title: Weight loss and its relation to fat aspiration yields in liposuction: a survey in 48 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Liposuction surgeons often observe individually fluctuating amounts of aspirated fat. In patients with sagging skin due to previous weight loss there is a tendency of decreased fat aspiration volumes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the influence of weight loss on fat aspiration volumes in a series of 48 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We matched individuals of the same gender, but with a different weight history from a vast number of patients who had undergone liposuction surgery. The aspirated fat to wetting solution ratio (FWR) of the circumferential abdominal region was evaluated in three groups: A - patients with no weight loss (n = 16; 8 males/ 8 females), B - patients with a history of moderate weight loss (weight loss 5-10% of body weight; n = 16; 8 males/8 females), and C - patients who had a massive weight loss prior to surgery (weight loss exceeding 15% of body weight; n = 16; 8 males/8 females).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aspirated FWR was 3.4 ± 0.5, 1.0 ± 0.3 and 0.4 ± 0.2 in groups A, B and C, respectively. The differences between the groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are significant differences in patients with moderate or massive weight loss in regard to fat aspiration volumes compared to patients without prior weight loss. These findings point to the importance of a weight loss history prior to surgery. Regardless of lower fat aspiration yields in patients with massive weight loss, good results are still achievable. This is not only due to volume reduction but to skin tightening.
authors.affiliation: White House Center for Liposuction, Mommenstrasse 20, Zurich, Switzerland. info@whitehousecenter.ch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boeni
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015187:Lipectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015431:Weight Loss; D014906:Wetting Agents
chemical_list: D014906:Wetting Agents