Rapid weight gain caused by external factors (steroids, hormone therapy). What should you do?
Hello, this is Dr. Yongseung Seo at Lesarts Plastic Surgery.
Most women put in constant effort
to achieve a beautiful body line,
often even considering thigh liposuction.
However, at times,
external factors can undermine that effort
and lead to unexpected weight gain.
A common example is the use of steroids
or hormonal medications.
When these medications are unavoidable
for medical treatment,
weight gain beyond one’s control
can become a significant source of stress.
Feeling frustrated and sighing
every time you look in the mirror,
and desperately wishing
to return to your former self—
we completely understand those feelings.
Today, we will share a thigh liposuction case
of a patient who visited our clinic
after experiencing sudden weight gain
due to medication use,
resulting in thickened saddlebags
and inner thigh fat that would not separate.
[Patient information]
Age: Late 20s
Height: 158 cm
Weight: 58.5 kg
BMI: 23.4
Body fat percentage: 34.9%
Even patients with similar specifications
may experience different results from liposuction surgery.
[Preoperative body contour assessment for thigh liposuction]
The patient experienced an unfortunate situation
in which she gained 10 kg
in just two months
due to side effects from steroid medication
prescribed for a skin condition.
Although the medication had been discontinued,
the weight gain remained unchanged.
She reported that her main concerns
were the inner thigh area with no visible gap
and prominent saddlebags.
On visual examination,
both thighs were completely pressed together
with no inner gap at all,
and the developed saddlebags
lowered the apparent starting point of the legs,
making them look shorter and bulkier.
In addition, significant fat accumulation
was observed on the front of the thighs,
causing the legs to appear thick and rounded
even from the side view.
Ultrasound examination results:
Saddlebags: 35 / 40 mm
Inner thighs: 23 / 23 mm
Front thighs: 20 / 18 mm
Back thighs: 15 / 14 mm
Inner knees: 18 / 18 mm
Overall, there was a very large amount of fat
distributed throughout the thighs.
[Thigh liposuction design for volume reduction and line improvement]
The patient did not have a specific line preference
and initially requested maximum-volume thigh liposuction.
However, we explained that
removing fat indiscriminately at maximum volume
could damage the overall contour,
result in uneven surfaces,
make the legs appear even thicker,
and potentially cause hip sagging.
To prevent these side effects
and preserve a natural, balanced line,
we decided to leave a minimum amount of fat
while proceeding with thigh liposuction.
Due to the rapid weight gain,
the skin had already stretched significantly,
and baseline skin elasticity
was somewhat reduced.
We explained that in this condition,
fat removal could increase the risk
of fine wrinkles forming.
While leaving more fat can help prevent wrinkling,
the patient fortunately had easy access
to postoperative skin-tightening treatments.
Therefore, rather than preserving more fat,
we decided to proceed with higher-volume liposuction
and manage any potential fine wrinkles afterward
through additional skin elasticity treatments.
Lesarts plastic surgery thigh liposuction before-and-after front view comparison – Dr. Yongseung Seo
Lesarts plastic surgery thigh liposuction before-and-after front view comparison – Dr. Yongseung Seo
[thigh liposuction before-and-after comparison]
(photographed eight months after surgery under the same lighting and conditions)
For the inner thighs, the previously thick and uneven contour became a slim,
straight line from the calves up to the thighs,
and contrary to concerns, no skin wrinkling occurred.
Lesarts plastic surgery thigh liposuction before-and-after back view comparison – Dr. Yongseung Seo
Lesarts plastic surgery thigh liposuction before-and-after back view comparison – Dr. Yongseung Seo
For the outer thighs, the saddlebag fat
that made the thighs look thicker and shorter was reduced,
creating a long, slim line that connects smoothly up to the hip line.
The starting point of the legs also appears at a more natural position,
giving a stable and balanced overall look.
Lesarts plastic surgery thigh liposuction before-and-after side(right) view comparison – Dr. Yongseung Seo
Lesarts plastic surgery thigh liposuction before-and-after side(left) view comparison – Dr. Yongseung Seo
Front thighs were smoothly refined as well.
From the side, the line became long and straight.
Circumference clearly decreased, making thighs look slimmer.
This patient had rapid weight gain.
It was caused by steroid medication side effects.
If no further medication influence occurs,
the risk of weight regain is relatively low.
Early hormonal changes after liposuction were explained.
They are now consistently maintaining a beautiful line.
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