Liposuction or Bariatric Surgery: Which is the Better Option?

 

Liposuction and bariatric surgery are two options often considered by patients who have experienced difficulties with losing fat and keeping it off. If you’re overweight, approaching obese, or severely obese—meaning you have a BMI greater than 30—and want to alter your body to improve your quality of life, you may be confused as to which procedure will help you achieve your body goals. Neither surgery is designed for instant gratification and each requires discipline and commitment. They both do change the body, but patients have to continue a healthy diet and exercise regimen to maintain their results in the long term. With all of this in mind, however, it is important for patients to understand that these are two very different surgical strategies with unique goals in mind. Top plastic surgery practices in St. Louis, like West County Plastic Surgeons of Washington University, explain the differences to women and men who want to know how to get healthy and look good:

Bariatric Surgery

Obesity, a chronic condition typically associated with consuming more calories than you use up through physical activity, has very negative impacts on the body. Bariatric surgery is a weight loss procedure that is usually performed on morbidly obese patients with serious health issues. It is typically done on those who are at least 100 pounds overweight. This type of stomach surgery is used to correct the primary cause of the issue by altering the digestive system to restrict the amount you’re able to eat and limit the ability to take in nutrients. The way the patient eats and fat is distributed will be permanently changed for the rest of the patient’s life.

This medical procedure helps to lower the appetite and reduce the risk of serious health problems associated with weight, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes. If you want long-term weight loss, bariatric surgery is the option for you, since plastic surgery is about cosmetic changes.

Many weight loss patients end up shedding a significant amount of overall weight from all parts of their body—and enjoy a longer life as a result. Patients who lose a lot of weight in a short time may be left with excess, sagging skin that can only be corrected through plastic surgery procedures, such as a tummy tuck. Some people also choose to have liposuction after weight loss surgery to address stubborn pockets and achieve their preferred proportions and contours.

Liposuction

Liposuction is a form of body contouring that changes your appearance, but does not involve overall weight loss. This surgery works by slimming down specific areas, such as a double chin, flabby arms, belly fat, muffin top, or beer gut. These may be trouble areas that a patient hasn’t been able to minimize through healthy exercise and a balanced diet. Liposuction results can improve self-esteem, making some patients feel more confident about themselves and comfortable wearing specific outfits. It won’t have any effect on the function of organs or appetite.

Basically, liposuction involves removing superficial, unneeded fat cells from below the skin, which then ideally retracts to create a leaner figure and take inches off of localized areas. The fat is dislodged and suctioned away through a hollow instrument in a way that is designed for minimal discomfort and recovery time.

Like bariatric surgery, patients are usually asked to adopt a healthy lifestyle and lose weight through standard exercise and dieting before they are considered for liposuction. But remember: While some fat is removed, liposuction is a purely cosmetic procedure, not a remedy for obesity. It does not address fat-related health issues.

After liposuction, it’s possible for fat cells in other areas of the body to grow larger in the future through unhealthy habits. With that in mind, ideal candidates are within 20 to 30 pounds of their ideal weight and can manage to maintain a healthy weight in the time leading up to the surgery, as well as after.

Unsure about whether weight loss surgery or cosmetic surgery is best for you? Discuss your situation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. The West County Plastic Surgeons of Washington University team can provide more information on plastic surgery in the St. Louis area. Write to tell them more about your interests or call them at (314) 996-8800.