Tummy tuck or lipo? 5'9, mom-of-4, 6 months postpartum (Photos)

you are in great shape and just have excess skin and rectus diastasis. You'd be a great candidate for a mini tummy tuck.

Dear brittanys09,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello Brittanys09,
Thank you for your question regarding whether you should opt for a tummy tuck or liposuction as a 5’9” mother of four, six months postpartum. Thank you for your history and the pictures you provided. On the anterior abdominal wall, there are usually only three things that can go wrong: skin, fat, or muscle.

Let’s examine your pictures. From what I see, you don't appear to have much loose skin, nor do you have many stretch marks. Additionally, it doesn't seem like you have excess fat. However, your profile and the picture where you are bending over reveal muscle laxity, which is due to rectus muscle weakness. The muscle we are discussing, the rectus abdominis, is a paired parallel muscle structure joining your lower rib cage to your pubic bone. This muscle can be stretched out due to multiple pregnancies. Even if the separation around the belly button is small, it can still lead to protrusion due to muscle weakness.

If you only had excess fat with normal muscle and skin, liposuction might be a suitable option. However, since liposuction only eliminates fat and marginally tightens the skin, it might not give you the results you desire. Therefore, in my opinion, you need a full tummy tuck with muscle repair. Remember, most of your distended abdomen is due to muscle weakness, not excess skin or fat. Thus, a tummy tuck, not liposuction, is likely the most suitable procedure for you. Good luck.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS
Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeon