Weight Gain After Liposuction, a Tummy Tuck & Other Procedures: Where Does the Fat Go?

Posted May 14, 2025 in Uncategorized

A common question I receive from patients who come in for body contouring, whether it be for tummy tuck surgery, liposuction, or any other body contouring procedure is, what would happen if, after undergoing these procedures, they were to gain weight? Where would the fat go?

It’s a somewhat difficult question to answer because we each individually have a genetic code—a metabolic code that tells our body where to store fat when we gain weight. Some people gain weight in their abdomen. Some people gain weight in their thighs, their back, their arms, breasts, or any other place on the body. So each person is unique in their metabolic code and where they store fat.

If you gain after having liposuction, it’s more likely to go to areas that weren’t treated because, with these procedures, we’re removing the storage capacity of those treated areas. Likewise, if I do a tummy tuck, it’s more likely that any weight gain a patient were to experience after having that procedure would be stored in places other than the tummy.

The good news is this: let’s say a patient comes in who’s gained 20 pounds after having a procedure, and she’s concerned about her appearance because the fat went into a different area of her body. Losing that 20 pounds would restore the body to its previous shape. The fat comes, and it goes into the same places that your body is telling it to store it.

I hope this provides insight to a common question, and I’m always available to answer any other questions you may have regarding your aesthetic goals and the procedures I perform, so if you have any, please feel free to reach out to my team, and we’d be delighted to help you.

For questions and consultations with Dr. Patronella, please contact us. Dr. Patronella offers both in-office and preliminary video meetings, which are followed by an office consultation.