Ask a Surgeon - Liposuction - I am a 30-year-old woman. I have gained a considerable amount of weight after...

Submit your question below about any cosmetic procedure to be considered for posting with an answer from one of our board-certified plastic surgeons.

Submit a Question

Procedure: *

Procedure related to this question.

Question: *

A good title will help more Doctors find your question. Your question title is limited to 90 characters.

Description:

Enter an optional description here for futher detail. Your description is limited to 500 characters.

Name:

E-Mail Address: *

City:

State:

Country:

Are you considering cosmetic plastic surgery?: *

How did you hear about us?: *

Age: *

Gender: *

Would you like to receive e-mail news from ASAPS?: *

Click here to review the terms of use agreement.

By checking this box you agree to the terms of use.

What code is in the image?: *

Enter the characters shown in the image.

If your question is about the cost of a procedure, click here. For referral to a qualified surgeon in your area, see find a surgeon.

Note: ASAPS cannot give advice about specific medical problems nor should answers provided by responding surgeons be substituted for a complete medical history, work-up and an in-personal medical/surgical consultation. Sorry we can't answer all questions. We try to select questions that have the widest general interest.

I am a 30-year-old woman. I have gained a considerable amount of weight after having...

Q:

I am a 30-year-old woman. I have gained a considerable amount of weight after having children. I went from weighing 135 pounds to weighing 190 pounds over the course of eight years. I have tried everything but liposuction. The only areas that I feel I need the surgery are my abdomen and inner thighs. I guess my question is, would this surgery work for me? The weight in my abdomen has been the source of a lot of my problems, and I have really tried to lose the weight, but I have been very disappointed and feel that liposuction is my last resort. I would be grateful for any advice that you could give me.

A:

The question as to whether or not lipoplasty (liposuction) is appropriate as a treatment for weight loss is still controversial. Those that advocate it contend that the ongoing risks of being substantially overweight "outweigh" the risks of lipoplasty. However, lipoplasty, like all surgery, carries risks that must be carefully considered. Your first step should be evaluation by a physician who can properly assess your overall health status. It is important that people seeking to lose weight avoid "fads" and seek legitimate medical help. Surgery, in the form of gastric stapling, has been proven effective for morbid obesity. A plastic surgeon can then remove the excess skin folds that result after the successful weight loss. A board- certified plastic surgeon experienced with patients with this condition is your safest choice.