True Weight After Lipo? How Much of My Weight is Actually Swelling?

The body's response to trauma is to retain water.  Liposuction is a surgical event that the body perceives as a traumatic event.  When you take fat or tissue away, you will have a weight increase after surgery.  This usually will resolve itself in a few weeks.  Fat does not weigh as much as bone or muscle.  You may look thinner after liposuction, while the scale may not change in a big way.  Remember to wear your compression garments and do those things post operatively that your Plastic Surgeon tells you to do for the best results.

Thank you for the question.

It is normal for patients to “retain” fluid after surgery. This will throw off your weight calculations until the fluid is mobilized ( and excreted). This may take a few weeks to complete.

Best wishes for the remainder of your recovery (and stay off the scale for a while).