Plus size lipo (also known as high BMI liposuction, hourglass liposuction, or large volume liposuction) is a type of liposuction that specifically helps reduce fat on plus size patients.
If you are a plus size patient who would simply like to contour your body shape and aren’t looking to use liposuction as a way to lose weight, this surgery may be for you.
Here are five facts about plus size liposuction procedures to consider as you move forward.
5 Facts About Plus Size Liposuction
1. You must get clearance from your primary care physician for plus size lipo.
Not everyone is a good candidate for plus size liposuction. Most importantly, you must get medical clearance from your primary care physician before you are cleared for surgery.
Of course, your plastic surgeon must also give you medical clearance. For any plastic surgeon performing this procedure, liposuction safety is of the utmost importance. It isn’t that there are actual barriers. Rather, it’s that you must be healthy enough to safely get through the procedure and the recovery process without major risk of complications.
2. Plus size lipo is not a substitute for weight loss.
Remember that if your main goal going into surgery is to lose weight with liposuction, this is not the procedure for you. Liposuction removes actual fat, but it is subcutaneous fat (the fat that sits just beneath the skin), not visceral fat (the deeper fat that rests around your organs).
Losing weight via diet and exercise, weight loss surgery, or a medical weight loss drug such as Ozempic will help to reduce visceral fat. Plus size liposuction cannot get rid of this fat. It is not a substitute for actual weight loss.
3. There is a limit to the amount of fat that can be removed during any single liposuction procedure.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ recommendation for maximum fat removal in one procedure is five liters of combined fat and fluid.
Sometimes, plastic surgeons may feel comfortable going beyond this amount, but this is typically only in specific situations such as when a patient has lipedema. Furthermore, surgeons should be uniquely trained in high volume liposuction before they remove more than five liters of fat and fluid in a single lipo procedure.
4. Plus size liposuction and lipo 360 are not exactly the same thing.
Some patients confused plus size lipo with lipo 360. While you can undergo a plus size lipo 360 combination procedure (see plus size lipo 360 before and after pictures for examples) or even plus size lipo 360 and BBL, the two procedures — plus size lipo and lipo 360 — are actually quite different.
Plus size liposuction, as we stated above, is simply liposuction for women and men who are considered plus size (usually based on BMI). Lipo 360 is a liposuction procedure that removes excess fat from all the way around (360 degrees around) the midsection.
5. Plus size liposuction is one of the best body contouring procedures.
Rather than thinking of plus size liposuction as a weight loss procedure or a procedure to remove huge amounts of fat from all around the body, it’s better to consider this procedure as a body contouring surgery.
In other words, if you are a plus size individual, you can look at your body and decide the specific areas where you would like to reduce fat. For many patients, it’s around the abdomen, which is why plus size liposuction and lipo 360 are frequently combined.
If you take a look at plus size lipo 360 before and after photos, you’ll see that after this combination surgery, patients still carry extra weight overall. But they have a slimmer waist, a more well-contoured back and flanks area, and sometimes larger hips if a BBL was incorporated as well.
FAQ: Liposuction for Plus Size Patients
Can I add a plus size liposuction procedure to my mommy makeover?
Of course. In fact, liposuction surgery after pregnancy (high volume or not) is quite common. It’s frequently performed on its own or as part of a mommy makeover.
Most mommy makeovers include some combination of a tummy tuck for excess skin removal, liposuction to remove excess fat, and breast surgery (breast lift, breast augmentation, etc.).
Can plus size liposuction correct cellulite?
Sometimes, liposuction can improve cellulite. However, liposuction for cellulite (as the primary goal) is not recommended as results cannot be guaranteed.
Will I have loose skin after plus sized liposuction?
It’s possible. Whenever someone’s weight fluctuates by large degrees, the skin stretches out to accommodate more fat cells — and sometimes does not fully retract when fat gets removed. Whether this is true depends on your natural skin elasticity, your age, for how long you had extra weight on your body, and other factors.
The good news is that there are ways to tighten loose skin if it does become a problem after surgery. Tummy tucks, arm lifts, breast lifts, and other body contouring procedures can help.
Book a Consultation with Dr. Rice
Are you ready to learn more? Please call our office today to book a liposuction consultation appointment with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Dahlia Rice. At your lipo consultation, you’ll learn more about this and other plastic surgery procedures offered by Dr. Rice.
Contact us today to schedule your appointment. We look forward to hearing from you!
