I have had 2800ml of fat removed by liposuction. What is that in lbs? (photos)

Question

I had liposuction and mini tummy tuck. Can 2800ml be converted to lbs?

Ken Smart, MD · Answer

One liter is equivalent to one kilogram which is equal to 2.2 pounds.  However, liposuction aspirate volume does not convert directly to pounds.  This is because liposuction aspirate is not purely fat.  At best its 90% fat and it can be as low as 50% fat.  The rest is made up of saline and blood.  Based on these percentages, your weight loss from 2800cc of lipo aspirate is between 3 and 5 pounds.  This is why liposuction does not always result in significant weight loss, but it does result in significant change in shape and the way your clothes fit.  Good luck in your recovery and I hope this helps.

Robert N. Severinac, MD · Answer

Your question brings up an interesting issue with fat removal.   Many patients are surprised when I tell them how much weight was removed following their liposuction or tummy tuck.  They tend to think it would be much more. What we are doing as plastic surgeons is sculpting the excess fat and skin contours to better match the rest of a particular patient's body.   This "surface sculpting" takes away some of the evidence of being overweight but usually doesn't add up to much in terms of weight.Have you ever been to a health fair showing what 5 pound bag of fat would look like?  It's like a bag a loaf of bread would be in, completely filled to the top!A general rule is 1 Liter of fat equal roughly 2 pounds.  So in your case 2.8L X 2lbs/L = 5.6 lbs.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

If 2800 cc is the actual amount of fat removed expect about 5 to 6 pounds weight loss. Also there's trauma to fat not aspirated that will cause it to disappear that may add a small additional fraction.

I have had 2800ml of fat removed by liposuction. What is that in lbs? (photos)

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