Liposuction: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Liposuction, unlike abdominoplasty, is not contraindicated before a future pregnancy. Liposuction removes fat cells or adipocytes, which don’t regrow in numbers during pregnancy.

Pregnancy stretches the abdominal skin and actually stimulates more skin cells to grow, leaving the belly loose after delivery.

Certainly you will put on weight with pregnancy but the favorable contour you achieve with liposuction should be restored with the loss of baby fat. (Marshall T. Partington, MD, FACS, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction prior to pregnancy is certainly an option for women. We have performed liposuction on many young women in their 20s and 30s prior to their pregnancies.

It is important to remember that liposuction is a body contouring method not a weight loss method.

Therefore, liposuction is ideal for patients who are at their ideal weight but have a problem area or bulge that they wish to improve. (Christopher J. Morea, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

Although there are some procedures we don’t recommend prior to pregnancy, liposuction is not one of them.

You may actually experience less weight gain during your pregnancy if you have liposuction now.

Additionally, undergoing liposuction before you get pregnant doesn’t pose any risks to your future baby or pregnancy. (Arthur M. Cambeiro, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction may be a solution for those hard to lose areas such as the the outer thighs, abdomen, hips and lower back. Liposuction can be performed prior to any planned pregnancy; however, it must be remembered the body will undergo changes with respect to stretching of the skin and accumulation of fat deposits especially in those areas that were not treated with liposuction prior to becoming pregnant.

Whilst it is acceptable to undergo liposuction prior to a pregnancy, it is ill advised to undergo an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck prior to a planned pregnancy as the both the repaired muscle and skin will stretch again. (Teanoosh Zadeh, MD, FRCSC, Montreal Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction Before Pregancy

There is no issue with having liposuction several years before you are ready to become pregnant.

That said, if you are looking to get pregnant within the next couple of years, you may also want to wait until you have finished having children as many women have significant loose abdominal skin following pregnancy which has to be removed with a tummy tuck.

If you were willing to get a tummy tuck after your pregnancy, you could remove the excess fat at the same time as the loose skin. While this can be taken as general advice, you should consult with a plastic surgeon to receive advice tailored to your specific needs. (David P. Rapaport, MD, FACS, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Pregnancy Can Adversely Impact the Results of a Previous Liposuction Procedure

It’s not unusual for prospective liposuction patients to also have plans for future pregnancies. Under these circumstances, liposuction has no impact on the patient’s ability to become pregnant or the pregnancy itself. Unfortunately, pregnancy has a significant impact upon a woman’s body.

These changes can adversely impact the results of a previous liposuction procedure.

In some cases, new fat may accumulate at the site of a previous procedure and adversely impact body contour. It’s important to realize that body contouring procedures set the clock back, but never stop the clock from ticking.

Pregnancy and weight gain can change a patient’s body either before or after pregnancy. In the vast majority of patients, it would be unreasonable to wait until the completion of child bearing to proceed with liposuction.

Conversely, in cases where patients anticipate pregnancy in the near future, it’s probably appropriate to delay liposuction until after pregnancy. It’s important to consider each patient’s situation individually. Consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon may help with these decisions in some cases. (Richard J. Bruneteau, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

While there is nothing wrong with liposuction before pregnancy it may be something you want to think long and hard about. After pregnancy, your body is likely to change in certain ways.

Every woman is different. You may find that the distribution of your body fat is different than it used to be. Liposuction is a financial investment in your appearance. You might want to wait and see how your body has changed after pregnancy so that you can get optimal results from your surgery and the best value for money.

On the other hand, if your fat distribution is very bothersome to you, you are well within your rights to proceed with liposuction now! (Elizabeth Morgan, MD, PhD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Should you have liposuction before pregnancy?

I have had many patients who have had liposuction before pregnancy. comparing these people to those who had liposuction after pregnancy, I must say that people get much better long term results when they have liposuction before pregnancy. (Sean Younai, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction before pregnancy is a personal decision

This is a personal decision that depends on what you want. If you want to enjoy your body now, before having children, then by all means visit a board-certified plastic surgeon and find out whether you are a candidate for liposuction.

Liposuction does not affect your ability to get pregnant, nor will it affect your pregnancy. You will undoubtedly gain weight during your pregnancy, but this will not necessarily compromise your liposuction results. (Thomas McNemar, MD, FACS, Stockton Plastic Surgeon)

It is OK to have liposuction before pregnancy.

Liposuction is good for treating localized bulges (typically in the thighs) and the results are very long lasting. You will put on weight during your pregnancy, but the bulges do not come back. I have seen several women go through liposuction followed by pregnancy.

Some lost all the weight after the pregnancy and some didn’t. But the bulges did not come back in any of them. (George J. Beraka, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Deciding to have liposuction should be based on whether you have appropriate fat bulges

The decision to under go liposuction should be based on whether you have the areas of fat bulges that are appropriately handled by liposuction. You should be able to draw the area of concern with your surgeon and determine whether it is a good choice.

I don’t feel that whether you are planing on children later makes any difference. Some women have significant lipodystrophy which makes their life and especially dressing difficult. Many of these women look like they are very thin above the waist while having large deposits of fat on their hips, waist, medial and lateral thighs.

There is no reason for them to wait. I say fix it if it bothers you. Liposuction is not a procedure to loose weight but to change contours. So if the contours are bad and fixable, fix them.

It is important to realize that having a baby will have effects on your body but the fat deposits should not reappear if you watch your weight gain with pregnancy. (Carl W. “Rick” Lentz III, MD, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)

It’s all about you and your priorities!

Mothers who desire their “before baby body” are frequently marketed to, but certainly this is not meant to preclude those who are in a similar situation as you. Body contouring procedures including liposuction are performed in patients of all ages.

It is all about you and your priorities! What is most important is fullfiling your wants, needs, and desires. If you are truly troubled by selective areas of fat that seem to be resistent to diet and exercise, then I would seek a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in liposuction.

Your goals and expectations need to be realistic. You need to understand what the surgery is all about: what the procedure will and will not accomplish, the inherent risks of the operation. Of course, there may be physical changes following child bearing that may require additional revisions.

Take your time, do your research, and find a qualified plastic surgeon to assist you in this important decision. (Stephen A. Goldstein, MD, Englewood Plastic Surgeon)