Fat cells targeted by liposuction
surgery don't return to parts of the body that have been treated or get
redistributed to other areas, according to research.
A study published in The Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery has gone against an earlier report from 2011 which claimed fat cells
often return within 12 months of surgery and can affect untreated areas of the
body, specifically the shoulders, abdomen and arms. The latest findings have
refuted this.
However, Dr Jennifer Walden, a cosmetic surgeon based in
Austin, Texas has highlighted how important it is for patients to understand
that the surgical procedure "does not work miracles".
"[Liposuction] does not change your ability to gain or
lose weight and diet and exercise are recommended after the procedure to keep
the fat off.
"Its value is in permanently reducing the number of fat
cells in problem areas for individuals who are at or near their ideal body
weight, but have trouble getting rid of stubborn isolated pockets of fat
despite a thousand crunches."
Official figures show that liposuction has continued to be
one of the most popular cosmetic procedures carried out in the US over the past
decade. In 2011 more than 200,000 liposuction treatments were performed,
according to data compiled by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
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