Fat Doesn’t Come Back, According to Recent Study

Liposuction is one of the top five most popular cosmetic procedures, and for 30 years it has been used to permanently remove excess fat from problem areas of the body.

This August, in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, a study shows that fat does not return after liposuction. Dr. Eric Swanson, an ASPS member, evaluated more than 300 patients who had liposuction, or liposuction in combination with a tummy tuck.

He used standardized photographs and computer-assisted body measurements, and found no fat regrowth in the treated areas of the body.

According to Dr. Swanson, previous studies done on the topic have used only small numbers of patients and their measuring techniques were imprecise. “Our study included a sufficient number of patients,” he said “and used precise measurements, making the conclusions highly reliable. Patients can be reassured that their improvements will last and they need not worry about putting weight back on disproportionately.”

Key findings of the Study:

• The treated areas included the arms, the abdomen, and the lower body.
• No evidence of fat regrowth was found in the patients’ treated areas.
• There were no indications of fat redistribution.
• Upper body dimensions remained unchanged after the procedure.
• The average reduction in the patients’ hip measurements was significant. This was true even in a small group of patients who gained five or more pounds after their procedure.

“Of course, liposuction does not change your ability to gain or lose weight. 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,” said Dr. Swanson.

Learn more about liposuction in Connecticut.