Liposuction: How much fat can you take out?

Many people want to know just how much fat is removed with liposuction, particularly people who have a achieved lot of weight loss, and want liposuction to help take them to the finish line of their goal weight. But liposuction should not be treated as strictly a method of attaining noticeable weight loss, as only a healthy diet and exercise can help you lose a lot of weight. What people find, however, is they often still have a bit of a belly, or some fat on their back or thighs they just cannot get rid of. This is what liposuction is designed for: removing those pockets fat that just cannot be worked or dieted off.

Measure liposuction in CCs, not “pounds”

Truthfully, fat is not measured in pounds when it is removed. Fat removed by liposuction is measured in volume, not weight. That volume is measured in “cc’s” or cubic centimeters. 1,000 cc’s is about 1 liter. One liter of water, for instance, weighs about 2.2 pounds. A liter will weigh more or less depending on what it is made of; for instance a liter of air weighs less than that liter of water. Also, fat is lighter than water; it weighs less. With tumescent liposuction, a liquid that contains an anesthetic is injected into the area to be worked on. This liquid is then removed with the fat. So if you are told that 3,000 cc’s was the total volume removed, you would want to know if that was all fat, or if it included the liquid that was injected.

All of this is very confusing to most people who simply want to know how much fat they will lose with liposuction, but it is important to remember that it is not weight that matters but volume, and that very little weight is lost with the procedure. What is important is how you look when it is over and healed. Part of the issue of how much fat can be taken with liposuction, and how successful the results are is how the skin molds to new contours after the procedure. If too much fat is taken, the skin in the areas treated with liposuction can appear loose. Skin elasticity is an important factor.

What the studies say about liposuction fat removal

Studies have shown that only 5000cc or five liters of total fat can be removed safely in an outpatient setting. Remember about 454.5 cc is equal to a pound. That means at the very most 10 pounds of fat can be removed with liposuction, not including the tumescent fluid. This amount would be considered large volume liposuction. Large volume liposuction is a highly specialized procedure which requires special precautions including a properly trained and educated surgeon and anesthesiologist, and a nationally certified and accredited facility, not to mention a well trained staff. The reason for this is large volume liposuction can create fluid shifts in the body and disrupt the fluid balance necessary. Extra precautions must be observed.

Liposuction at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center is performed in a fully accredited facility for your safety and comfort. Depending upon the patient and specific procedure, I use tumescent technique liposuction or VASER liposuction. As a board certified cosmetic surgeon, I am careful to assess each patient to be sure he or she is a candidate for the procedure.

Call our Little Rock office to set up your consultation with me, Dr. Rhys Branman, at 501-227-0707.