WantToBeHappy

I'm new to this forum and mainly here to seek out those that have had liposuction done and overall been pleased with their results. I recently took the plunge and had BodyJet Lipo on my hips/outer thighs. I'm barely recovered, haven't even had the chance to appreciate my new figure when I ran across a press release (MSNBC) that shared the findings of a study out of the Univ. of Colorado regarding fat returning other places other than where it was removed. The upper abdomen area, tricep area, face, seemed to be the common areas for the 'compensatory fat' to appear. Needless to say I am very upset to read this as my surgeon (yes he was board certified) assured me that the only weight gain I would see was if I didn't watch my diet and exercise and basically let myself go, which is a 'given'. I intend to stick to my current diet/exercise regime closely, but am freaked out at the thought of the 3 liters of fat I had taken off my thighs appearing elsewhere, which is what this article seems to be stating.

Is there anyone out there who is a year or more past lipo surgery that can put my mind at ease that I didn't just make the biggest mistake of my life?

Thank you.

Susan14

Hi there!
I am 5 years out from my lipo. I definitely have gained fat in other areas. I exercise regularly and eat well, and keep my weight around 120, so it's not that. At first the gain was just in my breasts, and that was o.k.! But, it's now around my bra line and my butt. Don't get me wrong - I am glad I did it. I got rid of the stubborn fat in my thighs hip and knee area. I think it was worth it.

WantToBeHappy

Thanks for your response, although I'm not sure it was good news. Can you at least tell me if you think your weight gain in other areas was comparable to what you had removed through lipo? My husband keeps trying to assure me that even if the fat does come back in other areas, that I will be better 'proportioned' that what I was prior to surgery. I just hope he's right!

Susan14

Like I said, I haven't gained weight. It's more a shifting of where my fat settles. I've never had a weight problem, but always had fat deposits in my thighs/hip/butt area, like the other women in my family. I guess when you remove the fat, the new deposits have to pick another area to settle in? I've never had fat in the new areas until after the lipo. I'm not happy about it, but it's not as bad as what I had removed.
I've had different procedures done on my body and face, and one thing I've learned about cosmetic surgery is that nothing is permanent, and everything has a downside, or possible side effect! I guess the frustration for me, is that I wasn't warned by the doctors. Maybe they didn't know, but I still want to know the possible downsides so I can make an informed decision.
But, I really am happy that I had the lipo, and I think you will be too!

WantToBeHappy

Thanks again for posting. Your words are encouraging. My husband keeps assuring me as well. At this point I obviously can't go back and 'undo' things, but like you, I would have liked to have heard this news BEFORE proceeding and felt like I was making a truly informed decision. I guess that's what's so upsetting.....I thought I had asked all the right questions and BOOM news like this comes out right my surgery. Kind of depressing.

Now that I've heard these latest findings, I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it, as there really is no alternative, is there? I'm sure I WON'T miss my disproportionate hips/thighs, but I'm saddened to think that my now trim waist might not be so trim because of my decision to have the lipo done. I guess the battle to control my weight will continue......just in other areas now. The story of my life. **sigh**