Will Liposuction Get Rid Of Small Fat Areas on my Stomach and Buttocks That I Can’t Exercise Off?

Q: I was just curious about whether I am a good candidate for liposuction on the buttocks and my abdominal oblique areas.  I am pretty small as it is but I have always had stubborn fat no matter what I do. I work out and eat right, I only weigh 105lbs and I am only 5 ft tall. My buttocks is a lot bigger than my size and that is what I consider my worst problem.  I have been trying to get sculpted for a couple of years, but nothing has worked. I have thought about getting this procedure done, but never had the nerve to get it started. If you could e-mail me back your thoughts that would be great.

A: Small discrete areas of fat on someone who is absolutely weight appropriate for their height, despite working out and eating right, is a common problem that I see in many patients. As such a slight frame and build you can be assured that these fat collections are genetic in nature and not metabolically responsive, which is why you can’t get rid of them by your own efforts. Such small areas I would refer to as liposculpture (shaping) more so than liposuction. (significant volume reduction) Small areas such as these respond quite well to small cannula liposuction.

One caveat about any type of liposuction is in the buttocks area. You have careful to not be too aggressive with the fat removal in this area as one can end up with a ‘deflated’ or sagging buttocks after volume is removed. Fat removal in the buttocks should be more conservative and carefully done to avoid this potential problem. Most likely in a small frame such as yours that is not a significant concern.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana