Study: Liposuction Doesn't Trim Health Risks

Liposuction might eliminate some of your bulges, but it won't decrease heart disease risks that come from being overweight, according to a new study.

Liposuctioning fat from the waistline is the nation's most popular cosmetic surgery procedure. Many had speculated that by paring down your body, the procedure could also trim down your risk of heart disease.

"It caught on, and why it caught on was because I think there was a market of people who hoped it would work," said Dr. Michael Kaminer, of SkinCare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

But that's not the case, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In a study of 15 obese women, the procedure did decrease their body fat and body weight -- trimming down their total body fat mass by about 20 percent. But there were no changes in several risk factors of diabetes and heart disease.

"It was remarkable how similar the results were before and after the procedure," said Dr. Samuel Klein, the study's lead researcher. "There were no changes in insulin sensitivity, blood lipids, blood pressure, or inflammatory markers associated with coronary heart disease in any of our study subjects."

The findings, published in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, surprised the researchers, who figured removing fat surgically would lead to a healthier body chemistry.

Kaminer, who specializes in liposuction, said that unlike some procedures, like stomach stapling, liposuction does not appear to change the metabolic profile, probably because it can only reach the fat just under the skin.

"There's a whole extra compartment that's deep underneath the fat and muscle, deep down, wrapped around the intestines. That's the fat that gets you in trouble and puts you at risk," he said.

Fat still accumulates in other areas of the body like the liver and the heart, the researchers say. And while liposuction does trim away some fat, it doesn't reduce the size of fat cells -- which dieting and exercising does. Those smaller cells can lead to a healthier fat chemistry.

The study reiterates that for most who are overweight and want to be healthier, the message is clear.

"People are looking for an easy solution, and at the end of the day, it's just a matter of eating right and exercising," said Melissa Turner, a spokeswoman for Newton Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass.

On the plus side, the study did demonstrate it was possible to safely remove large amounts of fat.

"In the past, we usually removed no more than about 5 liters of fat, but in this study we showed you can safely remove four times that amount," said Dr. V. Leroy Young, a private practice physician and former professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University.

And while liposuction alone doesn't lower heart risks, it could have a psychological benefit. Some surgeons report that patients who slim down with liposuction eat better and increase their activity levels.

Study Abstract