Can Lipo of Arms and Thighs be Done at the Same Time as a Tummy Tuck?

Hi, Hanzosmom.  Good question.  Combination procedures such as liposuction of arms/thighs and tummy tuck can be safely and are routinely performed together in a single surgery.  For me, the limiting factor to protect patient safety in combination procedures is your general health and ability to handle a large surgery, the total amount of anesthesia time, and the amount of planned liposuction.  Assuming you are healthy, surgery will be under 6 hours, and total volume removed in liposuction is less than 4 liters, this should be safe to perform.  The benefit of combining the procedures is that it will be cheaper since you are paying for less time in the operating room, and your recovery is coincident for both procedures.  In any patient undergoing this amount of surgery, the most important thing you can do to help yourself is to walk early and often after surgery.  This will keep the blood from pooling in your legs and causing a vein clot.  If you are going to split the surgeries, I would recommend doing the tummy tuck first since this will result in the biggest change, and the surgeon can then match your arms, legs, hips, thighs to your new tummy and create a better and more natural appearing body shape.

Liposuction of the arms and thighs can be performed at the same time as the tummy tuck in a healthy patient. Find a board certified plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of tummy
tucks and body contouring procedures each year. Then look at the
plastic surgeon's
website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can
deliver the results. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Yes it would be ideal to add the liposuction of the arms and thighs to your tummy tuck procedure. Although the liposuction will add time to the procedure it will not exceed 6 hours, so it is completely safe. Also a benefit of doing this will allow you to heal at one time instead of having two separate healing times. Best of luck.

The decision to undergo more surgery at the same time is a very common point of discussion during consultation.  Doing liposuction of those areas is not likely to affect the end result of your abdominoplasty.  There is some data to suggest that doing other surgery, in addition to a TT, can increase the risk of some uncommon complications. For that reason it is not an absolute easy decision but there are strategies that can be implemented to minimize that risk.Best,Dr. Pyle

Great question.  Liposuction and tummy tuck can be combined.  When you are talking about large volumes, the complexity and risks increase, particularly risk of bleeding into the tummy tuck site from the tunnels created by liposuction if the abdomen is suctioned.  This can lead to re-operation or higher risk of blood transfusion.Make sure you see a board certified plastic surgeon who does a lot of these types of surgeries.  I routinely perform such operations, removing up to 5 liters of fat in the arms and thighs or abdomen with abdominoplasty with excellent success.   You need to be healthy and in an appropriately accredited center and I would definitely recommend over night stay for monitoring and safety.Best of luck

Absolutely. As long as you are healthy and there is no contraindications. It helps achieving a better contour and harmony for the rest of your body. Most patients lose 1-2 sizes down, if not more, after a tummy tuck with liposuction of their hips and flanks. In patients who wear suits , their arms and thighs , usually stay the same. This may create some mismatch in fitting in certain clothes. However there is extra cost to it and probably downtime. Besides, not everybody needs it. You need to consult with your surgeon to advice you as to whether it is warranted.