Would lipo help me if I can suck my stomach in? (Photo)

Question

My belly bulges out alot, I look about 5 months pregnant. But, when I suck it in, it's as flat as a board. You can't suck in fat right? So would lipo help this situation? What exactly is happening to my stomach anyway and what will fix it? Why am I so fat in the belly until I suck it in? It's not just a morning thing, or an after I eat thing. It's always like this.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

An in-office consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, or an email or Skype consult with more photos would be required to determine the reason for your protruding abdomen - intra-abdominal fat, excess subcutaneous fat, muscle separation, hernia, etc. Once the reason has been determined, lipo and/or TT can be considered.

John LoMonaco, MD, FACS · Answer

By tightening your muscles you look better...this means you need the muscles (actually the fascia surrounding them) tightened as part of a tummy tuck.  Laxity that you have (sometimes called a "poochy tummy") is from muscle laxity and a repair will give you a nice sculpted shape !

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

Sucking your stomach in increases your muscle tone and makes your abdomen flat.  When you relax your muscle, the only thing holding the wall is the support layer (fascia).  From pregnancies, the fascia has been irreversibly damaged.  The technique you will need is fascia repair.  If you are not planning future pregnancies, I recommend abdominoplasty with mesh reinforcement.  The mesh creates a more hourglass figure by compressing the abdominal wall resulting in early satiety and helps maintain a reduced weight.Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

sounds like you will need liposuction + tummy tuck along with internal heating like renuvion and hormonal therapy (see link) to get more weight loss.  bluging is fat inside the body called visceral fat.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.

Dallas Buchanan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your questions. A physical exam would be better than the photos to understand the dynamics of your anatomy with movement. What you are likely describing is diastasis of the rectus muscles and this can only be fixed with direct suture repair and is usually done at the time of a tummy tuck. See a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options.Good luck!Dallas R. Buchanan, MD, FACSOwner & Board-Certified Plastic SurgeonVIVIFY plastic surgery

Thomas Trevisani, MD · Answer

In order to evaluate accurately - in person exam is essential, a s well as review of pf standard photos. Depending on your diagnosis - the appropriate treatment will be outlined. Sounds as though tummy tuck may be indicated.  I suggest that you seek an experienced Board Certified PS

Vaishali B. Doolabh, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi shanstar2012,The looseness in your abdominal muscles explains why you look flatter when you tighten them.  They are responsible for supporting your internal organs and fat and contracting them with deep breaths in pushes everything inwards.  This is common in women who have had full term pregnancies, multiple pregnancies or large babies/twins etc.  Also common after large weight fluctuations.  Nonetheless, the treatment is a tummy tuck.  Depending upon your physical examination, you may benefit from liposuction of the fat under the skin (can't lipo around the organs) to help cinch the waist further or slim down your hips.  You may even benefit from some skin tightening.  During your consultation, the details will be tailored to you.  Best wishes, Vaishali Doolabh

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Liposuction can address subcutaneous fat, which is the fat you can pinch.  The roundness of your abdomen may be related to abdominal wall laxity.  This is common with pregnancy and weight fluctuations.  It cannot be addressed with liposuction but is corrected with a tummy tuck.  Visit with a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.

E. Ronald Finger, MD · Answer

In your case, a personal examination would be necessary to determine exactly where the problem is. If you have enough excess skin, a tummy tuck with repair of the rectus muscles would be the procedure of choice. It's also possible that a liposuction with the Renuvion would be very helpful in tightening your abdomen and diminishing excess fat, but again, an examination would be necessary to determine this.If the tummy tuck is decided upon, I recommend the no-drain TT to avoid long recovery times, to reduce discomfort, to reduce the risk of complications, and to avoid the dreaded drains for 5-10 days.Thank you for your question and photos, and best wishes.

Andre Levesque, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and the photos.  What you are describing is likely diastasis (separation) of the rectus abdominus muscles.  These are the six pack muscles you will see with incredibly fit men or women that have very low body fat.  To be sure please have an in person exam by a board certified plastic surgeon that performs body contouring.  This commonly occurs after pregnancy but it can exist from birth.Excess fat above the muscle level can be contoured with liposuction and can be a very powerful tool to get rid of unwanted bulges.  Rectus diastasis requires surgical repair with a tummy tuck to prevent the abdominal contents (intestines and visceral fat) from bulging.  I'm sorry to hear you are having this problem but there is a solution.Best Dr. L

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