Emsculpt before or after tummy tuck?

Thank you for your question regarding the timing and compatibility of Emsculpt with a tummy tuck procedure. Emsculpt is a non-invasive treatment that uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy to stimulate muscle contractions, aiming to strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles. While this is a popular procedure for those looking to enhance their core, it may not be necessary if you are planning on undergoing a tummy tuck with muscle repair.

During a tummy tuck, particularly one with muscle repair (also known as rectus diastasis repair), the separated abdominal muscles are surgically brought back together. This is often necessary after events like pregnancy or significant weight changes, which can cause the rectus abdominis muscles to stretch and separate. The surgeon uses sutures to restore the muscle alignment and tension, creating a flatter, firmer abdominal wall. After this repair, your muscles will already be in an optimal position, effectively eliminating the need for additional strengthening procedures like Emsculpt.

If you were to do Emsculpt before your tummy tuck, it could help build muscle mass in the abdominal region, but it would not address the underlying separation of muscles or excess skin, which are primary concerns addressed by a tummy tuck. Additionally, undergoing Emsculpt after your tummy tuck isn’t harmful, but its benefits may be minimal since the surgical muscle repair already enhances core strength and function.

For optimal results, I recommend focusing on preparing for your tummy tuck by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and strengthening your core naturally with exercises approved by your surgeon. After your tummy tuck and full recovery, you can evaluate whether additional muscle toning with Emsculpt is necessary, but in most cases, patients find they don’t need it.

Be sure to discuss your goals with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can guide you through the best treatment plan tailored to your needs. Best of luck with your upcoming procedures!

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Optimal results from EMSculpt can be seen when treatment is started six weeks after surgery, if done prior to surgery any gains will likely be lost during your recovery period

Tummy tuck with Vaser liposuction should give optimal results. In our office, we do not perform Emsculpt with tummy tucks.

In my opinion, Emsculpt should not be performed first months post op as muscle tightening is healing and may be jeopardized. Perhaps, Emsculpt before tummy tuck to enhance muscle tone, but should be discussed further with your plastic surgeon.

Combining procedures like a tummy tuck with muscle repair, vaser liposuction, and Emsculpt is possible, but the timing and sequence of these treatments should be carefully planned in consultation with your plastic surgeon. Each procedure serves different purposes, and the safety and efficacy of combining them depend on various factors, including your overall health, individual anatomy, and the surgeon's recommendations.

Here are some considerations for combining these procedures:

Tummy Tuck with Muscle Repair and Vaser Liposuction:

A tummy tuck with muscle repair addresses excess abdominal skin, tightens abdominal muscles, and removes localized fat deposits. Vaser liposuction can be used to contour and sculpt the surrounding areas. These procedures are often performed together to achieve comprehensive abdominal rejuvenation.
Emsculpt:

Emsculpt is a non-invasive treatment designed to stimulate muscle contractions, leading to muscle strengthening and toning. While it can complement surgical procedures, it does not address excess skin or fat and is primarily focused on muscle enhancement.
Optimal Sequence:

The optimal sequence of procedures can vary based on your individual goals and the surgeon's recommendations. In many cases, the tummy tuck with muscle repair and vaser liposuction is performed first to address skin laxity, muscle separation, and excess fat. Emsculpt can be considered at a later stage to further enhance muscle definition.
Recovery and Healing:

Combining surgical procedures can impact the overall recovery process. Your surgeon will consider factors such as healing time, postoperative care, and any potential limitations on physical activity.
Consultation with a Plastic Surgeon:

Schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your goals, medical history, and preferences. They can assess your individual case, provide personalized recommendations, and develop a treatment plan that aligns with your objectives.
The safety and success of combining procedures depend on various factors, and it's important to choose a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon who can guide you through the decision-making process. Open communication with your surgeon is crucial to ensure that your treatment plan is tailored to your specific needs and yields optimal results.

Emsculpt is designed to stimulate the muscles leading to improved muscle tone. All things considered I'd do the tummy tuck first and Emsculpt would help to define your abdominal muscles after.

The timing of Emsculpt and a tummy tuck can vary based on individual circumstances. Typically, Emsculpt is used to strengthen and tone muscles, while a tummy tuck addresses excess skin and fat, with some surgeons also performing muscle repair. Consult with your surgeon to determine the best sequence based on your specific goals and medical considerations.

Begin with the tummy tuck with muscle repair and liposuction. You may find after surgery that nothing further is needed other than maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. Discuss your concerns with your surgeon as opinions may vary.

The two most important variables when it comes to cosmetic surgery outcomes is patient candidacy, and provider selection.
There isn’t all that much patients can do regarding their own candidacy for surgery with the exception of weight loss for individuals who are obese. With patients do have control over his provider selection.Being bored, certified in plastic surgery with years of experience does not mean somebody has mastered anyone single procedure or is he been good at them.
This is especially true for Liposuction
Delivering consistent quality, liposuction, results is more difficult than most people realize. The type of equipment used is not of particularly great importance. Understanding your candidacy for the procedure, and choosing a provider who is mastered the procedure of the two variables that matter.
A lot of plastic surgeons will do a combined tummy tuck with Liposuction. I find the liposuction results are often compromised when the procedure is done in conjunction. There are a few reasons for this. The first is the providers are often apprehensive to reposition the patient on the operating table to do liposuction. Too many times the patients are left laying on their back, and this is not an ideal position to do body contouring with Liposuction. The second reason is that the surgeon thinks of the tummy tuck is the primary procedure and just goes through the motions of doing Liposuction. In other words, a significant number of providers don’t take liposuction seriously enough as a proper procedure that requires time, effort, and attention to detail.
There are also safety issues that may prevent some surgeons from doing aggressive, liposuction in conjunction with a tummy tuck.
Whether Liposuction should be done first, or the tummy tuck should be done first is a decision that varies from provider to provider.
There are advantages to both options.
I suggest you start the process by focusing on the fundamental basic variables that are going to determine your outcome.
The first is getting a clear understanding regarding your candidacy for each of the procedures. The second is provider selection.
Emsculpt is probably relatively insignificant in the big picture.
To begin to get a good understanding of your candidacy, including a good understanding of what each procedure can, and cannot accomplish, as well as to start the vetting process for plastic surgeons in regards to Liposuction and tummy tuck skills I suggest the following general guidelines.
To find the best provider, I suggest patient schedule multiple in person consultations with experienced plastic surgeons in their community. During each consultation, ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before and after pictures of previous patients who have similar body or facial characteristics to your own. An experienced plastic surgeon should have no difficulty showing you the before and after pictures of at least 50 previous patients. An experienced provider should in fact have hundreds or preferably thousands of before and after pictures to choose from for commonly performed procedures.
Being shown a handful of preselected images, representing the best results of a provider’s career is insufficient to get a clear understanding of what average results will look like in the hands of each provider.
There is no correct number of consultations needed to find the best provider. The more consultations you scheduled the more likely you are to find the best provider for your needs.
Take careful notes during each consultation, especially regarding the quantity and quality of before and after pictures. It’s not a bad idea to bring pictures of your own body/face to use as reference when reviewing before and after pictures.
The biggest mistake patients make is scheduling only one consultation without properly vetting or comparing providers before scheduling surgery.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD