Fat loss before surgery advisable?

[prator]

I am planning on having surgery after December and I was wondering if it is advisable to work out and lose fat before the surgery?  Or will this actually hurt the final results should I gain weight later (like in a year or even 10-20 years)?

I am 24 years old, 5'9", and 158lbs.  While I am not really overweight, my bodyfat % routinely is around 21-23%.

However, I know I could drop my bodyfat percentage to 18%, 15% or even lower especially if I have an expensive surgery coming up and it's going to help.  My only question is, is it better for the surgery to lose weight now?  If I want the most aesthetically pleasing results, is it best to be in the best possible shape, or is it actually a problem because less fat means that less fat will be liposuctioned out and when I do gain 5-10lbs in the future, my chest will become 'puffy'?

If it is helpful to be in the best possible shape, how much of a difference will it make?  I do not put muscle on very easily and it seems to go away very quickly so maintaining a nice physique has never been very easy for me.

[ruggedtoast]

It entirely depends on how fat you are mate. If we're talking jabba the hut obesity with giant swinging man breasts of sumo obesity then i would certainly recommend losing weight before approaching a doctor.

If youre at what you consider to be a normal weight for you then it wouldnt be advisable to go down to a body weight you will have trouble maintaining afterwards.

Its a sad fact of life that we tend to get fatter not thinner as we age.

Unfortunately no-one knows how and where fat will be deposited and lost from. Hopefully after surgery any weight loss/gain will be proportionally added or removed from your chest, but its not guaranteed and a surgeon can only operate on what your body is like now.

[prator]

Dude, I told you I was 5'9" and a 158lbs.  I think it's pretty obvious that things would be different if I was " jabba the hut obesity with giant swinging man breasts of sumo obesity" but I clearly stated how tall I was and how much I weighed and what my body fat percentage so that you would know.  I'm not hugly overweight.  That's why I'm wondering if it's better to lose fat now and get in the best shape I can or if it's better to have surgery now under the assumption that more fat cells will be removed.

[orrible]

i was wondering the same thing, thats a good question if anybody could shed anymore on it?

[brama]

The number of fat cells you have doesnt increase or decrease; Only their size does. So if you need to lose any weight then Id think it would make surgery easier since theres less fat to suck out.
Hope that helps..

[Paa_Paw]

Dr. Bermant has previously responded to this question elsewhere on these pages.  You may want to look for  that reply.

I think that the general rule is that the better your general health, The better you are as a surgical candidate and the easier your recovery.

The person who has the greatest responsibility for your surgical success is not the surgeon, but you.

[turok2010]

............

[DrBermant]

I am planning on having surgery after December and I was wondering if it is advisable to work out and lose fat before the surgery?  Or will this actually hurt the final results should I gain weight later (like in a year or even 10-20 years)?

I am 24 years old, 5'9", and 158lbs.  While I am not really overweight, my bodyfat % routinely is around 21-23%.

However, I know I could drop my bodyfat percentage to 18%, 15% or even lower especially if I have an expensive surgery coming up and it's going to help.  My only question is, is it better for the surgery to lose weight now?  If I want the most aesthetically pleasing results, is it best to be in the best possible shape, or is it actually a problem because less fat means that less fat will be liposuctioned out and when I do gain 5-10lbs in the future, my chest will become 'puffy'?

If it is helpful to be in the best possible shape, how much of a difference will it make?  I do not put muscle on very easily and it seems to go away very quickly so maintaining a nice physique has never been very easy for me.

Losing weight is a coarse tool.  You cannot pick where fat comes from or goes to.  Men tend to lose fat last in the chest and stomach / flank regions.  These same areas are where weight goes on first.  If you have surgery and then lose weight, you may not lose weight in the chest area.  The remaining fat in the chest can look unnatural.
 I prefer to use plastic surgery as a refinement tool.  
Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture

[prator]

I prefer to use plastic surgery as a refinement tool.  
Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD

Thank you for your reply.  I have received similar replies from other surgeons.  I suppose I will start exercising and eating a better diet with an eye towards a January or February surgery.