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Tummy Tuck Vs Liposuction for Abdomen

asked 3 years ago by bobbie_d in Los Gatos, CA USA
Latest answer by Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
Question viewed 3,053 times
Tags: age 55-64, abdomen, female, c-section, comparison

I am 112 pounds with thin arms and legs. My abdomen has always been large in proportion to my body, but after 3 C-sections, it is huge. I could pass for being 5-6 months pregnant. I have been told there is not a lot of fat there but the underlying tissues are very weak. Over the years I have done multiple abdominal exercises and nothing works. I am 60 years old and in good health. What do you recommend?

19 answers to Tummy Tuck Vs Liposuction for Abdomen

Tummy Tuck vs. Liposuction

Do the pinch test! Pinch your upper abdominal skin. if you can pinch about 2 inches of tissue or fat that means that the majority of your abdominal fullness is subcutaneous fat. In this case you should first consider liposuction. On the other hand, if you can only pinch one inch of fat in your upper abdomen, and you still have a large protruding abdomen, then it would seem that most of this fullness is due to loosness of the abdominal wall. In this case a tummy tuck would be better. more

S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.beautifulself.com

Tummy Tuck vs. Liposuction

Based on your description, the answer is probably a tummy tuck or a combination of tummy tuck and liposuction as it sounds that your primary objectives would be to tighten the abdominal wall and remove excess skin. Liposuction may help reduce the excess fat. I would suggest a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who can provide you with an exam to determine more precisely the basis of your concern.

Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck versus liposuction

If your problem were just fat below the skin alone and you were willing to accept loose skin, then liposuction would be a compromise option. It is difficult without examining you, but if some of the bulging of your abdomen is due to the intra-abdominal contents pushing out, then liposuction will likely not be a good option and a tummy tuck with muscle repair and excess skin removal would be better.

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tucks address skin, muscle, and fat.

From what you describe you are suffering from a weakening in the muscle wall that is usually a result of pregnancy. Many women come in to my office desiring liposuction or even "Smartlipo" when in fact the correct procedure is a tummy tuck. An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) is a surgical procedure which allows the surgeon to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall (like tightening a corset,) remove the extra stretched out skin, and remove any excess fat. The tradeoff is a scar where... more

Evan Sorokin, MD
Cherry Hill Plastic Surgeon

From the way you describe your body, it is clear that a...

From the way you describe your body, it is clear that a tummy tuck is the more appropriate procedure for what you want. Liposuction would do essentially nothing for you. The only way to improve your abdominal contour is to tighten the muscles and remove the extra skin as is done in a tummy tuck. Make sure you go to an excellent plastic surgeon who does this procedure very often because you are a little older than the usual patient and need the judgement and technical expertise of an... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Given your description of your abdomen, I would imagine...

Given your description of your abdomen, I would imagine a tummy tuck would be the best procedure for you. It's an operation designed to tighten the abdominal wall muscles as well as to remove any excess skin that you may have low on your abdomen. Some liposuction can be performed at the same time, but the best thing to do is to consult with a couple of Board Certified Plastic Surgeons in your area and get their opinions on what would work best for you.

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.drsalemy.com

Tummy tuck with muscle repair

A tummy tuck has the distinct advantage over liposuction and other non-invasive fat reduction technique in that it as the ability to surgically remove loose skin and also address the laxity of the underlying abdominal muscles - often called rectus diastasis. Based on your description, I would not settle for any other type of procedure as you need to tighten the underlying muscles to help flatten your abdominal contour and reduce the pregnant look. The C-section scar can be used... more

Young R. Cho, MD, PhD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck

It sounds as if you would a good candidate for a tummy tuck; however, a photo would be nice. It would be a safe procedure for you.

Shahin Javaheri, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Perfect candidate for a full tummy tuck

It sounds like you would be a perfect candidate for a tummy tuck. In a tummy tuck, the plastic surgeon will elevate the skin and fat and assess the underlying musculature. The plastic surgeon will then perform a muscle repair which it sounds like you would benefit from. The plastic surgeon would then remove any excess fat and then retake the skin and remove any excess skin and stretch marks at that time. This will have the benefit of tightening your abdomen removing excess skin and... more

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

www.miamiaesthetic.com

Full tummy tuck not liposuction is necessary to tighten lax muscles

From your description it sounds as though you have lax muscles causing part of the protuberance of your abdomen. You need an exam to determine this. If you have lax muscles then a full abdominoplasty will be required. Mini tummy tuck does not allow full repair or tightening of the abdominal muscles. Liposuction only removes fat and will not tighten the tiummy if you have lax muscles.

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

www.drseckel.com

Full Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) is THE Solution

Contrary to what you may read, one pregnancy but especially three, results in stretching of the abdominal wall which exercise, diet, liposuction Mini-tummy tucks CANNOT repair. The ONLY way to obtain a flat tummy is with a well-done full tummy tuck. The operation will bring the tummy muscles together, flatten the tummy / do away with any pooching, narrow your waist, lift a sagging Mons pubis and even smooth any sagging and cellulite dimpling of the anterior thighs.

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck with muscle repair is probably the best answer

SEE VIDEO BELOW: Your abdominal appearance is most likely due to lax muscles at your body weight. Liposuction alone is unlikeley to accomplish much. Without a picture, it is difficult to say but my guess is that the muscle repair of a full tummy tuck could produce a more dramatic result see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck

There is no place for liposuction in your case. You are describing a very lax abdominal waal and seperation of the muscles. You need to be evaluated by a Board Certified PS for complete examination and discussion of your optios and risks. If your abdominal wall is that lax you may benefit from a "component seperation type of repair."

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Benefits of a Tummy Tuck

Based on your description, you may be an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck procedure. Tummy tucks involve repairing the stretched out muscles from pregnancy and tightening of the rectus muscles while also removing the loose excess skin from the abdominal region. Find a board certified plastic surgeon to perform your surgery.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

Tummy tucks for thin patients with large stomachs

Based on your description, it sounds like you have a significant amount of abdominal wall laxity rather than fat - possibly similar to the patient in my video. In cases such as hers, a tummy tuck allows the surgeon to tighten up the weak abdominal wall and flatten the abdomen. You may be a candidate, but at age 60 you should be in perfect health before considering such major surgery. My advice is to visit with a board certified plastic surgeon. Have them examine your stomach and... more

Michael A. Bogdan, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck vs. Liposuction

Don't take your diagnosis and treatment options from the web. From your description, you sound like a tummy-tuck is the best option. But I have not examined you. You should see a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience in this technique. Your best bet to locate a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area is to contact plasticsurgery.org.

Jack Gelman, MD
Frankfort Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction and Tummy Tuck are totally different

The Tummy Tuck and the Liposuction are two separate procedures. Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fatty tissue from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten muscles of the abdominal wall. Liposuction is a surgical technique to remove unwanted deposits of fat from specific areas of body, including the face and neck, upper arms, trunk, abdomen, buttocks, hips and thighs, and the knees, calves and ankles. The full abdominoplasty procedures should be... more

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck

A tummy tuck will adress your concerns. The procedure removes excess skin and fat. It also tightens the abdomen from inside as well. Sometimes liposuction can be combined with the procedure as well or delayed to a later time to improve the contour.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

The pregnancies and C-sections have likely weakened your...

The pregnancies and C-sections have likely weakened your abdominal wall. It sounds like you have loose skin so lipo would probably not be the ideal procedure. An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) will allow strengthening of your abdominal wall and allow removal of all the loose skin. Some liposuction can also be done at the same time, if indicated. More Liposuction can also be done later on after recovery from tummy tuck is more aggressive contouring is necessary.