I just went for a consultation and the doctor told me that a tummy tuck wouldn't help the "rounded" appearance of my tummy, even with a tummy tuck. Another plastic surgeon told me that he could give me "an iron flat" abdomen with liposuction, muscle repair and tummy tuck. I am not sure what to believe. If he is right, why did the other surgeon tell me he could get an iron flat result?
May 21, 2014
Answer: How does a plastic surgeon determine whether there is fat above or below the abdominal muscle? Hi and thanks for your question. Understand that abdominal protrusion can be caused by external fat ( that which lies from the abdominal muscles and the skin and visceral fat ( that which surronds the intestine and other organs). A tummy tuck is meant to address the issue with the external fat. Liposuction also addresses this area.Visceral fat, however, is not amenable to either of these two cosmetic surgical procedures. Visceral fat is usually treated with weight reduction surgical or otherwise.We can usually tell the distribution of this fat by a simple pinch test of the fat. This ca give pretty good idea of how much fat is visceral and how much is external. I would strongly caution against expecting an "iron flat stomach". It's simply not realistic. After 29 years of performing tummy tucks, my approach is always to tell patients that they will look flatter than before but not completely flat. It is very important that the expectations of the patinet be in line with the surgeon's evaluation. It is counter productive to tell, a patient that they will be completely flat because it may raise the patient's expectations to a level simply not possible by surgery.I wish you the best in your journey and hope that these words have been helpful.
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May 21, 2014
Answer: How does a plastic surgeon determine whether there is fat above or below the abdominal muscle? Hi and thanks for your question. Understand that abdominal protrusion can be caused by external fat ( that which lies from the abdominal muscles and the skin and visceral fat ( that which surronds the intestine and other organs). A tummy tuck is meant to address the issue with the external fat. Liposuction also addresses this area.Visceral fat, however, is not amenable to either of these two cosmetic surgical procedures. Visceral fat is usually treated with weight reduction surgical or otherwise.We can usually tell the distribution of this fat by a simple pinch test of the fat. This ca give pretty good idea of how much fat is visceral and how much is external. I would strongly caution against expecting an "iron flat stomach". It's simply not realistic. After 29 years of performing tummy tucks, my approach is always to tell patients that they will look flatter than before but not completely flat. It is very important that the expectations of the patinet be in line with the surgeon's evaluation. It is counter productive to tell, a patient that they will be completely flat because it may raise the patient's expectations to a level simply not possible by surgery.I wish you the best in your journey and hope that these words have been helpful.
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May 18, 2014
Answer: How does a plastic surgeon determine whether there is fat above or below the abdominal muscle? If your belly protrudes and you have little subcutaneous fat (which you can pinch between your fingers), the protrusion is due to abdominal wall laxity or visceral fat.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA
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May 18, 2014
Answer: How does a plastic surgeon determine whether there is fat above or below the abdominal muscle? If your belly protrudes and you have little subcutaneous fat (which you can pinch between your fingers), the protrusion is due to abdominal wall laxity or visceral fat.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA
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