Tummy Tuck Vs. Elite Body Sculpture? (Photo)

That is a great question, and it brings up an important issue. Some centers that specialize in liposuction can only offer liposuction because they don't do other types of surgery, not because it would be your best option. In some of these places the doctors are dermatologists or other non-plastic surgeons, and they do liposuction in an office setting under local anesthesia. They do not have the training, knowledge, skill, or appropriate facility to be able to do a tummy tuck, and therefore cannot offer that option to you. Based on your photos and history, it appears you have excess loose skin, excess volume, diastasis recti, and a hernia. The only procedure that could address all of those things is a tummy tuck (including diastasis repair) and hernia repair. The areas where liposuction would be beneficial are the love handles and the back. If you only cared about the excess volume alone, and did not mind having loose skin, than liposuction alone is an option, though it would not address the DR or hernia. For any of the above procedures, please make sure the surgeon you choose is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. You can check if the doctors you saw are board certified by going to their website and searching by doctor name. Also, if you have excess skin along the sides or back, then an extended tummy tuck or even belt lipectomy may be a good option as well (hard to say based on these photos alone). The bottom line is lipo only removes fat. It does not tighten skin or correct any underlying issues like DR or hernia.

Neither will address internal fat or roundness. Liposuction will remove stubborn fat under the skin but will not tighten muscles or hernia which requires a tummy tuck.An exam and consultation with a plastic surgeon is recommended to discuss your options and expectations.

Thank you for your pictures and questions. As the saying goes, "when you are a hammer, everything is a nail." In other words, if you go see someone who only does liposuction, they are going to tell you that you are a great candidate for liposuction. Based on your photos, you would have a very poor result from liposuction alone, no matter how they spin it ("Elite Body Sculpture"). You are going to be much better off with surgical skin removal with a tummy tuck.Hope this helps!

dear Patient: thanks for your question and photos.  I would first start by advising you to only consult with Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, these are the experts you should be entrusting your body to.  Most probably the center for liposuction you went to are doctors that are not Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, and are not licensed to perform Tummy tuck procedures.  From the photos I see you would benefit from a Tummy tuck and in the process, a skilled Board Certified Surgeon would fix your hernea.  I do this routinely in many tummy tuck cases.  Hope this helps!

Liposuction alone will not address all of your problems and I would not recommend that you do it before getting your hernia repaired. Also, there is nothing special about liposuction being called elite or by any other specialized name, it is still just liposuction. A tummy tuck with liposuction will address all of your problems in one surgery and will give you better results as far as skin tightening and muscle repair.

Hello,Your photos give you the appearance of having a firm protuberant belly. Only a physical exam will confirm whether you have excessive intra-abdominal fat, which would make any procedure result suboptimal. Be sure you surgeon is an ABPS certified/ASAPS member surgeon who specializes in body contouring. Best of luck!

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your
photograph, you are a better candidate for a full tummy tuck with liposuction.  This can be done through a low incision, all completely below the bikini line. 
The belly button can be designed to look natural and have no scars on
the exterior.   Your muscles can also be
plicated resulting in a flat abdomen. 
Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of
real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate
their results.  The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are
comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified
board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Based on you pictures, you appear to have mid-abdominal fullness that is typically caused by intraabdominal fat (the fat inside our bellies, around the intestines). Liposuction can remove fat between the skin and muscles. A tummy tuck with lipo removes fat and excess skin  and tightens the underlying muscle. Your hernia would also be fixed concurrently with the tummy tuck. But neither lipo nor the tummy tuck can remove intrabdominal fat. So both would leave significant roundness to your belly. If you want to optimize flattening of the belly and creation of an hourglass contour, then some weight loss is needed. The goal is not to be too skinny; the goal is to have a nice hourglass abdominal contour. Weight loss should always be through lifestyle change, eating well and exercising. It is a gradual process. No fad diets; they don’t work long term. Great question. Be thorough in your research. See good doctors. Thanks. 

Dear LCE1976,based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a tummy tuck and liposuction. Tummy tuck can address the excess fat and diastasis recti while liposction will remove the excess fat and give you more defined shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. You will get the best recommendations after a thorough examination.Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

Liposuction allows you to have stubborn fat resistant to diet and exercise removed from unwanted areas and transferred to areas that can benefit from the added volume like the buttocks and hips. Liposuction of the abdomen, back and flanks results in a waist as small as possible.  Unfortunately, liposuction would debulk the fat but would not address any abdomen skin issues. The TT will be the only surgery to address skin laxity in the appropriate fashion.  With a TT,  the stretchmarks to the level of the belly button are generally removed, sometimes more. The amount of skin removed in a TT depends upon the surgeon's technique and the patient's tissue characteristics. Muscle tightening and diastasis repair would be part of your TT.  The hernia can be repaired at the same time.While the mini TT is less invasive, it also isn’t as comprehensive as the full TT. A short-scar TT, however, offers double the amount of loose skin and fat removal that a mini offers.  A short-scar TT was developed to enhance a patient’s abdomen and get rid of excess fat and skin in a way that created more attractive results. The shorter scar it leaves is the same length as that of the mini TT.
Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA