Liposuction, tummy tuck or mini tummy tuck - which procedure is best for me? (photo)

Hi BA032014,
Thank you for your question regarding the best procedure for tightening your stomach.

Thank you for your history and your picture. In the abdomen, there are three main structures that can be corrected with a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. First is the rectus abdominal muscle. Usually, with weight gain and weight loss or pregnancy, the rectus muscle is stretched and then collapses. This can lead to a condition called rectus diastasis or RD. Patients with diastasis may need a tummy tuck.

A second reason that patients need a tummy tuck is excess fat of the abdominal wall. Some patients can have just liposuction of the abdomen and achieve good results. Other patients with excess abdominal fat need a formal tummy tuck.

The third reason that people need a tummy tuck is excess skin. If a person has excess skin of the abdomen, this requires removal of that excess skin. During a full tummy tuck, the bellybutton is corrected, and the pubic region is lifted and reduced.

In your statement, you mentioned that you have some diastasis and you did not want a full tummy tuck. You also said you did not want a perfectly flat tummy and that you just wanted some fat gone. If you only want some fat removed, then I would suggest liposuction. However, if you develop a significant amount of excess skin with your 10-pound weight loss, you may need a mini or full tummy tuck.

Most plastic surgeons would agree that your best results would be obtained with either a mini tummy tuck or a full tummy tuck. The mini tummy tuck should include muscle tightening from the incision to just underneath the belly button. The mini tummy tuck will just pull down the skin from the pubic region to the belly button.

If you develop a significant amount of excess skin with your 10-pound weight loss, a full tummy tuck may be required. The only way to correct your diastasis from the xiphoid to the belly button is by undergoing a full tummy tuck.

In conclusion, I would suggest you reassess your body after your weight loss. I hope my answer helps to clarify your question regarding whether you need liposuction, a tummy tuck, or a mini tummy tuck. Good luck.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. Liposuction alone should be able to achieve your goal. Skin laxity is difficult to assess in photos but you should be able to achieve good contraction.

Hello, my name is Dr Burko, and I am a Plastic Surgeon at SY Aesthetics in NYC. Based on your expectations of not wanting a perfectly flat abdomen, I do think that liposuction is an option in your case. Liposuction will only address the excess fat underneath your skin. It will not address your abdominal muscles and it won't flatten and tighten your abdomen.

Hello; from the photo, in the upper and lower abdomen fields; it looks like; you have fat. Nevertheless, your skin quality; unfortunately, it cannot be understood. If your skin quality is sufficient; I recommend for you Vaserlipo and Renuvion J plasma methods. Thus, you will get rid of from your excess fat; it also tightens for your loose skin.

If you want to remove skin then you will need a mini tummy tuck or full tummy tuck. If you want fat removed then you will need liposuction.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

The correct procedure will somewhat depend on your desired results. Liposuction alone will remove fatty pockets but may leave you with more skin laxity and will not address the abdominal wall separation. If you are wanting a flatter tighter abdomen then a tummy tuck is the right choice. I've included a video on choosing between the two that I hope you find helpful.

I would suggest starting with the liposuction and see how you do. since you said you mainly wanted the fat removed, this should work well for you. Once healed, should you be concerned about the excess lower abdominal tissue, then consider a mini tuck.

Abdominal stretching surgery – The most suitable candidates for abdominal aesthetics are patients with a high body mass index (normal or slightly overweight), weak and loose abdominal skin despite diet and exercise, abundant and sagging belly fat accumulation. Especially women who have undergone pregnancy and have gained a certain amount of weight experience a serious loss of gerim in postpartum abdominal muscles and soft tissues. No matter how old they return to their weight, if the block of sagging skin does not disappear and is tried to be hidden in the underwear, abdominoplasty offers the perfect solution option for these patients. Patients who have undergone obesity surgery or have managed to lose high amounts of weight with the diet may also have an excessive skin and folding under the navel due to the loss of skin elasticity. Just as it can happen in older individuals. Patients who aim to lose weight in the near future are not good candidates for tummy tuck aesthetics. Procrastinations (after the weight loss process is completed) are recommended.
If patients with pregnancy plans in the near future are also considering abdominoplasty, they are not good candidates for this operation.Patients with serious systemic chronic diseases that are not under control (such as heart diseases, diabetes..) may be ready for this surgery after the concomitant diseases are regulated.
While the appearance of the trunk is an excellent surgery option for making the abdominal area thin and tight, it is necessary to know that abdominoplasty is a major surgery, a long healing process, and to have realistic expectations about the result of the surgery.

You’re one posted side view, which is really not enough appears to lead us to choosing liposuction for your best option. But best to virtual consult with so the areas can be totally examined virtually. Expect for liposuction fees to start from $4000-$6000.

Choosing the correct procedure should be done based on first and foremost, having a clear understanding of what the primary problem or ideology is.
The second variable to consider is what you’re trying to achieve combined with what you’re willing to go through.
There are usually four variables that determine what they abdomen looks like.
In other words, if somebody doesn’t like the way, their abdomen looks the problem is usually one or more of four different tissue variables.
understanding which tissue layer is primary, secondary or tertiary should be the basis for deciding the procedure.
The four tissue variables that determine what the abdomen looks like are.
1) Abdominal skin laxity, typically due to previous pregnancies or weight loss.2) Subcutaneous fat.3) Muscle separation from previous pregnancies.4) Visceral or abdominal fat.
Skin lack is treated with a full tummy tuck for upper and lower abdomen. A tummy tuck only treats, skin laxity of the lower abdomen.
Liposuction can reduce subcutaneous fat.
Muscle separation from previous pregnancies can only be treated with a full tummy tuckVisceral can only be reduced with weight loss.
We usually don’t assess muscle separation based on this space between the muscles.
Muscle separation is best assessed by determining if the abdominal wall is Or not.
Pregnancies do not cause a change in fat distribution.
Pregnancy related changes are skin laxity, and muscle separation.
For this reason, Liposuction is generally not the treatment of choice for pregnancy related changes.
Generally, the best operation for pregnancy related changes is a full tummy tuck since it addresses both skin laxity and muscle separation.
Mini tummy tuck really delivers a mini result and does not address any bulging of the abdominal wall.
I suggest having multiple in person consultations with plastic surgeons in your community to get an accurate assessment and better Understanding of treatment options.
Giving you a single best procedure based unlimited information is inappropriate.
This type of decision requires an in person consultation.
There are many variables to take the consideration.A Quality assessment also requires an examination to differentiate variables like muscle separation, and excess visceral fat that can look very similar.
For reference a straight abdominal wall should make a beeline between your sternum and your pubic bone.
I would also point out that Liposuction as a procedure seems to have much more variation in skill among plastic surgeons then tummy tuck surgery.
Delivering consistent quality Liposuction results is more difficult than most people realize.
The number of plastic surgeons of truly mastered this procedure is quite small.
I find tummy tuck results also have significant variationregarding you as a provider, but Liposuction has more variation based on who does this surgery then just about any other plastic surgery procedure.Mastering a procedure involves a lot more than just the technical aspect of surgery.
It also includes the ability to make accurate assessments and deliver predictable outcomes.
Limited procedures and give limited results.
A lot of women who have pregnancy related changes try to avoid having a full tummy tuck.
When you choose a procedure that doesn’t address primary ideologies the best you can hope for is a partial improvement.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD