Liposuction on Lower Abdomen and Flanks Only. Not Treating Upper Abdomen? (photo)

When I do liposuction of the abdomen, I treat the entire abdomen from under the breast line, all the way down into the pubic area. My mentor (who had over 25 years of experience in liposuction) taught me this. I have seen 2 cases of patients who had liposuction of just the lower abdomen 10 to 15 years earlier, and they came in with a flat lower abdomen and a bulging upper abdomen (from aging and possibly a little weight gain). It looked pretty unnatural. So, even if my patients don't have a lot of fatty tissue in the upper abdomen, I still do the entire abdomen.

However, you should discuss it with your surgeon and decide what is best in your individual case.

It depends on how much fat you have there.  Most people do need a little lipo there, in addition to the flanks and lower abdomen, so that the thickness of the subcutaneous fat is nice and even throughout the areas that are treated.  However, if you pinch the upper abdo area, and there's hardly any fat there - then the approach described is reasonable.  Speak with your surgeon about your concerns.

    I would say that the most reasonable approach to this to evaluate the subcutaneous layer and try to maintain evenness of this layer.  That will produce the best results with liposuction and will help with maintenance of the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA