What Are The Risks With Upper Abdominal Liposuction with Tummy Tuck?

   Typically, I perform a small amount of liposuction at the same time as abdominoplasty surgery. This is usually done on the upper abdominal area and on the patient's flanks/waist.  However, one has to be cautious about performing too much lipo in combination with the tummy tuck procedure.

    Why is this?     A rich blood supply is needed for the abdominoplasty incision to heal, and having too much lipo at the same time can potentially compromise this blood flow. I often stage the procedures when there is excessive upper abdominal fat by first performing an abdominoplasty and then following this up with additional liposuction 4-6 months later to further improve the results.  This two stage procedure is not necessary in everyone, but your surgeon should be able to tell you if you are a candidate.  Hope this helps.

Most experienced surgeons will be able to perform liposuction with a tummy tuck. Certain tummys lend themselves to more liposuction than others. Not all tummy tucks are the same and different tummy tucks lend themselves to more aggressive liposuction than others. Regardless, care must be taken when performing liposuction during tummy tucks so as not to cause a problem with circulation and then delayed healing. You certainly can't fault your surgeon for being conservative in order to avoid problems. Safety should always come first.