BodyTite vs tummy tuck: How much improvement? (Photos)

Question

After 2 children I was left with loose belly skin. I have minimal/no diastasis per my physician. I am considering BodyTite vs tummy tuck. I prefer noninvasive and have reservations about the downtime with a tummy tuck, but also want to get desired results. It’s hard to find the results of BodyTite. How much improvement should I expect?. I would not want it if the area will still feel soft and loose. Could I expect my skin to look taunt again. Any thoughts?

Albert Ko, MD · Answer

Based on your photos, you look like you would be an excellent candidate for BodyTite! Although it would be more invasive and require a bit more down time, a tummy tuck may give you a more drastic change like you are looking for. It depends what you are looking to achieve in the end. I would recommended going for an in-person consultation with a Plastic Surgeon to review your options!

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Lipo and BodyTite would not provide the result you are seeking. A short-scar tummy tuck is right for patients who have loose skin, residual fat, and drooping muscle tissue in the abdominal area. It’s an excellent choice for those patients who are excited by the idea of attaining the results of a full tummy tuck but do not want a long curving abdominal scar after the procedure.
Ideal patients have to be in general good health and somewhere close to their ideal body weight. A healthy lifestyle is a must, both before and after the procedure. To make sure that the results of the procedure last, many doctors ask that patients maintain a steady body weight for six months prior to the procedure and maintain their weight after the procedure.

Danielle Shanley, MD · Answer

Hi there, thank you for your question and photographs. Based on your photos, you may be a great candidate for Body Tite! It will eliminate fat while also tightening the skin. The down-time is much less than tradition surgery. We've seen amazing results with Body Tite that are almost as comparable to surgery. I suggest an in person evaluation with an Expert Plastic Surgeon who offers both. They will tell you the best treatment plan to fit your needs. Good luck!

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Jubilant302531,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

you really need a tummy tuck plus hernia repair for the best results. bodytite and renuvion will make you look better but you will still have looseness and hanging.

my whole practice is doing lipoabdominoplasty, or at least liposuction with internal heating (which is not the gold standard for skin tightening with body contouring).

the smaller you are before liposuction the more contouring you can get from the procedure. most of my liposuction patients get pre and post surgical optimization with hormonal therapy (see link to help boost their weight loss before surgery and help them heal after).

You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

Gilbert Lee, MD · Answer

Thank you for your photos and questions. BodyTite uses radiofrequency to shrink wrap the tissues. It yields about a 40% improvement in skin tightening. It will not give you a surgical result or a taut abdomen but it will improve it somewhat. Based on your photos you are a great candidate for the Body Tite if you have realistic expectations of the system. Its hard to tell in the photo but you may also have an umbilical hernia which would need to be taken into account should you choose BodyTite. One entry point for the probe is normally through the upper umbilicus. I recommend you schedule a consultation with a board certified Plastic Surgeon who has experience with the BodyTite machine. In our office we do this procedure under local anesthesia right in our office. We also offer 3D imaging to give our patients an accurate idea of what their final result will look like. Good luck!

Dean P. Kane, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear Jubilant302531,

Thanks for sharing your photos and congrats for looking so great following 2 pregnancies! You have a dilemma! Skin laxity of the tummy but not enough excess to surgically remove and hide the scars.

BodyTite / ThermiTight are minimally invasive procedures and may give you a 30% improvement in my estimation. My thoughts are that you can have this skin tightening performed by a dual trained, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon / General Surgeon with your umbilical hernia repair.

If you are not pleased, consider a tummy tuck but expect a high or “T” shaped scar.

Good luck with your decision!

Drew Varano, MD · Answer

You should consider Renuvion /J plasma as you appear to be a good candidate for this procedure if you are looking to avoid a tummy tuck.

Mary Beth Mudd, MD · Answer

Thanks for the photos-they were very helpful!  I agree that you have some laxity but this is not severe and you are obviously quite fit and not overweight. The biggest difference between tummy tuck and BodyTite is that tummy tucks remove excess skin while BodyTite tightens skin without removing it.  BodyTite can be done in the office with local tumescent anesthesia so you can avoid the risks and costs of general anesthesia. There will be some tiny scars where the handpiece is placed under the skin but these are minimal. I would recommend combining the BodyTite with Morpheus8 fractional radiofrequency to further increase skin tightening as well as use of Alastin Transform Body, a skin cream to be applied before and after your procedure, since this has been shown to also further improve collagen and elastin formation. Downtime after BodyTite procedures is at most only a few days and there are no drains to deal with. On the other hand, a tummy tuck scar usually goes from hip to hip so there will be significant post-procedure scarring. These surgeries also usually require a drain or drains for proper healing so the downtime is definitely longer than BodyTite downtime.  I am not a plastic surgeon but have done many BodyTite procedures and we get very nice results from this, with great patient satisfaction with the results as well as the process. I do not hesitate to refer a patient for tummy tuck if my exam shows that skin removal is needed rather than skin tightening. I would suggest you consult with a physician who is familiar with both procedures to assess your abdomen and discuss the options that would give you the best results with the least downtime and scarring. Best wishes, Dr. Mary Beth Mudd

Leonard Grossman, MD · Answer

Thank you for a wonderful set of photographs, they truly show the condition of your abdomen. Besides looseness in the skin you also have an umbilical hernia which needs to be repaired. You are clearly in great shape but pregnancies have taken toll on your abdomen. I don’t believe dead body type is going to provide you with the results you’re looking for by a long shot. In my opinion a tummy tuck is warranted in your case. I hope this helps and good luck from New York City Plastic Surgery

BodyTite vs tummy tuck: How much improvement? (Photos)

Answers (12)

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