Liposuction Does the Fat Come Back?

By Hiba Bittar, MS, COO

Moki Media

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Liposuction Does the Fat Come Back?

When you think about it, the whole idea of liposuction, a procedure that involves inserting a tube in your body, sucking out the fat, and being up and about in a few days is genius. It is no wonder liposuction remains among the top procedures performed in plastic surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2010 cosmetic plastic surgery statistics, 203,106 of the total 1.6 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed were liposuction. Liposuction continues to be one of the top cosmetic surgical procedures, only second to breast augmentation as the top title.

Your body has gone through a lot in your lifetime, from unbalanced hips and saddle-bags to thighs and an abdomen that just doesn't seem to go away – no matter how you diet or exercise. Liposuction works. It is an effective procedure for removing localized fatty deposits from the body that resist diet and exercise. Liposuction is not a form of weight reduction but a way to sculpt and contour the body. Bottom line Liposuction removes fat cells.

As we all reach our adolescent years, we have a certain amount of fat cells. The fat cells or adipose tissue removed through liposuction are physically removed and cannot reappear. The fat cells removed by liposuction are gone permanently. However, if you gain an unusual amount of weight, say fifty or more pounds after liposuction, this scenario changes. When a patient gains a significant amount of weight after undergoing liposuction, the number of fat cells in the body can increase. Another scenario is that the remaining fat cells that were not removed with the liposuction can actually expand. Recent studies have confirmed that gaining weight after liposuction can send the fat to new areas. The fat gain does not occur in the areas that have been treated with liposuction but can be stored in new places. Although this may sound disappointing, it is not. If you have fat removed from your stomach and you gain fat, the fat may end up being stored in your love handles or lower back. Suppose you had liposuction of your saddle-bags and you gain a significant amount of weight, the fat gain may go to your butt or stomach. You will not have saddle-bags again when the pounds return. Instead, you will still have balance, proportion and contour without the saddle-bags and your body will be more symmetrical. What has occurred is an actual shift in body fat storage patterns. Another issue is the notion that you can eat whatever you want because the fat cells are gone. This is not true. If you have liposuction, you gain fat just as easily as you did before the surgery. The only difference is where the fat is stored.

Liposuction is the only procedure with the potential of instantly and drastically improving the shape and appearances of multiple areas in your body. It can enhance the body in ways diet and exercise never can. Liposuction can make your body more balanced, sculptured and contoured however, you must understand its limitations. That sinful chocolate cake will get stored somewhere. The choice is yours!