12 months post-liposuction but major contour irregularities. Is this permanent? Are there any worthwhile revision options?

Question

I had laser liposuction of my abdomen/hips 12 months ago. I have been left with massive contour irregularities on my abdomen. My surgeon (who is fully accredited) told me this is "induration" and that it will resolve itself "within 1 to 2 years" but that massage will also help. I have therefore spent a fortune on massage but to no avail. Today I sought a second opinion. This second surgeon said too much fat has been removed from my abdomen and that options for correcting this are very limited.

William Groff, DO · Answer

While I cannot provide a formal assessment without seeing you as a patient in my clinic, from your photos it appears you would be an excellent candidate for body contouring. In my clinic we combine tumescent liposculpture with CoolSculpting, Vanquish, and Thermitight to customize treatment plans for the unique needs of each of our patients. I recommend scheduling a consultation with a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist who is an expert in body contouring for a formal assessment. As long as your body weight is stable, you can anticipate excellent results.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Pending a formal evaluation, you may be a good candidate for a Revision Liposuction. You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best. 
The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heats the skin with radiofrequency devices such as Renuvion (J-Plasma), InMode BodyTite, and ThermiRF to heat the undersurface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HI-DEF VASER Liposuction and can only be done by a well-trained body contouring specialist. At the same time, fat should be harvested and purified, with PRP and stem cells added, and then injected into muscles, indentations and cellulite to get body shaping and contouring. For a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), we inject the fat into the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face. Cellulite should also be treated with a combination of Cellfina, subcision, and/or fillers such as Bellafill, Renuva synthetic fat, or Sculptra. If skin is very loose before surgery, then it will need to be removed: tummy tuck/abdominoplasty for lower abdominal skin; breast lift for excess breast skin; and/or a brachioplasty for loose arm skin. Overall, you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer.

Barry Ginsburg, MD · Answer

the areas can be improved with a few touch ups in select areas. also some areas that are raised may be scar tissue.. this can be injected with low concentration kenalog.. it may take a few sessions but you certainly can get improvement

T. Joshua Baker, MD · Answer

It does appear you were over resected. It's always a good idea to look at before and afters of your surgeon. Accreditation doesn't always correlate with good results. 
Now for good news. There are some things that can be done to improve your results. They will get slightly better with time. You could fat graft into the area. There are also some laser platforms on the market ( skintyte comes to mind) that could help smooth this out. 
I'm sorry you're having a bad experience and I hope you're able to find the improvement you originally sought!

Randy Dean, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hi and welcome to our forum!
From your photos, there appears to be a degree of overcorrection and associated fibrosis. This may slowly improve over time (1-2 years), but will not approach normalcy. Once the induration (firmness) has subsided, one may consider fat grafting of the area to improve contour. It will still fall short of "normal" but can offer a degree of improvement.
Best wishes...

David E. Berman, MD (retired) · Answer

this is why i strongly recommend people see a board certified PLASTIC SURGEON. there is a huge difference, than any dr who apprentices for a few minutes or takes a one day course. There is a reason that this should only be done by plastic surgeons. i disagree with most of the opinions listed below,. you may get some improvement with various modalities but it will cost a decent amount of money, will take a lot of time and i don't think you will get anything close to full correction. i think treatments will help but will not be able fully correct.david berman md

Kristine Brecht, MD (license suspended) · Answer

Dear Mandy,Your stomach shouldn’t look this way after full healing, I’m not quite sure what your surgeon all did, but it can be made much better.Liposculpting with Vaser Ultrasound Technology can help break down the lumpy scarring and help smooth the internal scar tissue and tighten the skin.Best. Dr Brecht Seattle, Wa

12 months post-liposuction but major contour irregularities. Is this permanent? Are there any worthwhile revision options?

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