38, 3 children, what would yield best results? Recommendations vary from lipo to mini to full TT (Photos)

Dear Tasteful808683,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Dear Tasteful808683, thanks for sharing your pictures and concers... after analize your case looks like best option procedures combined Vaser Liposuction, Mini Tummy Tuck with muscle repair and Ultrasound guided BBL. With those procedures we can take care of belly buttom look, some skin could stay saagy and look wrinkled after lipo this is the reason of mini tummy tuck, BBL to provide shape and proyection to your buttock it is no need to provide to much size if not desire. Make sure you go on consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Hope this helps and best of lucks. Dr. Luis Mejia.

It looks like a full or mini tummy tuck may be suitable for you, since there does appear to be some issues with skin laxity that liposuction alone won’t resolve. A tummy tuck would also repair diastasis recti. If any issues exist above your belly button, then a full tummy tuck would be most suitable.

You could do liposuction of the whole abdomen and follow with nonsurgical EMSCulpt treatments a few weeks later to help tighten and tone your muscles. Otherwise, liposuction of the upper abdomen and a mini tuck should work well for you.

From your photos it appears you will have great results from a standard tummy tuck with umbilical hernia repair and correction of diastasis. This will also remove excess fat and skin and give you a flatter, tighter tummy. As you already lead a healthy lifestyle, this should give you the results that reflect your hard work. It is important to select an experienced board certified plastic surgeon near you for optimal results.

Choosing the right procedure should generally be based on the first, having a clear understanding of what the underlying problem or ideology is. In other words, the first step is to make an accurate diagnosis than the prescribe and appropriate treatment that treats that underlying problem. They are generally four tissue variables that determine what the abdomen looks like. The four tissue variables that determine what the abdomen looks like are abdominal skin laxity typically due to previous pregnancies or significant weight loss, excess subcutaneous fat, muscle separation from previous pregnancies, and excess visceral or intra-abdominal fat.
Liposuction will reduce subcutaneous fat. A full tummy tuck primarily treats abdominal skin, laxity, and muscle separation from previous pregnancies. A mini tummy tuck generally treats skin laxity of the lower, abdomen only.In your case, you’re getting different opinions because you are borderline in regards to candidacy in regards to Liposuction, or having a tummy tuck. Another way to help with the decision process is to ask yourself what you’re trying to achieve and what you’re willing to go through. If you just want to reduce the size of your midsection than well done, Liposuction may accomplish that task. In many ways, it mimics radical weight loss. If on the other hand, do you want a tight flat abdomen and are willing to put up with the recovery, large, scar and potentially unnatural, looking bellybutton then a full tummy tuck is a better procedure.
Regardless of what procedure you choose, finding the right provider is going to be paramount. There are substantial differences in outcomes, depending on who you choose as your surgeon for all surgical procedures. This is probably more true for liposuction than any other plastic surgery operation.
A mini tummy tuck is probably the last of the list of recommendations. A substantial number of plastic surgeons lack mastering Liposuction, but will offer the procedure. Surgeons were not proficient at Liposuction may be more comfortable offering a tummy tuck because they know they can get good results with that operation. The number of plastic surgeon soup truly mastered Liposuction are in a small minority. Those who truly master Liposuction may be far more comfortable recommending that procedure because in their hands, they get consistent quality outcomes, and patients who are good candidates. The two procedures do different things so it’s important to think about what you’re trying to achieve. Likewise, what is reasonable in regards to drawbacks or side effects like recovery, forms of anesthesia etc. etc.
A full tummy tuck should not be undertaken lately. To some degree the same is true for Liposuction, since both of these procedures are permanent an irreversible operations.Both procedures can have complications and lead to patients being disfigured, especially in the hands of providers who lack sufficient skills and experience. This includes providers who are board certified in plastic surgery, which is no guarantee that somebody has mastered anyone single procedure.
There will be inherent biases among plastic surgeons based on their own background, skill and comfort level with different operations. Some providers are far better at Liposuction than others, and some feel like they may have mastered a tummy tuck and feel that may be the ultimate procedure for most patients seeking pregnancy related changes.
Before choosing anyone single provider or procedure, I recommend patients have as many in person consultations as possible. There’s no correct number of consultations needed but considering how much variation there is in Liposuction results and to some degree the results of tummy tucks I suggest patient start the process by having at least five in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons that seem to have an overall good reputation for both procedures.
During each consultation, ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before, and after pictures of previous patient who had similar body characteristics like you do for whatever procedures they recommend. An experienced plastic surgeon should have no difficulty showing you the before and after pictures of at least 50 previous patients. if a provider is recommending multiple procedures like a full tummy tuck with Liposuction, then you should make sure your vet the provider for both procedures. In other words, you should ask to see before and after pictures of patients who had both Liposuction and tummy tuck. For comparison, you should ask to see patients who had similar body characteristics, and only had liposuction, or only had a tummy tuck to understand the impact of each of the procedures. As sufficiently experienced plastic surgeon, should be able to pull up pictures of previous patients with similar body characteristics who had either Liposuction or a tummy tuck and show you firsthand what you could expect from the outcome, depending on which procedure you choose.
When, in doubt, slow down and schedule more consultations.
Having choices is nice but can’t add stress because it leads to people having to making decisions.
Nobody has to have cosmetic surgery and another way to look at this is that there’s room for gratitude, considering you don’t have skin laxity to the point of needing a tummy tuck and could probably get nice results from just having well done Liposuction.
At the same time, a well-done tummy tuck could give a very impressive outcome, but does it come with the typical drop bags of that procedure.
In the end, the decision will be yours and should be based on what you’re trying to achieve and what you’re going to go through as well as the recommendations of the surgeon once you found the right provider.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD