One of the most frequent questions that I get asked by any patient considering liposuction is…..do the results last? That is a great question which, quite frankly, defies one simple answer. It is a very important question for any patient considering any type of cosmetic procedure because it addresses the issue of …value. What am I getting for what I am paying? If the procedure is easy to do, like Botox for example, then its relatively short durations (4 months or so) is well tolerated. But when it comes to actual invasive surgery like liposuction, where there is pain and recovery, the long-term benefits are a lot more important.
The basic answer to the duration of liposuction is…..if your weight is stable, then the results will be fairly stable. I certainly think that this is generally true but that answer are also influenced by what body area was treated and the sex of the patient. Not all fat is the same throughout the body. For example, stomach fat is a preferential depot site for storage of unused fat. Conversely, for example, the inner knee is not a depot site. It’s size generally does not go up or down based on how your weight fluctuates.
Whether an area is depot site is different in men vs. women. The buttocks and thighs, for example, is much more of a depot site for women but is not for men at all. (how many heavy men with large stomachs have a small butt….very common!) So these factors must be considered as well. Meaning, greater ‘permanency’ will occur from liposuction in areas that are not depot sites. Depot sites are more likely to regain weight than non-depot sites.
A liposuction study that I read recently looked at two-year outcomes from liposuction surgery. The results were disappointing but not surprising to me. Nearly half of the patients treated had gained weight in the liposuction-treated areas, some bigger than they were before. (the good news is that half still had good results at two years!) This is a condemnation to the benefits of liposuction. It merely indicates, as I tell all potential patients, that liposuction is an adjunct to your body contouring efforts, not the sole solution. The long-term results are often only as good as the continued effort that you make through proper nutrition and exercise. Liposuction surgery is best thought of as a part of your overall body improvement program.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana