Do I Need Liposuction Or Tummy Tuck?

Liposuction refers to removing localized collections of fat through tiny incisions, measuring about ¼” using blunt cannulas and suction, and removing judicious amounts of localized fat.

It is not a method of weight reduction. Most patients desire multiple areas, like tummy, hips, saddlebags, and inner thighs.

These can be done with a light anesthetic on an out patient basis with approximately a four days recovery. Larger volumes of liposuction, even from the abdomen, sometimes require a longer recovery.

The key to understanding liposuction is that it only removes fat, and the fat has to be removed judiciously so the skin will then re-contour to the new shape.

Removal of all fat is never a good idea. So, in the abdomen, if the muscles are good and skin is satisfactory, liposuction is all that is needed.

The opposite is tummy tuck, where all three layers of the abdominal wall are addressed; skin on the outside, muscle on the inside, and fat in between.

The fat itself can be liposuctioned, or removed surgically at that time. At the same time, the skin and fat will be lifted up, the muscles will be stitched back together to where they belong, and the skin and fat will be pulled down and trimmed off, restoring a nice shape and contour to the abdominal wall.

The muscle suturing and repair is very uncomfortable and, in my opinion, should be treated with an On-Q pain pump dripping Novocain onto the muscle for comfort. The recovery time is considerably longer with a full abdominoplasty and it requires the use of drains in most cases.

So, a one-on-one consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will help you to decide what best suits your needs. (Richard A. D’Amico, MD, FACS, Englewood Plastic Surgeon)

After pregnancy, the abdomen muscles and skin become significantly stretched and loose. Often the best correction of the laxity of both tissues is achieved through tummy tuck surgery. Liposuction of the waist and back can be performed at the same time to achieve an even more dramatic overall improvement of the body.

There is absolutely no substitute for an in-person evaluation to determine which procedure (or procedures) would work best for you. I recommend that you consult with an experienced board certified plastic surgeon who can advise you. (Paul Fortes, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

It depends on how much fat vs. loose skin you may have. With most tummy tucks the surgeon will do a little bit of liposuction anyway to give the patient the desired result.

A lot of the time a patient would like liposuction of the abdomen and we let them know that they may not get the desired result from liposuction of the abdomen vs tummy tuck. (Mark W. Greene, MD, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)

It depends upon how your body has responded to pregnancy. If you only have some areas of excess fat, but few stretch marks, no overhanging skin, and no laxity of your abdominal wall muscles, liposuction alone might be sufficient.

However, tummy tuck is a much more powerful tool to correct all of these problems – extra skin and fat is removed, the abdominal wall and waistline are tightened, and liposuction is often used supplementally to help with contour of the sides, lower back, or thighs. (Joshua D. Zuckerman, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Both Liposuction and Tummytuck are excellent options to improve body contour, but do have their differences. Liposuction is an excellent option to remove localized areas of fat not responding to diet and exercise. It reduces the volume of fat in those areas, and can be used to sculpt regions and improve contour.

Unfortunately , redundant skin is minimally impacted by the procedure. Tummy tuck surgery targets redundant skin left behind after child birth. It also can address underlying abdominal muscles and tissues stretched out by the pregnancy by plication or tightening of the tissues with sutures.

When necessary, it can be combined with liposuction to maximize the result. It sounds like you may be a better candidate for Tummytuck, but seek advice from a board certified plastic surgeon in your area. (Robert M. Tornambe, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Lipo vs Tummy Tuck

Liposuction addresses the excess fat while a tummy tuck addresses the excess skin and loose muscle and to a lesser extent excess fat.

Sometimes a patient only needs liposuction to achieve a rewarding results.

Other patients will have an improved appearance with either lipo or a tummy tuck and the choice is based on the goals and expectations.

And less commonly, there are patients whose only realistic option is a tummy tuck. (Justin Yovino, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

To determine which surgery you need, you would need an in-person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. He or she will assess your skin to determine what option is best.

Liposuction is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries in North America. During a liposuction procedure, I must get into your deep fat. In order to do so, I will make a tiny incision so a hollow stainless-steel tube known as a cannula can be inserted into the layer of deep fat.

The cannula is then moved to break up the fat cells and a vacuum or syringe is used to remove that fat through suction. An Abdominoplasty (aka Tummy Tuck) is performed to address the loose skin, stretched muscles, and excess fat in the lower abdomen.

