Smart Lipo or Mini-tummy Tuck?

Liposuction is less invasive and quicker to recover from than a Tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty). This is because liposuction only involves removing fat from beneath your skin. Your body will cause the overlying skin to contract only to the degree it is capable, often leaving redundant skin which can be unsightly. In other words, you need good elasticity to get a good result.A Tummy Tuck involves removing redundant skin and tightening the underlying muscles. Sometimes liposuction is combined as needed with a Tummy Tuck for the best possible result. The question is whether the shape of your abdomen is affected by an excess of fat, skin, muscle separation or laxity, or some combination thereof. This can only be determined by examination, so go ahead and consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. Some of my patients elect to have liposuction first, and then opt for a Tummy Tuck if the results are not satisfying. Smart Lipo offers little or no advantage vs other forms of lipo in my opinion.

When patients present with contour
irregularities of their abdomen following pregnancy it’s important that they
undergo a comprehensive evaluation. 
This evaluation should consider muscle strength, skin laxity, abdominal
scars, the amount of abdominal fat and the patients overall health.  Based on the findings of this
evaluation an appropriate treatment plan can be developed.

This type of comprehensive
treatment plan addresses the entire abdomen, not just the subcutaneous
fat.  It’s important to realize
that some patients will require liposuction, while others may require mini
abdominoplasty or abdominoplasty depending upon their particular
deformity.  No two patients are
alike and the treatment plan needs to be individualized based on the anatomic
findings.

Without the ability to perform a
physical examination it’s hard to know which option is best for you.  Based on your description you might be
a good candidate for liposuction, but in my experience the majority of women
who have had three children usually require an abdominoplasty.

It’s important to be evaluated by a
plastic surgeon who can perform the entire range of surgical procedures to
correct abdominal contour irregularities. 
Make sure your surgeon can perform liposuction as well as
abdominoplasty.  Make sure he’s not
the guy with a hammer so the whole world becomes a nail.

If you have had 3 children, a mini tummy tuck is a limited operation in patients that have no excess skin above the umbilicus or have never had children. If you have had children and have any redundant skin, a mini abdominoplasty will not work. Smart Lipo does not work. Smart liposuction is a technology that is largely unproven and if you have any redundant skin, any type of liposuction will not work and will actually make it worse.