Thanks for asking this question, there are several issues to clarify for you. Without actually examining you no one on-line can give you a definitive answer, but if your surgeon is an experienced, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, then this could be the reason that he is suggesting a staged approach. If he or she is planning on performing liposuction on you in a staged fashion it could be because they feel that you have too much fat to remove safely in a single procedure. Generally, most plastic surgeons will try and limit the volume of fat removed through liposuction to 5 liters or less if surgery is performed as an outpatient. In order to insure patient safety, larger volumes usually need the kind of post-operatIve monitoring that would require an overnight facility or hospital. Since you initially saw your surgeon for a tummy tuck, and he suggested liposuction and weight loss first, it could make sense because the best tummy tuck reults occur when a patient has lost as much weight and is as thin as is practical. Liposuction will probably create loose skin of your stomach and sides, so following it with a tummy tuck will allow your plastic surgeon to remove the most skin and tighten the muscles the most to help give you your best possible result. As always, patient safety should come first, so speak with your doctor about your treatment plan so that you can have a better understanding and be comfortable with your decision.