This operation has a significant impact on your silhouette and patients are typically very happy in spite of the scars.

Having a tummy tuck done alongside liposuction can result in even more major improvements to the look and shape of your body. (Omar Fouda Neel, MD, FRCSC, FACS, Montreal Plastic Surgeon)

Skin won’t flop and hang after lipo

Many patients are worried that their skin will flop over their belt line after their fat is removed, but that doesn’t happen unless the skin is of very poor quality and has a lot of stretch marks, or has been excessively stretched because there is a very large amount of fat in the lower abdomen so that it hangs over the pubic area.

There are two reasons to choose a tummy tuck over lipo. The first is when the skin is of such poor quality that it won’t likely retract sufficiently after lipo. The second is when the patient will only be happy with very firm, tight skin.

Most patients will see their skin retract nicely after liposuction and won’t require a tummy tuck to see good results. A tummy tuck is a more extensive surgery with inherently more risk and recovery.

In the worst case scenario, a tummy tuck can be performed after liposuction if the results from liposuction are not satisfactory. (Lawrence Osman, MD, Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon)

Liposuction is to remove fat only. Elastic skin can snap back once this fat has been removed. But sometimes, when too much fat is eliminated or if skin elasticity is poor, the skin cannot snap back and becomes saggy.

Liposuction does not help with saggy skin. A tummy tuck gets rid of fat and skin, so you won’t be left with saggy skin. On top of this, muscles that have separated can also be repaired.

It can be difficult for some patients to figure out which procedure is the best for them. Usually, women who’ve had kids require a tummy tuck. (Ronald Levine, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

While it is true that you are able to have both liposuction or a tummy tuck performed on the abdomen these two procedures are designed to yield two completely different contour affects due to their different approaches.

With liposuction we have the ability to help contour and reduce volume in small quantities where diet and exercise are not working. A tummy tuck on the other hand allows the ability for your board certified plastic surgeon to bring the abdominal muscles back to mid-line creating a flat abdominal appearance along with remove any excess skin.

Depending on the degree of contouring needed liposuction may be performed at the same time to allow for a more contoured result. These types of procedures would really need to be discussed at your consultation as the abdominal area will needed to be examined in order to determine which procedure you would benefit most from.

Post-pregnancy body contour changes are challenging for some and others may need little to no contouring. Some patient may only require a mini-tummy tuck to tighten the abdominal muscles only. I would suggest obtaining your goal weight prior to your consult in order receive the most accurate recommendation from your surgeon. (Ronald Downs, MD, FACS, South Bend Plastic Surgeon)

It Can Be Used Alone Or With Another Procedure

Liposuction is one of the most frequently performed plastic surgeries. It can be used alone or with another plastic surgery procedure.

It is performed to remove areas of congenital fatty deposits and to contour the body by removing fat which improves the body contour and proportion.

If you have stretch marks and significant skin laxity who may not be the best candidate for liposuction alone. The skin may tighten some with the liposuction but may not tighten as much as you would like.

A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat. During the procedure many surgeons will also restore weakened or separated abdominal muscles which improves the abdominal contour. Of course the “tummy tuck” procedure has a longer recovery period and a higher cost to the patient but it definitely gives more improvement. (Frank Barone, MD, Toledo Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction versus Tummy Tuck depends on how much extra skin and/or extra fat you have

Many patients present to my office each day in consultation wondering the exact same thing. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that permanently removes fat cells in the areas treated and is ideal for patients with good skin tone who are looking to target a specific region.

I equate liposuction in my practice to taking the air out of a balloon, so one can expect that liposuction will shrink patients down inches, dress sizes and pant sizes for sure, but if the patient has loose or excess skin, liposuction alone will do nothing to help that.

A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty on the other hand, affords your surgeon the ability to address the skin envelope by removing all excess skin and tighten up the abdominal wall muscles. A tummy tuck would therefore do a beautiful job of reshaping the abdomen.

It is important to note that the best procedure for you can only be decided upon after a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. You will be evaluated to determine how much extra or loose skin and fat you have in the abdominal region, and this will determine whether you are a better candidate for one or the other.

Keep in mind that patients will often have a tummy tuck and liposuction together in order to get the best cosmetic result. (Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, Woodbury Plastic Surgeon)