X-ray or body scan prior to liposuction or tummy tuck (visceral vs. subcutaneous fat)?

Question

I've read about both visceral and subcutaneous fat and would like to know if a procedure (x-ray/scan) exists that can/should be done prior to liposuction, or tummy tuck. In other words, how does one determine how much of abdominal fat is visceral? And based on this answer can one potentially predict outcome of such procedure. It seems that this could be a helpful pretest. Thank you.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Hello.
Great question. No expensive test is needed to determine if you have visceral fat or not. A board certified plastic surgeon can determine that by images and/or a personal examination. Please visit a board certified plastic surgeon for a detailed surgical plan to achieve your desired results.

Bradley L. Ashpole, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  You are correct in understanding that body contouring can really only treat subcutaneous fat.  Visceral fat is best treated with diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.  You do not need an expensive test to determine which type of fat you have.  An experienced board certified plastic surgeon should easily be able to tell you this on exam.  They should also be able to discuss realistic outcomes for any procedure you may desire.  Hope that helps.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear mcdherr,
visceral fat is located inside your abdomen and subcutaneous fat is located under skin and above the muscles. A physical examination is good method to determine the amount of fat and the best procedure. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. 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

Johnson C. Lee, MD · Answer

You do not need an X-ray or scan to evaluate your visceral vs subcutaneous fat. The subcutaneous fat is the amount that you can pinch in your fingers or push down through until you hit the firm wall of your abdominal muscles. You can tell how much visceral fat you have by looking at your profile and seeing how much your abdominal muscles bulge forward. Your plastic surgeon should able to know how much you have just from the physical examination. Your visceral fat will limit how narrow or skinny you can get on profile view since this cannot be removed with surgery. The visceral fat can only be reduced through diet and exercise. This is why it is still important to eat healthy and exercise even after liposuction. Hope this helps!
Johnson C. Lee, MD 
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

An in person consultation will allow your board certified plastic surgeon to make a determination. Cosmetic surgery typically treats subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat is usually resolved in alternative ways such as diet and exercise.  A Skype or FaceTime consultation with a VASER specialist will help you get an accurate recommendation and pricing. 
Respectfully, 
Arian Mowlavi MD, FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

We generally do not do studies to determine if someone has excess intra-abdominal fat. If it was to be done the best study would most likely be an MRI. I don’t believe that radiologists have done a lot of reference work in order to give perspective in regards to individual differences.The relationship between excess visceral fat and subcutaneous fat can easily be determined by an examination.People with excess visceral fat have a bulging abdomen starting with the muscle wall. To suck in and hold a flat abdomen takes a lot of force and if a provider pushes the abdomen flat during an examination the patient will often experience a feeling of fullness to the point of difficulty in taking a deep breath. If someone can easily hold the abdominal wall straight up and down between the pubic bone and their breast bone then intra-abdominal fat is usually not so much of an issue. To determine subcutaneous fat the best approach is to put the skin under gentle tension and pushing it with one finger until you feel the underlying muscle layer. I don’t recommend pinching skin to assess thickness a fat layer because this simply recruits skin, causes a sandwich doubling affect with two layers of fat and two layers of skin. Any competent plastic surgeon will be able to easily differentiate your fat distribution and give you a good idea in regards to potential outcomes.That said, those who have extensive experience in a highly committed to the art of body contouring will do a better job Add not only delivering high-quality results but also assessing the patient’s determining what kind of results are possible for that individual.You can post pictures on real self if you’d like and I’m sure you’ll get a few thoughts on your candidacy for liposuction including potential excess visceral fat.radiographic studies are not needed and are not indicated for this.Best, Mats Hagstrom MD

Sybile Val, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Thank you for your question! Upon examination any Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will be able to let you know if your fat is visceral or subcutaneous.

X-ray or body scan prior to liposuction or tummy tuck (visceral vs. subcutaneous fat)?

Answers (7)

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