Can muscle repair be done with lipo?

Hello Humorous958147,
Diastasis Recti is a condition that can cause a bulge in the middle of the abdomen where the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles) separate during pregnancy. Moreover, this medical condition may be the reason why some patients still look pregnant months after giving birth. If you have a Diastasis Recti, then you’ll need a High Definition abdominoplasty or mini-abdominoplasty. With the Hi-Def abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) patients can get rid of the excess skin, fat around the abdomen and have their belly button fixed all in one procedure. The Diastasis Recti can also be repaired endoscopically and you can undergo a VASER High-Definition Liposuction afterwards. I would recommend a plastic surgeon who is trained by Dr. Alfredo Hoyos, the pioneer of this procedure. VASER Liposuction is clinically proven to cause 53% more skin retraction relative to other standard liposuction methods, and the risk for contour irregularities (indentations and fibrosis) is significantly lower with the use of the VASER machine. Hope this is helpful! Dr. De La Cruz.

Thank you for your question. No, muscle repair cannot be done with lipo. It would depend on the physician if they include muscle repair in the fee of a tummy tuck or charge them separately. There is no correct way, each physician breaks down their fees differently. The most important thing is to see a board certified plastic surgeon. 

with liposuction alone muscle tightening cannot be done, although there is some tightening that occurs with reunion treatment if done at the same time. with a tummy tuck, muscle tightening can be done and can be done with liposuction at same time.
You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

You would need to be examined to determine the severity of the separation.   A diastasis repair with liposuction can be performed at one surgery.  The repair can be performed through a smaller incision than a TT.  You can have a TT without muscle repair.

Dear Humorous958147,
liposuction is used for fat removal and body contouring and mucle tightening is not a part of it. Muscle plication is part of tummy tuck and you shouldn't be charged separately. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

there is no way to do muscle repair while only performing liposuction, sounds like they are not being completely honest with you, beware!

Liposuction, by definition, is the removal of subcutaneous fat utilizing a suction device. A tummy tuck, on the other hand, has 3 steps:Subcutaneous fat removal, either via liposuction or direct excisionSkin removal and tighteningMuscle repairSo, technically, yes you can have liposuction and muscle repair at the same time, but I would call that a tummy tuck.  Just semantics, that's all.Please consult with only Board Certified Plastic Surgeons who perform body contouring procedures frequently to assure the best possible result.Good luck!

Muscle plication is often done during a tummy tuck because the target region is already being opened, excised, etc. Yes, it can be done with lipo 360, but it is more invasive and will involve reaching the abdominal muscle, which is not typically done during lipo 360. It is best to consult a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your goals. A Skype or FaceTime consultation with a VASER specialist will help you get an accurate recommendation and pricing.
Respectfully, 
Arian Mowlavi MD, FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee

Generally muscle tightening requires full access to the entire abdominal wall facia. This means separating the skin and fat layer from the pubic area all the way up to the rib cage. This is basically what we do during a full tummy tuck.
There are ways of doing muscle tightening from the inside of the abdomen through laparoscopic surgery. It is not a standard cosmetic approach and it’s not one I would personally recommend.
It’s either Liposuction or tummy tuck(Often includes Liposuction)
Significant muscle tightening without re-draping or tightening the skin would probably also not be favorable for any type of skin laxity even if it is possible.
I suggest having a few consultations to see what may be good options for you.
Tammy took primarily treats skin laxity and muscle separation from previous pregnancies. Liposuction removes fat. Skin laxity is usually the primary limiting factor to Liposuction and results but a full assessment of an abdomen includes skin laxity, subcutaneous fat, muscle separation and visceral for intra-abdominal fat. Each one of these components is treated differently with the exception of visceral fat which can only be increased through weight loss.
A proper assessment determines which of these variables is the primary, secondary etc. component and the best treatment plan should be based on that.
Best, 
Mats Hagstrom MD

Thank you for the question and a muscle repair can be done with 360 Lipo though normally done with a tummy tuck.   So if you have concerns about previous recommendations go on some more consultations and become fully informed what is the best procedure for you Dr Corbin