I had my consult with Dr. Medalie last week and will be scheduling my top surgery in the next couple weeks. He quoted me a price to get liposuction on my "love handles" and stomach areas (around $1700 extra). I am really struggling with deciding whether to get it or not.

Backstory: I'm 5'5" and range between 165-175lbs. I've been at the same weight for probably 5 years. No matter what I eat or how much I exercise, I don't get out of my +/- 5 lbs zone. I experienced some fat redistribution on T, but definitely not as much as I was expecting.

I guess my question is.... Should I suck it up and try harder at diet and exercise? Or is $1700 a small price to pay to like how I look in the mirror? I would love to hear your experience if you had lipo in conjunction with top surgery too!

Honestly, if you can afford the extra $1700, then I suggest you get it.    I'm not sure about this, but I think with that procedure the fat cells won't be able to grow back, or at least not as easily  They are called "problem areas" for a reason.     Seriously though, you seem like a rather fit guy so it's possible that the lipo can do wonders that you just may not be able to do on your own.



I found a topic a while back concerning Dr. Garramone's Mansculpture.  Though you are going to Dr. Medalie, I think that the posts in this topic could probably give you some type of greater insight.  https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=99118.0

Oh awesome! Thanks for that link, I had searched for liposuction but not mansculpture. I will check out some other results from Dr. G as well. I can afford the extra money ( and it looks like I'm getting off cheap compared to mansculpture), it just makes me feel a little guilty. Like I'm cheating or something because I didn't lose the fat through diet or exercise. You are correct in your assessment- once the fat cells are gone, they won't grow back as easily. Thanks for the reply man!

If you can afford and you think it can make you feel better, then why not. I went to Medalie as well but i was too poor to pay extra back then, and i didn't have the courage to admit that I hate other parts of my body...

I wish I would of gotten the stomach lipoed. Yes the chest is gone but the part below the chest now causes me discomfort.

Thanks for the replies, guys! I'm still up in the air about it. The part that worries me is that I need to decide when I schedule my surgery, which could be any time in the next few weeks. So if I lose a lot of weight and decide I don't need it between now and surgery date, I'm stuck. But I don't want surgery date to get here and be unhappy because I didn't get lipo. Just a lot of factors playing into this decision... 

Go ahead and do it if you can afford it!!!  I heard it is quite painful, however.  I thought I did not need lipo when I had my top surgery done,  but now I think about it most every day, wondering if I would feel better about my body shape.  I am not really overweight, but now that I have experienced fat redistribution with 4 years of T, it has all settled on top of my hips, which really accentuates that fact that my pelvis is wider than most guys and that I have a narrow rib cage.  I would say do it...rather than wondering all your life if it would have helped you feel better.

Is it possible to go for a partial lipo....in maybe one area, and then if you decide you want more, then schedule it for another date?

If you're eating healthy and exercising, don't feel guilty about getting a bit taken off. Others are right, it will take a while to grow back, or won't grow back at all if you stay good with your diet and exercise

I'm planning on getting the lipo when I get top surgery too. Better one surgery than having to go under twice (and having to pay the anesthetician twice)

I'm in the same boat of being unable to gain or lose any weight regardless of diet/exercise. I feel like my hips are super prominent, so I'm definitely going to opt for it. I think it really depends though! For me it's less about the weight and more about the general shape. I see it less as fat removal and more as body sculpting. I think even if I lost the weight I'd still have to deal with feminine contours, so for me it makes sense to ask a surgeon to "masculinize" the area.

I'm underweight and still have love handles. Go figure. I know everyone is different, but it seems a really stubborn area. I think I'd consider the lipo as well!

Thank you guys for the replies! They really helped me rationalize going for the lipo. I don't want to go thru top surgery, only to emerge with a great chest but be unhappy with the rest of my torso. I'm going to start being more strict about my diet after the holidays, and am starting weight training instead of just cardio like I have been. Hopefully that will help me build a good base for surgery and the lipo.

I agree with all you guys in the same boat. I definitely have increased stomach/love handle fat after T redistribution. Even if I lose weight, there's no guarantee the fat will come off those areas. So I'm going to work hard at eating better and building muscle until surgery. Then I'll have top surgery plus lipo. Life is too short to stress about something that's within my power to change. Thank you all so much for your help with this!!

I doubt that the top-surgery and lipo to do at the same time - a good idea. It is a very big exertion for the body. The lipo is not a bad idea, especially if we are talking about problem areas. But think a bit about the helth.
I had some lipo while the top-correction, it is not so hard for body like removing of organs!