How do you know what weight to maintain after surgery?

Question

I saw my friend go into surgery weighing 135. The day she came out she was 140. How does someone like that maintain their weight when they don’t know which number to maintain??…. Yes you have to eat healthy and drink water and live a healthy lifestyle. But how do you know when you’re eating too much or you’re eating to little because you are unsure of what number would be maintaining your weight.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear GeezLouise0,
generally speaking, you want to reach your goal weight before you consider surgery, otherwise your results will be suboptimal if you continue to lose weight after the surgery. Minor weight changes won't have a massive effect on surgery results. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Maintaining a stable weight after liposuction will ensure that the results are long-lasting. There is a protein shake called Premier Protein. Each bottle has 30g of protein and only 1g of sugar. They come in various flavors. Drink at least 3 of those a day to make up for the 100g needed. You can find these shakes at Costco, CVS or Target. Eat balanced meals in addition to these shakes and do not calorie restrict, as the body is in a hypermetabolic state after surgery and needs nutrients to heal. The postoperative period is not the time to start a diet or reduce calories. Poor nutrition or suboptimal nutrition can lead to fluid collections, incision separation and opening, and poor scarring among other complications.

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

If you are solely having the fat being transferred from one area of your body to your buttocks, you generally want to maintain your preoperative weight (+/- 5 lbs.) Your friend weighed more immediately after her procedure due to water retention, edema, and postoperative swelling. If you are a good candidate (less than 5L of fat) for a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), the optimal outcomes are achieved with: 1) use of VASER liposuction to harvest the fat, 2) a closed looped system such as Puregraft to process the fat, and 3) strategic micro-packet transplant technique. These three processes have demonstrated over 95% fat graft take. This means that your results will be stable as long as you maintain your weight. As an official VASER trainer, I am routinely referred unhappy BBL patients. One of the most common reasons for disgruntled BBL patients is that patients are not able to accurately communicate their desired buttocks goals to their surgeons.  A buttocks assessment tool can be an invaluable tool to communicate to your surgeon the exact buttocks size and shape you are desiring. A Skype or FaceTime consultation with a BBL specialist can help you get an accurate recommendation and pricing.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Most people are going to have a few pounds increase in weight from fluid retention for the first week or two after surgery.

This is completely unrelated to actual or long-term weight because it only represents water being retained by the water in the form of swelling.

By six weeks there is no more swelling to the point of having a significant impact on weight and patience should focus on being at their ideal weight.

If patients were above their ideal weight before liposuction with or without fat transfer procedures then it’s not uncommon for people to long-term gain weight. High-volume Liposuction seems to stimulate the brain to compensate for any fat removed.

In general patients should be cognizant of not gaining weight after the procedure in regards to calorie consumption.

Short term fluctuations are fairly irrelevant.
Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

James Fernau, MD, FACS - Account Suspended · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. Typically after surgery patients are very swollen, which leads to temporary weight gain due to water accumulation in the body. The weight she had prior to surgery would be what she should base her weight off of. Please see a board-certified physician for your consultation. Best of luck to you!

Sincerely, James Fernau, MD 
FACS Aesthetic Surgery Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery Certified, American Board of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery Member: American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) American Academy of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) The Rhinoplasty Society

How do you know what weight to maintain after surgery?

Answers (5)