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Love Handles - Lipo of the Flanks or Extend the Tummy Tuck Incision?

asked 1 year ago by bybybelly in VA
Latest answer by Robert M. Freund, MD
Question viewed 802 times
Tags: comparison, incision, love handles

Is it possible to eliminate, or greatly reduce, "love handles" during a tummy tuck by extending the incision or is lipo still necessary?

17 answers to Love Handles - Lipo of the Flanks or Extend the Tummy Tuck Incision?

Liposuction can enhance tummy tuck results

I routinely combine liposuction of the flanks and the lower back with a high tension abdominoplasty or tummy tuck in Los Angeles in order to create a more curvaceous look and to eliminate the "love handles".

S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.beautifulself.com

Love handles or muffin top- tummy tuck of flank plasty

Excisions remove extra skin but leaves scars. Lipo removes extra fat but not extra skin. A thorough analysis should be made of what type of tummy tuck, how long the incision should be, whether the patient should have a tummy tuck alone, an extended tummy tuck, or a flank plasty (or a total body lift). Often the answer is not so easy. If the better result would also necessitate longer scars, is the improvement worth it? An experienced plastic surgeon can guide... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Love Handles

I use liposuction in the love handle area most of the time. The incisions are smaller and the skin shrinks very well in that region most of the time. However there are times when an extension of the incision is needed to remove loose or excess skin. Your surgeon should be able to guide you in this decision.

Douglas L. Gervais, MD
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

How to deal with love handles?

Liposuction is typically the best method to deal with love handles during a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. If there is excess skin or skin laxity in this area, I often recommend extending the abdominoplasty incision in order to obtain the best possible results.

Frank Agullo, MD
El Paso Plastic Surgeon

www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com

How to treat love handles?

I always liposuction the waist and hip areas during abdominoplasty. In many cases this will deal with the patient's concerns. However, if the love handles extend around onto the back, just above the buttocks, then the operation must begin with the patient lying prone (i.e., face down). The patient is then turned to complete the abdominoplasty. I would have to see your photos to tell what would need to be done in your case. In rare patients who have achieved dramatic... more

Eric Pugash, MD
Vancouver Plastic Surgeon

www.vancouvercosmeticsurgery.ca

Liposuction Is Better For Reducing Love Handles Than A Longer Tummy Tuck Scar

In a typical tummy tuck, the fullness in the love handle area is typically beyond its reach as judged by the end of the incisions by the hips. This is why many tummy tucks include liposuction of the love handles (flanks) to make for a more complete waistline result. While a tummy tuck incision can be extended into the back area, it should only be done for the purpose of removing extra skin and avoiding dog ears. Liposuction is more effective for the love handles because it removes fat over a... more

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

Treatment for love handle

It is difficult to answer your question without photos. Most of times, I would perform tummy tuck and liposuction of waist/flank for "love handles." However, if the area of love handle has a lot of excess skin, then I would extend the incision longer (extended tummy tuck) and incorporate the love handle into my tummy tuck.

Sugene Kim, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Love handles, extend the tummy tuck, or suction

We feel that most feel that the tummy tuck scar is long enough, and suctioning should take care of the hip or love handle during a tummy tuck procedure unless there are special circumstances. If you have had considerable weight loss and skin laxity onto the hip an extended tummy tuck can make sense, but for most suctioning will do nicely. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Lipo works

I do not use an extended incision because if it is only fat, liposuction takes care of the love handles without larger incisions. This is done at the same time as the abdominoplasty.

William B. Rosenblatt, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Love Handles & Tummy Tuck

You have mentioned the two ways of dealing with love handles for someone undergoing a tummy tuck. A photo, as usual, would be helpful. The key is the quality of the skin in the love handle area. If the skin is healthy and elastic, it can probably be treated with liposuction. On the other hand, if the skin is nonelastic and in excess, it would probably be best to extend the incision and excise it. a board-certified plastic surgeon can discuss the advantages and... more

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction of flanks

In my experience liposuction is the most effective way to deal with "love handles" because it can be done through a small incision and often results in adequate shrinkage of the overlying skin. I almost always do this in combination with abdominoplasties. This is a real nice finishing touch to make the torso refined

Delio Ortegon, MD
San Antonio Plastic Surgeon

www.sacs-sa.com

Love Handle Treatment

This is difficult to answer without an examination. However, if the “love handles” are at the hip, and you are having a Tummy Tuck, then they can be treated either by extending the incision some, Liposuction with a shorter incision or a combination. If the “love handles” are higher, Liposuction is the only way to treat them. Depending on the exact location, this may or may not be advisable with an abdominoplasty, because of the risk of reducing blood supply to the... more

Robert T. Buchanan, MD
Highlands Plastic Surgeon

Love Handles; Liposuction or Tummy tuck?

Reducing the flank "love handle" areas may be done with liposuction alone , tummy tuck alone or a combination of both. It is difficult to answer this question with regard to a particular patient without photos and an examination. In general, if good skin tone is present, liposuction may be all that is needed to improve contour in these areas. If a tummy tuck is planned, extending the incisions may be helpful with or without liposuction to help slim down these... more

Stephen Delia, M.D.
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Several ways to smooth love handles

Liposuction is usually the easiest way to reduce love handles, but if there is a significant amount of excess skin as well, then extending the incision further back helps as well. When there is a great deal of excess skin in that area, as is the case after massive weight loss, then we can do a lower body lift. It depends on your body type and also your wishes regarding the resultant scars.

Mario Loomis, MD
Middletown Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction is a routine part of the High Lateral Tension Tummy Tuck

We can extend the incision completely around the body, but strive to make the incision as short as possible. One of the ways to minimize scar length os to incorporate power assisted liposuction as part of the procedure.

Robert M. Freund, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Love handles and abdominoplasty

Usually the skin tone in the love handle region is good enough to just do lipo (unless the patient has lost a lot of weight). I usually do the lipo first with the patient prone, then turn the patient and do the abdominoplasty. If there has been a lot of weight loss and there is skin laxity in the love handle area, I recommend a lower body lift which will address the abdomen, the flanks and the back.

Lisa L. Sowder, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.sowdermd.com

Liposuction of the abdomen, waist and flanks can enhance the results of a tummy-tuck

I always incorporate liposuction and the abdomen and waist as part to the tummy-tuck procedure. This allows me to achieve a better waistline for my patients and reduce the length of the abdominoplasty incision. If there is fullness of the flanks (lumbar roll) I frequently recommend liposuction of this area in addition to the tummy-tuck. It there is a great deal of loose skin, I recommend lengthening the incision (extended tummy-tuck) combined with... more