Do I need liposuction and a tummy tuck? (Photos)

Thank you for your question regarding what to do with excess skin of your lower abdomen. You mentioned that you were overweight and you have had children. Unfortunately, this is an extremely common scenario. Unfortunately no matter how hard you work out your skin will not recoil. This is due to your genetics, weight loss, and history of pregnancy. Therefore you need a tummy tuck. In my opinion, no amount of working out will help the skin to contract. Also, isolated liposuction to the lower abdomen will only remove fat and probably make your excess skin worse not better. Therefore in my opinion without a physical examination or better pictures, you need a tummy sucker of Domino plasty. The procedure takes approximately 3 to 4 hours to complete. The procedure should be done under general anesthesia. Plan on a 2 to 3-week recovery. Thank you for your question regarding what kind of surgery you need after weight loss and children despite you’re working out all the time.

If you have any more questions regarding a tummy tuck, lower body lift, 360 circumferential lower body lift, belt lipectomy, belt abdominoplasty, or belt dermolipectomy please contact my office. Since the body lift is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing the lower body lift. Do your research. Make sure they have performed at least 100 tummy tuck or circumferential lower body lift surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced, tummy tuck or lower body lift surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

From these photos it is possible that you could benefit from a tradition tummy tuck or possibly mini-tummy tuck, but would likely require a consultation with hands-on examination of skin and soft tissue laxity and excess to give a good answer. It basically comes down to whether you have enough excess tissue to remove under your umbilicus while moving the skin just above the belly button to below the belt line, which is what is done in a tummy tuck. If not, but there is still more skin laxity than you would want to leave behind after liposuction, then you can have removal of a lesser amount of skin and soft tissue from your lower abdomen below your belt line and move you belly button down slightly, which in various forms is known as a mini-tummy tuck. Again, as with most things plastic surgery, an in-person consultation is your best way to get an accurate and personalized surgical plan.

A tummy tuck will get rid of the loose skin and the repair of the muscle will cinch in your waist. You might benefit from Liposuction at the hips/flanks to smooth out the silhouette of the tummy tuck, its hard to tell from the photos.

Thank you for your question. Based off the images and description provided, you would be a good candidate for a Tummy Tuck. Skin can lose its ability to retract, and this is very common post pregnancy when it has been stretched and lost its elasticity. This procedure will help remove the unwanted excess skin that is causing the overhang and tighten the abdominal wall if you have any diastasis recti (muscle separation) after your pregnancies as well. Liposuction can also be paired with a tummy tuck if you desire any excess fullness to be taken down. An in-person evaluation with a qualified board certified plastic surgeon would be best to get a full and accurate treatment plan to help you reach your goals.

Thank you for your questions and photos. A tummy tuck will address excess skin & repair of the abdominal muscle. The abdominal wall can be weakened after pregnancy and (or) significant weight gain & loss. By repairing the muscle, not only does the appearance of your abdominal area improve, but your core strength as well. The repair of the muscle will cinch your waist like an inner corset, which will accentuate your curves. Liposuction will remove excess fat from unwanted areas with some skin retraction. Your expectations and health will dictate the best procedure(s) for you. I suggest a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to go over the options that best address your goals. Best of luck!

Dhaval Patel MD
Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Chicago
South Barrington
Oakbrook
Orland Park

Congratulations on all the hard work and the great results! You definitely deserve the chance at getting rid of the extra skin.
I commonly will combine liposuction of the flanks and low to mid back with my tummy tucks. This allows us to get a really nice circumferential result with thinning of the back and sides with removal of the extra skin up front.
An in-person consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon will help you determine the best possible plan