Liposuction Limits

My Dayton liposuction patients always ask this question: “How much fat can you remove?” The short answer is: “It depends.” On what, you ask? On your current weight.

Liposuction here at my Dayton cosmetic surgery practice has limits, just like it does at every cosmetic and plastic surgery practice. Those limits are based on two things: standard practice and current weight.

Over the past 20 years, surgeons all over the world have performed millions of liposuction procedures. Many of them use, as I do, a solution called tumescent fluid, which is a combination of Lidocaine, adrenaline and sterile saline (salt water). This fluid is injected into the treated areas prior to removing the fat. This fluid makes fat removal easier. The adrenaline keeps bleeding down and the Lidocaine provides some local anesthesia for 24-72 hours after the procedure.

Based on the experience of thousands of surgeons, the standard volume of fat removed (including the tumescent fluid injected prior to removing that fat) is around 4.5 liters, which weighs about 9 lb. Now, removing 9 lb. of fat from a 100 lb. woman would be excessive, but not excessive if my patient weighs 200 lb. So, there’s that limitation: based on your weight, I can remove only a certain amount safely.

Secondly, the amount of local anesthetic, Lidocaine, has its limits as well. I’m limited as to how much Lidocaine I can use based—again—on patient weight. There’s only so much Lidocaine I can inject without worrying about risks.

For the above reasons, patients who want several areas treated sometimes must be scheduled for more than one session. If you’re interested in liposuction, but aren’t sure if you can have all the areas treated in one procedure, schedule a consultation with me and we’ll discuss the options. In the meantime, check out my before/after photos here, and then call me at 937.839.3681.