Is a tummy tuck better to do before or after liposuction?

Thanks for your question.  An in-person exam would be the best way to advise you.  Generally, I would recommend liposuction before a tummy tuck.  This will decrease the thickness of the skin flaps and may help increase the amount of skin removed.  In some cases, you may be able  to have both procedures performed simultaneously depending on how much fat you have in abdominal skin.  Once you have performed a tummy tuck, it is generally not advisable to liposuction the area, as you may be left with more loose skin.  Be sure to address your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon.   Best wishes. 

I would never perform a tummy tuck first and then perform liposuction regardless of one procedure or a two-staged procedure.  To determine if you needed a staged procedure would depend upon how thick your abdominal flaps are prior to surgery.  If the flaps that would be undermined during the surgery are relatively thin, liposuction on the flaps can be done during the same procedure.  If aggressive liposuction is needed to address thick abdominal flaps, then a staged procedure with liposuction first would be in order.  The only area where this matters is where tissue will be undermined (i.e. the anterior abdomen between the sternum and umbilicus).  All other areas can be addressed aggressively without worrying about tissue compromise, and therefore can be addressed just as definitively during a combined surgery.  I hope this helps.

Liposuction before the tummy tuck will result in thinner flaps and a slightly better result for the tummy tuck.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA