.  Dieting after the procedure is extremely important to get the final results that you desire.

Is 1,700cc a lot to remove from abdomen and waist for a 37 yo woman with BMI of 28?

Answers (6)

Answer: You're barking up the wrong tree. BMI and cc's removed mean nothing for gauging the quality of lipo.

Answer: You're barking up the wrong tree. BMI and cc's removed mean nothing for gauging the quality of lipo.

Answer: Good amount

Answer: Good amount

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Is 1,700cc a lot to remove from abdomen and waist for a 37 yo woman with BMI of 28?

Answers (6)

Answer: You're barking up the wrong tree. BMI and cc's removed mean nothing for gauging the quality of lipo.

Answer: You're barking up the wrong tree. BMI and cc's removed mean nothing for gauging the quality of lipo.

Answer: Good amount

Answer: Good amount

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Smart Lipo

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.