Can I Lose Weight With Liposuction if I Have a BMI Over 35?
Many people believe they can lose weight with liposuction, especially if they have a high BMI, or body mass index. It isn’t surprising that a lot of people think lipo is the answer to effective weight loss. After all, liposuction permanently removes fat cells. It seems to make sense that this surgery would help with weight loss. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Liposuction is a body contouring procedure, not a solution for weight loss.
Why Doesn’t Liposuction Help with Weight Loss?
It’s true that liposuction permanently removes fat cells, but not enough to significantly affect weight. The idea of liposuction is to sculpt the fat to achieve better contours. As a result, the patient may drop one or two dress sizes. However, it doesn’t help with weight loss because surgeons only remove a small volume of fat. Liposuction only treats small areas and not the whole body. That means surgeons only suction out a tiny volume of fat, so patients only lose a few pounds. Surgeons cannot remove large amounts of fat during liposuction procedures as it is too dangerous for the patient.
Can I Have Lipo If My BMI Is High?
Do you have a high BMI? If so, you will not be a suitable candidate for liposuction. Surgeons require their patients to be at or near their ideal weight to undergo liposuction. It is possible to treat patients who are overweight sometimes. But if you have a BMI that is in the morbidly obese category—which means your BMI is over 35–you cannot have lipo.
Also Read – What Should My BMI Be for Good Belly Liposuction Results?
Why Is Lipo Not Possible for People with A High BMI?
There are two key reasons why surgeons will not perform liposuction on someone with a high BMI. The first is that the risks of undergoing surgery are elevated for people with a high BMI. Although surgeons perform liposuction under a local anesthetic, there are still potential risks. Obese patients are more likely to suffer from an infection or excessive bleeding during surgery. Since patient well-being is vital to surgeons, they won’t put anyone at undue risk.
Liposuction only removes a small volume of fat from a small area of the body. Therefore, the results are likely to be unimpressive for obese patients. If your BMI is over 35, you will see minimal improvement in your contours after liposuction.
If I Lose Weight, Can I Have Liposuction?
Surgeons recommend that patients with a BMI over 35 lose weight to have their chosen procedure. You should try to get your BMI closer to your ideal weight. You should also aim to maintain that weight for a minimum of six months. At that point, you can have liposuction as long as you meet the other criteria to be a suitable candidate. These criteria include being in good overall health and having realistic expectations of your surgery’s outcome. Being a non-smoker or being prepared to quit smoking before and after your procedure is essential.
To learn more about whether you can lose weight with liposuction, contact Dr. Su at ArtLipo today. You can arrange a consultation to find out your suitability for surgery.
