What alternatives to tummy tuck are there for me? (photo)

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. Based on your photo and your goals, liposuction is an alternative. You can limit the amount of liposuction to avoid sagging skin but an in person evaluation by a board certified plastic surgeon would give you the best options.

It's difficult to tell from just one photo. Bodytite does not reproduce the tightness of an excisional procedure and everyone is not an appropriate candidate for Bodytite. Tissue contraction will not reproduce the results of excisional surgery, and patient expectations should be managed accordingly. The vast majority of Bodytite patients are very happy with the improvement in skin tightness and the minimal scarring. This technology has opened up an avenue of improvement for patients who otherwise would have refused the larger scars of traditional surgery.

You would need to find a treatment that tightens loose skin, eliminates unwanted fat and repairs abdominal muscle separation as well. Unfortunately, there is no procedure currently available that can achieve as safe and predictable results as a tummy tuck. Liposuction will only remove unwanted fat, but may leave you with loose skin and doesn’t repair muscle separation.

Thanks for your question. Not wanting a tummy tuck is very understandable since you have plans for having kids. But if you want an improvement now, you could have liposuction on your abdomen area 360 degrees to make your waist smaller and belly flatter. Like you mentioned it won't be completely flat since more liposuction can cause more sagging of the skin. I'd advise you to have a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon since it's hard to tell from only one frontal photo.

Thank you for your question. You can get the full body intense liposuction, but the results will depend on your skin quality. Based on your pictures your first recommendation is tummy tuck.

Kind regards,
Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

Hello, you should consider having 360 liposuction (with or without fat transfer to your buttocks), which based on your photo you appear to be a good candidate for. I wish you the best of luck. Vasileios Vasilakis, MD. Double board-certified, fellowship-trained plastic surgeon, Houston. TX.

If you are planning future pregnancies, I recommend you wait on getting a tummy tuck otherwise the results will be damaged by the pregnancy. You are a candidate for liposuction. Liposuction can remove 10 lbs safely during one session and will improve your abdominal contour.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Thanks for your question and photo. Based on your photo alone, liposuction could be a good answer. I can't tell how tight you skin is, but assuming it's not too loose, liposuction, especially Vaser liposustion (which tightens the skin somewhat), could give you a nice improvement. I usually suggest performing liposuction of the abdomen as well as the flanks to give you a more complete abdominal improvement. Only an in-person examination can give you the best advice. Make sure that you speak to a board certified plastic surgeon that has experience in these techniques as you make your decision.

Dear SHSUgrad,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. You can try liposuction, but there is a risk of loose skin. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

You can consider liposuction with BodyTite. The liposuction is designed to remove fatty pockets. The BodyTite uses RF technology to tighten skin up to 40%. General anesthesia is not typically needed for this procedures and there is no long scar. Schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.