Please see this 51-year-old female who saw a SurgiSculpt physician 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. A favorite question during my virtual consultations is, “Do I need liposuction or a 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, liposuction will best treat it. If the belly has loose and moderate to severe skin redundancy, it will be best treated with abdominal skin excision, called a tummy tuck.
Finally, if the underlying abdominal muscles have been stretched out by pregnancy or excessive weight gain, a full tummy tuck with muscle repair will be necessary.
The decision becomes more complicated when redundant skin and excess fat are combined. In general, if the skin has laxity, then some form of a tucking procedure should be considered. A mini tummy tuck may be needed for patients with minimal to moderate skin. 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 impossible. A full tummy tuck must be considered to maximize skin removal when there is a larger degree of skin redundancy. In addition, the full tummy tuck will allow for the repair of the loosened abdominal muscles.
However, the traditional tummy tuck will not allow simultaneous abdominal etching using high-definition liposuction”>high definition liposuction. Fortunately, SurgiSculpt physicians have recently developed the High Definition Tummy tuck that allows for maximal skin removal while accommodating abdominal etching. There are certain success factors to consider for the ideal tummy tuck.
If you are considering abdominal contouring and wondering which procedure is best for you, we urge you to consult a SurgiSculpt physician.
