Late 40s lady, am I a good candidate for lipo? (Photos)

Question

My abdomen never recovered from having a baby at 40. I eat healthy, have a BMI of 24, and exercise daily. Is this extra fat or is it loose skin? What would give me good results? I realize my bikini days are behind me.

Mark Edward Hennessy, MD · Answer

You have developed stubborn fat after having a beautiful baby. Based upon your photos and history it is my opinion that you are a great candidate for liposuction. Your results will be better than average because your skin appears to be elastic, your are young, and you are exercising. I applaud you for maintaining a healthy diet and exercising while balancing the care for a new addition to your family.
Hope this helps.

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question regarding whether you are a good candidate for liposuction. Thank you for providing your medical history and pictures. Upon examining your pictures, it appears that you have excess fat and some excess skin, as well as weak abdominal muscles. The weakness of the abdominal muscles can be seen on your profile view, which is likely a result of your pregnancy. Despite having a BMI of 24 and being lean, you still have a weak rectus abdominal muscle with mild fat. It's important to note that liposuction will not address the weakness in your rectus muscle. In your case, an abdominal plasty or tummy tuck is recommended. During a tummy tuck, the rectus muscles are tightened and brought together, resulting in a flatter abdomen. This will be the main goal of your surgery. During the procedure, the excess skin and fat will also be removed from the area between the top of your pubic region and the top of your belly button. Liposuction may or may not be necessary during the tummy tuck, depending on your specific situation. Therefore, in your case, I would not recommend liposuction. Due to the muscle weakness you experienced during your pregnancy, a tummy tuck is the best course of action to achieve a flatter abdomen. I hope this answers your question about whether you are a good candidate for liposuction.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Giuseppe Fiore, MD · Answer

Hello,

Thank you for your question and for providing your photos.

Ideally, a physical examination of your abdomen would be necessary to determine the exact cause of the fullness. In my clinical practice, I conduct a thorough physical examination to differentiate between potential factors such as the accumulation of fat beneath the skin, the presence of internal visceral fat, or a separation of the anterior abdominal muscles due to a previous pregnancy. Each of these factors requires a different treatment approach.

When discussing treatment options with my patients, I always present several choices ranging from more invasive to less invasive procedures. One option is abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, which is suitable for patients seeking a flatter and more toned abdomen. This procedure involves removing excess skin and tightening the underlying muscles to create a contoured and firm abdominal appearance. However, it is important to note that this procedure does result in a significant scar on the lower abdomen.

Another less invasive option is Vaser liposuction combined with Renuvion/J plasma or Bodytite, targeting the upper and lower abdomen, flanks, and back area. This approach is ideal for patients looking to contour their body and improve their waistline with fewer and less extensive scars. It's worth mentioning that this procedure does not remove excess skin. Combining Renuvion with Vaser liposuction can enhance the potential for skin tightening. My preferred method involves circumferential body Vaser liposuction (360-degree approach) and Renuvion/J plasma, which is an excellent choice for individuals seeking body contouring and silhouette enhancement while minimizing scarring and avoiding a tummy tuck. Renuvion typically requires only one session and is performed under general anesthesia or sedation in a hospital setting. Bodytite, on the other hand, requires one session in combination with Morpheus 8 (three sessions four weeks apart).

It is important to note that liposuction is not a weight loss procedure and does not address visceral fat. Therefore, I strongly advise my patients to maintain a healthy diet and engage in regular exercise to achieve overall wellness.

I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a surgeon who specializes in body contouring and skin tightening. They can assess your specific situation and recommend the best course of treatment for you. During your consultation, they will also discuss any potential risks and benefits associated with the chosen procedure.

I hope this information helps. Best of luck with your journey.

Warm regards,
Dr. Giuseppe Fiore

Kelvin Eusebio, MD · Answer

You are a great candidate for a tummy tuck to remove the fat-skin excess and fix the belly for a flatter one. Lipo on the upper abdomen, Sides, upper-lower back with waist definition plus fat transfer to the buttocks and hip area BBL.

Johanna D'Agostino, MD · Answer

Good morning, Thanks for sharing photos.Based on your photos it appears that you have a combination of both, excess fatty tissue as well as some degree of loose skin. I believe that the best results would be obtained with a combination of an abdominoplasty (remove the excess skin), a muscle plication and liposuction (specially of the flank area). I encourage you to be evaluated by a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area and to continue with a healthy lifestyle.

