The fate of hypodermis after liposuction surgery.

Liposuction surgery can be viewed as a trauma to the hypodermis. With histologic, morphometric, and autoradiographic examination and the use of tritiated thymidine, uridine, and proline, we have studied the fate of adipose tissue at various intervals after liposuction; however, we have never seen a reparative proliferation of the residual lipocytes. Moreover, the metabolic activity of adipocytes apparently is not increased. Inflammatory reaction is minimal in the early weeks, but fibrosis takes place in some lobules of the hypodermis. Our data support the view that liposuction has a long-term effect on the structure of the hypodermis, without any stimulation in the proliferative and biosynthetic activity of residual adipocytes.