Love handles post tummy tuck - what procedure would be best to correct this? (Photos)

Thank you for your inquiry! We, at Mays Plastic Surgery, would love to meet with you to discuss your concerns. Back lipectomy is an option. It would include removing the excess skin. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Mays, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, to help you reach your goals.

It is very common for patients to notice that even after a tummy tuck, the love handles remain or become more noticeable. Exercise alone often cannot correct this area because the issue is usually a combination of fat deposits and skin laxity.
If your skin elasticity is still good, targeted liposuction can contour the flanks and give a leaner look. If there is significant loose skin, then a body lift or flank excision may be needed to remove the extra tissue and tighten the sides. In some cases, combining liposuction with skin tightening technologies can be helpful as a less invasive option.
The best choice depends on whether fat or skin is the main problem, but there are effective procedures to address both.
I have also shared a detailed video where I explain how surgeons approach flank contouring after tummy tuck and show examples of the difference between liposuction and body lift techniques.
— Güray Yesiladali, MD

Thank you for your question. The most appropriate procedure would be either a posterior or a 360 body lift, depending on the amount and distribution of excess skin and tissue. A posterior body lift focuses on the back and flank areas, while a 360 body lift removes excess skin and fat all around the midsection, improving the abdomen, flanks, and buttocks in one surgery. The decision between these options will be made after an in-person examination with your surgeon, to evaluate skin laxity, fat distribution, and your overall goals.

You’ve done a great job recovering from your tummy tuck, but the leftover love handles and loose skin you're seeing now need more than exercise to correct. The best solution is likely a 360° body lift, which removes extra skin and fat around your entire lower body—including the back and sides. This procedure finishes the body contouring that your original tummy tuck started, giving you the smooth, balanced shape you’re looking for.

Consult with several board certified plastic surgeons for definitive treatment options.

Warmly,
Earl Stephenson, Jr, MD, DDS, MBA
ESJ Aesthetics – “Where Confidence Takes Shape!”

I recommend a buttock lift as the second stage correction for the tissue excess your pictures highlight. The scar from the correction of your backside will join the ends of you existing the tummy tuck scar and can be a powerful way to reshape the entire lower body. When performed as a single stage the circumferential correction is sometimes called a "belt lipectomy" or "lower body lift". I find liposuction is ALWAYS a helpful adjunct in cases like these and would recommend it as well.
Dr. Brandon Lambiris Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon–Sarasota, FL

Your best option would be to have a lower back lift with liposuction and laterally extended incisions that meet your abdominoplasty scar.

Thank you for your question and photos. Often patients concentrate on the most obvious areas for correction and fail to notice that other areas are suboptimal as well. Based on your photos, it seems you had a standard tummy tuck with a high scar and scarred belly button. You do have significant gynecomastia, upper back and lower back excess fat and lower back excess skin. As a Total Definer surgeon, I would use the VASER liposuction technique for your abdomen, gynecomastia with breast tissue removal and lowering your abdominoplasty scar to a lower less obvious location. The back will need VASER liposuction and excess loose skin excision to connect with the abdominoplasty incision. This is a body lift procedure and with the liposuction will create a more toned masculine shape. Also, your arms look fat and with the reshaping of your torso and chest will look disharmonious. You would need VASER liposuction of the arms for muscle definition. See a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in advanced body sculpting techniques for an in person consultation/evaluation. Good luck.

Thank you for your query. Based on your pictures, you will need to have a completion of belt lipectomy, which will involve extending the cut from your previous abdominoplasty all the way to the back. The fat and the loose skin can both be taken care of by this procedure. Please find an experienced board certified Plastic surgeon who can examine you and help you with all your concerns. All the best!

Thank you for your photos. Both your abdominal skin and the skin of your flanks and back have a large amount of stretch marks. Liposuction of your flanks and back likely would not give you a smooth/snug waist and back contour because your skin has lost some of its elasticity and will not snap back after liposuction. Extending the removal of the excess skin from your flanks and across your lower back will permanently remove excess skin and fat and create your smoothest, best contoured waist possible. The procedure is like having a tummy tuck, but it’s on your back. The procedure is 2-3 hours and recovery is similar to a tummy tuck.

It looks like a tummy tuck that extends around the sides may help. This is called a circumferential tummy tuck. Liposuction can be performed at the same time to remove excess fat, if necessary.