Will liposuction and / or a tummy tuck be worth it? Visceral fat, stomach protruding.

ello @vcamlove, thank you for your question. You should have a personalized assessment of the process and a surgical plan that takes into account a number of factors, including what you expect and what you may be able to accomplish in the long run as well as pre and postoperative details. To determine the best course of action, a personalized consultation is necessary, in which all aspects are considered. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD, FACS. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD FACS

Hi vcamlove,
Many patients have rectus diastasis (a vertical split in the six pack muscles)--this weakness allows visceral (intra-abdominal) fat to bulge forward and create a bulge. While rectus plication (vertical tightening of the six pack muscles) can improve abdominal contour, the amount of plication possible may be limited in those with lots of visceral fat.
I'd suggest getting to your goal weight, and then meeting with a board certified plastic surgeon.
Hope this helps!
Best,Christopher Pannucci MDBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonPlastic Surgery NorthwestSpokane, Washington

Hello, unfortunately it is hard to answer accurately with a good photograph. In general, I recommend that patient's who have a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 to try diet and exercise as much as possible in order to decrease the intra-abdominal or visceral fat that we cannot removed with liposuction or abdominoplasty. However, patients sometimes need a "jump start" in their weight/body transformation journey and if they are open to a 2 staged procedure, one option may be to perform liposuction in one stage, continue a good diet and exercise program, and then come back to tighten any loose skin and tissue with a secondary tummy tuck. This will be best evaluated with an in-person consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Thank you for your question. Without seeing pictures it's hard to say, but as you continue to lose the intra abdominal fat you may need a tummy tuck procedure. The difference between a tummy tuck and liposuction is, Lipo removes the pinchable fat and you do get some skin tightening which will also help reduce some inches. Tummy tuck's allow your surgeon to tighten up the abdominal wall muscles, pushing down on the intra abdominal fat and removing the extra skin. I would suggest seeing a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in person to evaluate you and discuss your options. Best of luck to you.

Definitely yes, your BMI needs to be less than 32.There can be a higher risk of surgical and anesthetic complication if you have a BMI over 30It is always recommended to lose fat to get optimal results and lower risk for surgery complications.After you are in your ideal weight you can do Tummy Tuck with abdominal muscles repair in combination with liposuction for definition.

Thank-you for your query. Liposuction and tummy tuck do not get rid of the visceral fat, as you know. It is not possible to say without examining you or seeing your pictures, but if you have loose skin and fat in front of the abdominal muscles, and also have “weakness” of abdominal muscles , a tummy tuck with liposuction can help you with all of these issues. It is, of course, important to lose all the visceral fat that you can, for best possible results. Please find a board certified Plastic surgeon near you who can examine you and help you with all your concerns. All the best!

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. Without photos it is difficult to say what may be possible. The presence of a lot of visceral fat will prevent you from achieving the best results. A BMI below 30 would be helpful.

You did not show photos, so I cannot be specific. Liposuction can be done to remove excess fat in front of your muscle. A tummy tuck can help tighten your abdominal muscles so your abdomen does not protrude as much. However, weight loss is needed to remove excess visceral fat.

A tummy tuck treats a protruding abdomen by tightening the abdominal muscles and removing excess skin.
Liposuction treats a protruding abdomen by removing fat from under the skin.

By losing 20 pounds you will have reduced the fat around the viscera. It is worthwhile to go back for a reassessment to see if you have muscle separation, excess skin or excess fat under the skin that can be treated with surgery to reduce your stomach protrusion.

All the best to you,
Dr. Nancy de Kleer

There are four variables that determine what someone’s abdomen looks like. Each of the four variables is treated uniquely.The four variables that can change the appearance of someone’s abdomen or abdominal skin laxity typical from previous pregnancies or weight fluctuations, Excess subcutaneous fat(The fat layer you can pinch between the skin and muscle layer) muscle separation from previous pregnancies call diastasis recti, and finally excess visceral or intra-abdominal fat. Visceral fat can only be reduced with weight loss.Patients with significant visceral fat are not good candidates for a tummy tuck. The visceral fat increases the intra-abdominal volume and will create pressure against a reduced intra-abdominal space that happens with muscle tightening. you didn’t include pictures so we can’t make any kind of actual assessment.Patients who have a tummy tuck without getting rid of visceral fat first tend to be disappointing with the results.Liposuction will only have as much impact as you have subcutaneous fat.Depending on your fat distribution some people have to lower their BMI quite low to reduce visceral fat enough to have a flat abdomen.One way to check to see if you’re ready for a tummy tuck is to see if your abdomen goes completely flat when you lay on your back. another way is to see if it takes any kind of pressure to push your abdomen flat with your non-dominant hand.I see too many people posting on this website thinking the doctor didn’t do a good job when the problem is visceral fat and they may or may not have been told about this before surgery. Having the insight to realize someone has visceral fat puts you had a great advantage because you can either reduce it or at least know that it will significantly limit the results of a full tummy tuck. Liposuction will most likely work well in all the areas except for you needed the most.Again no pictures so I can’t make an assessment.Best,Mats Hagstrom MD