Weight Gain After Liposuction

Liposuction or liposculpture reduces fat in problem areas. At 2-3 months, stable patients get on the scale and see a few pounds missing. Yet some patients notice that they have actually gained weight.
Why?
Immediately after surgery, swelling replaces where fat was removed. This swelling, caused by leaky capillaries, consists primarily of water. Once the swelling recedes, and they become more physically active, patients typically notice that their weight improves. By nature, surgery causes soreness and patients are usually restricted from full workouts for a period of time after surgery. This explains the weight gains often noticed immediately after surgery.
For weight gain that continues past this point, the patient has gained fat in their body. Period. Some patients will gain a false sense of confidence after their liposuction procedure. Areas that they have monitored as their "alarm bell" are now much better. They relax and allow their good eating and exercise habits to lapse. By the time the usual alarm bell goes off again, they have gained ten pounds.
This underscores several points. We all typically gain weight over time and gain fat and lose muscle. This is normal human physiology. As time passes, the effort and will power to remain "fit" increases. Anybody who has been to a school reunion knows what happens to a classful of previously fit people.
Liposuction is not a weight loss tool. It is to aid in losing fat from problem areas. If anything, patients should plan on being more active and healthier about their eating habits after surgery than they were before. One week in the gym watching their weight and a patient can lose weight perfectly, with no irregularities, much better than I can sculpt in the operating room. Some of the worst results I have seen are from very wealthy people who think they can just suck out the fat and get many procedures done, each time developing a few more irregularities in the process.
This is not what people like to hear, I know. But the rewards for healthy and restrained eating and regular exercise are great.

In the early postoperative period, weight gain is due to swelling, which will resolve.  The best way to judge the outcome after liposuction is by the contours and your clothing size, not by measuring your weight.  Weight is dependent on water weight, and muscle weight as well as fat.  If you are working out and adding muscle you may be adding weight, but still having a good outcome from the liposuction.

Dear lklugirl,

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding weight gain following your liposuction procedure. It's important to address this, as it can be quite perplexing, especially when you're maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Firstly, it's crucial to recognize that liposuction is excellent for contouring and removing stubborn fat pockets, but it doesn't prevent new weight gain. Our bodies are dynamic, and weight can fluctuate due to a variety of factors including changes in metabolism, lifestyle, age, and even hormonal imbalances. Sometimes, these changes can occur subtly, without a noticeable shift in eating habits or activity levels.

After liposuction, if the body gains weight, new fat cells can accumulate in different areas where the surgery wasn't performed, or even in the treated areas, albeit to a lesser extent. This is because liposuction reduces the number of fat cells in the targeted areas, but the remaining cells can still expand if weight is gained.

To manage or reverse this weight gain, here are a few steps you might consider:

Evaluation: It might be helpful to have a detailed evaluation with your healthcare provider or a nutritionist to identify any underlying factors contributing to your weight gain.

Exercise: Incorporating regular, balanced exercise can help regulate your weight and improve overall health. Focus on a mix of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training.

Nutritional Review: Even if your eating habits are generally good, slight adjustments in your diet, such as portion control or increasing your intake of whole foods, can make a significant difference.

Follow-up with Your Surgeon: Discussing your concerns with the surgeon who performed your liposuction can provide tailored advice and possibly identify solutions based on your post-operative journey.

Remember, weight gain after liposuction isn't uncommon, and it doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. It's an opportunity to reassess and adjust your lifestyle and wellness strategies to maintain your desired results.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS
Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeon

The fat cells removed with liposuction do not grow back. However, the remaining fat cells can and will enlarge with weight gain. As weight is gained, you may proportionally gain less weight in the liposuctioned area as there are now fewer fat cells there. Weight gain is related to diet and exercise.

hello lklugirl  Liposuction results are generally permanent. If the patient gains a large amount of weight in the future, the area of liposuction will also gain fat but to a lesser degree. With massive weight gain, rippling may occur. #weight #post-op

Liposuction does not change your body's ability to gain weight. Rather, it aims to give you an ideal contour which you are unable to achieve with exercise alone.  Then, you have to maintain it through good eating habits and exercise. Maintaining a higher protein diet combined with weight training are most effective. No matter what your diet, you still have to watch the size of your portions and avoid sugars as much possible. Dr. B.

Results after liposuction can be durable if you maintain a disciplined lifestyle and dietary habits.  However if you eat enough for your body to store energy as fat, it will go wherever you are genetically preprogrammed to store it--usually the very areas you had treated with liposuction.  It's like cleaning out a messy storage closet with a lot of junk in it in your home--if you are disciplined and don't throw a bunch of junk back into your newly clean closet, it'll stay orderly and neat.  If not, it will soon be full of junk again and you will need to clean it out again someday!  

Liposuction reduces excess fat in 'problem areas' by physically removing the fat cells in these areas.  Immediately after surgery, patients can expect some swelling which can take several months to resolve completely.  Many patients are mistaken in thinking that fat removal with liposuction will translate into a significant weight loss on the scale, often any weight loss is just a couple of pounds.  If you are over a year out from your liposuction procedure and consistently gaining weight,  I would recommend assessing your caloric intake versus the amount of exercise you do each day.  Liposuction does not cause weight gain.  

Liposuction re-contours the body by reducing the number of fat cells. This is permanent and your body will not compensate by creating more fat cells if you maintain your weight. If one does gain a significant amount of weight, however, the fat cells that do remain can enlarge and diminish the benefits. Overall contour, however, remains improved. There is no evidence suggesting that liposuction causes weight gain. However, as we get older it does become more difficult to maintain lean muscle mass and keep the fat off.

The vast majority of patients who undergo
liposuction are extremely happy with the results of their procedure. In many
cases, the procedure results in lifestyle changes that ultimately result in
further weight loss and improved quality of life. Patients tend to adopt
healthy diets and exercise more frequently following liposuction. They realize
that their liposuction procedure has been a significant investment not only
from an economic standpoint, but a personal standpoint as well. For this
reason, they tend to watch their diet and exercise more frequently.

In the immediate post-operative period, weight gain
following liposuction may be related to fluid retention. When this situation
arises, the patient’s weight tends to decrease as swelling resolves with the
passage of time.

Unfortunately, we occasionally see patients whose
liposuction isn’t accompanied by lifestyle changes. Under these circumstances,
lack of exercise and over eating can cause weight gain. Patients in this
category usually have a discrepancy between caloric intakes and caloric
expenditures.

If you’ve gained weight following liposuction,
consultation with your plastic surgeon might be
appropriate. Your surgeon should be able to advise you on the appropriate
course of action.  

Unfortunately weight gain after liposuction works exactly as it does before liposuction.  Fat cells removed from the body during liposuction are gone forever.  However, liposuction is not a weight loss procedure, and it cannot magically prevent weight gain.