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Please see this 51-year-old female who saw Our Surgical Team in consultation and decided to have HD liposuction of her back and flanks, but a tummy tuck to create a beautiful 360 transformation.
When considering contouring surgery to improve the aesthetics of your belly, several factors must be considered. The typical question I get during my virtual consultations is, “Do I need liposuction or tummy tuck?” Whether you will benefit from liposuction or tummy tuck is based on several factors including the extent of fat excess, degree of skin redundancy, and state of muscle integrity.
Liposuction or Tummy Tuck?
Fat excess can be best determined by pinching the abdominal skin. If the fat is moderate to severe, then it will be best treated with liposuction. If the belly has loose and moderate to severe skin redundancy, it will be best treated with excision of abdominal skin, called a tummy tuck.
Finally, if the underlying abdominal muscles have been stretched out by pregnancy or excessive weight gain, then a full tummy tuck with muscle repair will be necessary.
The decision becomes more complicated when there is a combination of redundant skin and excess fat. In general, if there is laxity of the skin, then some form of a tucking procedure should be considered. For patients with minimal to moderate skin, a mini tummy tuck may be needed. the advantage of this procedure is that simultaneous liposuction and minimal to moderate skin can be excised.
The disadvantage is that only a limited amount of skin can be excised and muscle repair is not possible. When there is a larger degree of skin redundancy, then a full tummy tuck must be considered in order to maximize the removal of skin. In addition, the full tummy tuck will allow for the repair of the loosened abdominal muscles.
If you are considering abdominal contouring and are wondering which procedure is best for you, we urge you to make a consultation with Our Surgical Team.
