Liposuction or Mini Tummy Tuck for Sagging Upper Abdomen?

My wife is scheduled for breast augmentation within the next few months. she also has some left over skin from giving birth to my three lovely children. We can not afford to do all procedures right now, but we can afford to add Liposuction during the breast augmentation for her upper abdomen. My fear is this would add to her discomfort with her excess skin sagging in her lower abdomen. Would it be better for her to have the upper area done or wait until she can have a mini Tummy Tuck?

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12 Doctor Answers | Asked by Tonyinutah in Salt lake city Utah

Doctor Answers (12)
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You should wait for a full tummy tuck

Hi Tony, Thank you for your question. Liposuction only removes fat which could cause more sagging in the area. It does nothing much for loose skin. A mini tummy tuck only addresses the area below the belly button which from what you have described, would not really help her upper abdomen. What would most likely be the best procedure for your wife would be a full tummy tuck or some variation of that. I would talk with your plastic surgeon to make sure, but it may be best to just wait until... more

Look at anatomy...

If her main problem is excess fat, liposuction might be the solution. If it is loose or excessive skin, then skin reduction or tightening is required. Don't have liposuction if the problem is the skin. if the problem is too much fat, then skin reduction may not be the ideal solution. You can only get an answer with a full consultation and examination by a plastic surgeon.

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

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Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

SlimLipo can tighten upper abdominal skin

Standard liposuction will leave loose skin as the other doctors have said. I have had very good luck with a new laser assisted liposuction device that uses a combination 924/975 laser wavelength called Slim Lipo to remove fat and tighten upper abdominal skin (see before and after below). I used this in conjunction with a mini tummy tuck on a patient who did not have adequate skin for a full tummy tuck. This technology is new and hard to find. There are other laser lipo devices out there but... more

Neither - what she needs is a full tummy tuck

Neither liposuction nor a mini tummy tuck will address the upper abdomen. In fact they will make it worse. What she needs is a full tummy tuck when the time and finances are right.

Mini- Tummy Tuck vs. Liposuction

Hi there- Based on your description of the current findings and the desired goal, I do not think that your wife is going to be satisfied with either liposuction or a mini tummy tuck... Mini tummy tucks produce no improvement above the belly button (and in my opinion, actually make this area look worse), and liposuction (no matter with what machine) will do nothing for the skin left by those glorious children. I would recommend that when time and finances allow, she see a surgeon certified by The more

Liposuction of an abdomen with loose skin will only make the loose skin looser

I would encourage you to have your wife wait until you all can afford to have the right operation that will correct her abdominal problem. Only a full abdominalplasty will correct the loose skin of the upper abdomen. I like to do liposuction of the abdomen at the same time as the abdominalplasty and suture the remains skin flaps down to the abdominal wall. This allow the avoidance of a drain is almost all cases, causes less discomfort and seems to allow a some what quicker recovery. In... more

Neither liposuction nor mini tummy tuck will correct sagging upper abdomen.

Hi! If I understand you correctly, neither is a good option. Liposuction removes excess fat when the skin is reasonably tight. Mini abdominoplasty only corrects problems below the belly button, and is not often indicated. The sagging upper abdomen is not corrected and can be made worse. In NYC, we would tell you to wait until she can have a full tummy tuck with minimal undermining, and this corrects both the upper and the lower stomach, and is safe.

Sagging upper abdomen

If the problem is primarily sagging skin in the upper abdomen, neither liposuction nor a mini tuck are likely to improve this. Liposuction removes fat, and can further exacerbate loose skin. Mini tucks do nothing to tighten the skin above the belly button, since they only work below the belly button. When upper abdominal skin is the issue, a full tummy tuck or one of the many different variations now available may be right for her. Congrats on the children by the way!

Abdominoplasty later on

A mini tummy tuck will only deal with the excess skin in the lower abdomen. Liposuction of the upper abdomen will help with the excess fat. These are two different issues. It seems that the best option is to proceed with the breast augmentation and address the abdomen later on. Best of luck!

Don't undergo a band-aid procedure

The mini-tummy tuck will do nothing to help with excess skin in the upper abdomen. It sounds as though your wife would benefit from a full abdominoplasty so the best course for you would be to have the breast augmentation now, make sure to continue on a common sense diet and exercise plan once clearded by your board-certified plastic surgeon, and then have the full abdominoplasty. Best of luck. Dr Edwards

Thanks for the clarification

Tony, Your clarification provided some valuable information. It sounds as though your wife could undergo the liposuction of the upper abdomen with the breast augmentation, then do the tummy tuck later. This will also give you the option of extending the tummy tuck higher to address the upper abdominal skin if needed after the liposuction. Be sure that the motivations are coming from your wife and not from your desires for how she should look.

Not a Mini!

Congratulations on your family! Now, to the business at hand. A "mini" tummy tuck (mtt) only really addresses the skin/fat/weak muscles between the navel and pubic bone, and therefore would not address the upper abdomen at all. The liposuction may be a good idea if the skin has enough elasticity to shrink down to the smaller size. You need this information to make your decision. sek