Do Many Surgeons Perform High Definition Tummy Tucks?

Dear Jackie: OK so I’m going to do something that I hate when other people do…I’ll tell you about my experience with only one patient I have seen after having a HD TT done elsewhere. Keep in mind that I do TT/Lipo in combo all the time so I am not against the principle, but this patient had so much fat removed that every little bump and even muscle strand was visible through her skin. It looked horrible and there was nothing I could do to fix it. A Reverse TT might help a little but….not good.

High definition tummy tuck is simply a procedure in which a tummy tuck and liposuction are combined. I always combine liposuction of the flanks and abdomen as an essential part of a tummy tuck. I also perform triple plication of the abdominal fascia to accentuate the waist. A full consultation is necessary before undergoing abdominoplasty. From El Paso...

This is just a clever phrase for what is already practiced by most board certified plastic surgeons. Combining liposuction to some degree with a tummy tuck is common place. To what degree and how aggressive it is performed is up to the individual surgeon. However, always be aware that there are limits to everything and this is no exception. The more liposuction a surgeon does in the direct are of the tummy tuck will definitely lead to a higher rate of complications. Be more concerned about the training and experience of a surgeon than the clever phrases used to describe the procedure. Do your research and ask your friends and pick a board certified plastic surgeon.

High Definition Tummy Tucks is an example of one of the latest marketing gimmicks.  It supposedly incorporates abdominal liposuction to define the muscle outlines.  This in itself can be risky and lead to tissue circulation problems.  An experienced board certified plastic surgeon will work with a patient's anatomy to contour the waist and the abdomen during a tummy tuck while maintaining safety.  Muscle definition is certainly possible if the patient is a good candidate for the procedure and there is not excess abdominal fat.  Be careful with fads and gimmicks.... choose a plastic surgeon who is well experienced.

In order for SOME Plastic surgeons to become more visible than others they "brand" procedures (give a well established procedure a catchy name the media would love) and advertise them as the "latest and greatest" on every possible media venue.

"High Definition" or Hi Def Liposuction was a trade name given to liposuction by an enterprising Denver area surgeon which differentially removed more fat in certain areas of the abdomen giving people a more athletic look. But despite having a large body contouring, tummy tuck and liposuction, practice I am not aware of the term being applied to tummy tucks.

I suspect you are being misled by a slickster. Don't fall for it.

Peter A Aldea, MD

Nothing new here but a "marketing" ploy. Look for the surgeon not the ads. Read all the previous expert posters stating the same thing. 

In today's cosmetic surgery market, many cannot resist the urge to label a procedure with an attractive, eye-catching name and then market this procedure as being somehow better or different than similar procedures being performed by the "competition".  This appears to be the situation you are looking into with the "High Definition Tummy Tuck."  Rather than choosing your surgeon by their marketing, try choosing them by the quality of their results which you should be able to see from their before and after photos-don't look at a few, look at lots of them-, by their certification which should be by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and be asking around in your community.  The old saying is correct, the cream always does rise to the top.  Before you leap, do your homework and meet with multiple surgeons before you proceed.  Remember, there a lots of people out there with "Brand Name" facelifts that are not too happy with their results.  Look before you leap!

BEWARE of "trade-marked" procedures.  The surgeon that has to do this form of marketing is trying to create something to make you think this is something that only he or she is capable of doing.  Have multiple consultations with board certified plastic surgeons and you will find one you are comfortable with.  Don't fall for the hype, study it out and do the right thing.

Best Wishes

Dr. Peterson

This is simply a marketing gimmick to get patients into a certain office in a competitive area. A board certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience always makes the results of a tummy tuck as 'high definition' as a patients anatomy and pre-operative weight will allow. If a surgeon is too a aggressive with extensive undermining and excessive liposuction then major complications occur at a much higher rate, including necrosis of skin in the area. Dr. Reynolds does perform high definition tummy tucks when it is safe and a good option for an individual.

I agree with Dr. Peterson and Dr. Reynolds that this trademarked procedure is about marketing.  Any form of advertising that suggests that this particular plastic surgeon has a procedure that only he/she knows and one that is better than all others is highly suspect.  I recommend you go elsewhere. An experienced plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery will provide you with an abdominoplasty that gives the highest definition your body can have.