How can I tell if my surgeon didn’t remove all the fat from my abdominal area? (Photos)

Question

I was suppose to get a tummy tuck but due to my age I opted for 360 lipo. My stomach has an indentation in the middle going right across and is hard to show on a picture. Also my swelling and fluid has mostly cleared but now I’m left with a bulge that doesn’t feel like loose skin but bulge of fat that hasn’t been removed.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

How flat the abdomen will be will depend upon how much fat is removed from the area as well as how you heal.  Liposuction will not improve the skin, but it can create a dramatic improvement in the way a person looks. It will not alter the underlying musculoskeletal anatomy or help with any amount of significant laxity. Plenty of conditions stem from environmental and lifestyle factors; they may interact with your genes, but the external factors are the real trigger.Kenneth Hughes, MD, ABPS Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

you needed a tummy tuck. you have loose skin and stretch marks. I suggest a revision procedure if you want a flat tummy.
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.

Robert M. Tornambe, MD · Answer

SouthR I appreciate your concerns and disappointment, however it appears from your photographs that Tummytuck was probably the better option for you. You have significant stretch marks and redundant skin that usually is not amenable to improvement from just liposuction. It is understandable to sometimes choose the less invasive procedure, as you did, but then you must also accept the reality that the result will not be as dramatic. Discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon. Good luck.

Prashant Murugkar, MD · Answer

hi, I think you have just had the wrong operation and by that token have a limited result. As long as you are fit to have a liposuction, you could certainly consider a tummy tuck; it will certainly give you a great result, warm regards Dr Prashant Murugkar

Johnny Chung, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Based on your photo your results appear to be good for liposuction alone. Based on the amount of skin laxity you have, a tummy tuck would have been the better procedure. A tummy  tuck not only removes the excess loose skin but tightens the muscle layer underneath.  Liposuction alone does not tighten the abdominal wall diastasis and therefore you may still have a bulge.  I recommend speaking with your plastic surgeon if you were expecting better or tighter results.

Ven Erella, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Possibly you have loose skin from stretch marks and laxity of muscles causing bulge. Need a physical exam to determine that. Please talk to your PS

How can I tell if my surgeon didn’t remove all the fat from my abdominal area? (Photos)

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