Liposuction treats fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise, such as saddlebags or the lower abdomen, which means it’s not a substitute for traditional weight loss. In fact, diet and exercise are essential before and after the procedure to obtain the best results, says Jeffrey Kenkel, professor of plastic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. A doctor can suction out up to five quarts of fat, but there is usually little change in body weight — at most a pound or two. Liposuction can’t eliminate stretch marks or cellulite, and it may even make cellulite more pronounced, Kenkel says. Once the fat is taken out, “we can’t predict or control how much the overlying skin will contract,” he says. “In general, patients with good skin tone will experience tightening as the skin redistributes itself. But others with thin, soft skin may develop sagging in the areas suctioned.” Doctors are developing alternative and noninvasive ways to remove fat, but for now liposuction is considered the gold standard.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
