New Study Says Liposuction Lives Up to Promise
Barring extreme weight gain, Liposuction permanently removes excess fat
New research reveals that Liposuction lives up to its promise to permanently remove excess fat from stubborn areas unless patients experience extreme weight gain. The study, recently reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), found that fat cells don’t return to treated areas and are not redistributed to untreated areas of the body after liposuction. The results help explain why liposuction was the third-most performed cosmetic surgical procedure in 2011, according to ASPS statistics.
More than 300 patients studied using precise measurements
The new study evaluated 301 patients who had liposuction alone or in combination with a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty. Using standardized photographs and computer-assisted measurements of body dimensions obtained preoperatively and at least 3 months after surgery, the study revealed no evidence of fat regrowth in treated areas of the arms, abdomen or lower body. Upper body dimensions were also unchanged after surgery, indicating no redistribution of fat.
Average reductions in hip measurements remained significant in patients who were followed 1 year or more after liposuction or procedures that combined liposuction and a tummy tuck. The average hip reduction was significant even among a subgroup of 34 patients who gained 5 pounds or more after surgery.
“Our study included a sufficient number of patients and used precise measurements, making the conclusions highly reliable,” said Dr. Eric Swanson, the study’s author. “Patients can be reassured that their improvements will last and they need not worry about putting weight back on disproportionately.
“Of course, liposuction does not change your ability to gain or lose weight,” Dr. Swanson said. “Its value is in permanently reducing the number of fat cells in problem areas. For any given weight you will be in the future, your proportions will be better after liposuction, barring extremes in weight gain.”
Numbers from the ASPS show that Liposuction has been among the Top 5 Cosmetic Surgical Procedures since 1992, the year the ASPS began collecting its plastic surgery statistics. Last year, almost 205,000 liposuction procedures were performed – only breast augmentation and nose reshaping (rhinoplasty) accounted for more.
Liposuction and SmartLipo in Birmingham, AL
Getting rid of excess fat that is resistant to diet and exercise can be difficult task. Liposuction performed by board-certified plastic surgeons and ASPS members William J. Hedden M.D. and J. Stephen Gunn M.D. slims and reshapes specific body areas to improve the overall contours and proportions of your body. Popular treatment areas include the thighs, hips, waist, back, calves, arms, chest, neck, cheeks and chin.
Hedden & Gunn Plastic Surgery also offers the latest minimally-invasive body contouring procedures at our Birmingham-Hoover, AL cosmetic surgery center in Greystone. SmartLipo and CoolSculpting are effective options for spot-fat reduction that destroy fat cells and cause a natural-looking reduction in fat bulges.