Anuj Purbey, MBBS · Answer

Considering your healthy lifestyle, BMI of 24, and daily exercise routine, you may indeed be a good candidate for liposuction. However, a thorough assessment by a qualified vaser surgeon is crucial to determine the most appropriate procedure for your specific concerns.Several factors will influence the decision, including the distribution of fat, skin elasticity, and your desired outcome. Here are some points to consider:Consultation with a vaser Surgeon:Schedule a consultation with a board-certified vaser surgeon for a comprehensive evaluation.The surgeon will assess the extent of excess fat and skin elasticity in your abdominal area.Identifying Excess Fat vs. Loose Skin:During the consultation, the surgeon will help identify whether the concern in your abdomen is primarily excess fat or loose skin.Liposuction is effective for removing localized fat deposits, but it may not address significant skin laxity.Potential Procedures:Liposuction: Effective for targeting specific areas of excess fat.Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty): Addresses both excess fat and loose skin. It involves removing excess skin and tightening abdominal muscles.Combination Procedures: In some cases, a combination of liposuction and a tummy tuck may be recommended for optimal results.Realistic Expectations:Discuss your expectations with the surgeon to ensure they align with realistic outcomes.While cosmetic procedures can enhance contours, it's essential to have reasonable expectations.Recovery and Aftercare:Understand the expected recovery period for the recommended procedure.Follow the surgeon's aftercare instructions for the best results.Remember that the consultation is a vital step in understanding your specific needs and determining the most suitable approach. Your surgeon will guide you through the available options and help you make an informed decision.

Philip Conrardy, MD · Answer

You would be an amazing candidate for Liposuction! The recovery time for you would be about a week. It seems more like extra fat, but the after steps for the procedure would help you tighten some of the extra skin.

Sean Satey, MD, FACS · Answer

We can definitely help you become bikini ready again! Based on the pictures provided, it seems like there is an element of a diastasis recti (or midline muscle separation that is expected with pregnancy). In my practice, I first perform a tummy tuck with muscle repair and VASER assisted liposuction of the flanks and waist. You could undergo lipo of the upper/middle/lower back (at the same time) should you desire. Most patients are happy with the results. A small subset of patients wish to further enhance their results with additional VASER assisted lipo of the abdomen, with or without abdominal etching. Cheers, Dr. Satey, Beverly Hills, CA.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Great posted photos… I think start with full TT with muscle plication and waist/flanks lipo. If happy with results great . Or after 4-6 months might do lipo 360 
Best to virtual consult with….

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

You have pregnancy related changes specifically muscle separation and to some degree of skin laxity.
Pregnancies do not change fat distribution though some women gain wait after pregnancy but it sounds like your overall weight is well-controlled.
There are four variables that change what someone’s abdomen looks like. These are skin laxity typically due to previous pregnancies or weight fluctuations, excess subcutaneous fat( The fat between the skin and muscle layer), muscle separation from previous pregnancies called Diastasis recti, and excess visceral or intra-abdominal fat.
If your abdomen looked fine before pregnancy then this is all pregnancy related changes which is best treated by a full tummy tuck.
If you take your fingertip and gently push it against your skin so you feel the underlying muscle wall you’ll feel the thickness of your subcutaneous fat layer. My guess is around your mid abdomen it’s probably about 1/2-3/4 of an inch. Liposuction can you remove 75% of that fat which means your abdomen will come in by about half an inch at most.
If you want to type flat abdomen you’ll need a muscle tightening procedure which is included in a full tummy tuck.
A tummy tuck it’s a big procedure that requires two full weeks of recovery. Patients need to be physically and emotionally well prepared.
It also leaves a substantial size scar and can lead to an unnatural looking belly button.
With sufficient amount of time the scars tend to fade and not be so visible.
It’s important to recognize the recovery needed for this procedure and that it is a fairly major undertaking.
There are no alternatives that are going to give you a flat abdomen.
This is why women get tummy tucks.
If you’re interested in having the procedure I recommend scheduling multiple in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons in your community.
The outcome of this procedure is permanent and irreversible.
If not done correctly patients are stuck with the outcome the surgeon delivered.
It’s important to choose a sufficiently talented an experience provider.
During in person consultation ask each provider to open up your portfolio and share with you as many before and after pictures as they’re willing to. Preferably their entire portfolio of all before and after pictures of this procedure.
You should look especially at pictures of patients who have similar body characteristics to your own.
The hallmarks of quality tummy tuck surgery tends to be a consistent natural looking belly button with an appropriate con toward central abdomen, a very low set scar with a slight convex curvature on the mons pubis with the scar following anatomic contours naturally and evenly on both sides. A low set scar should be said in the groin crease or just above it.
The torso should look balanced attractive and appropriate from all angles including from behind.
A good plastic surgeon will adjust the procedure so that the rest of the torso matches the improved front of the abdomen.
Bring pictures of your own torso for comparison.
An experienced provider should have no difficulty showing you at least 50 sets of before and after pictures. highly experienced surgeons will have hundreds or possibly even thousands.
Being shown a handful of preselected pictures which most likely represent the best results of the providers career is insufficient to get a clear understanding of what average results look like in the hands of each provider. for this reason that patients should ask the provider to open up their portfolio and show as many pictures as possible.
Get familiar with what tummy tuck results look like and get an idea of what it looks like when they’re done well.
Create a grading system for yourself in regards to Tammy tech outcomes and give each plastic surgeon a score based on what you think their results generally looked like.
It may be tempting to do this virtually or by looking at different doctors websites and comparing that way.
Debility to make an impressive website has no correlation to being a talented surgeon.
Likewise, plastic surgeons tend to only put their best results on their website so there are other examples of outcomes that need to be explored before you know what average results look like.
It’s a good idea to ask the surgeon what their revision rates are and what their policy is if a revision is needed.
Continue having consultations until you found the right provider for you.
This is not a good procedure to do while traveling.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD