Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) or Liposuction of the Abdomen…
Which Procedure is Right for You?
When choosing a cosmetic surgery procedure to correct a problem with the appearance of one’s abdomen it is important to choose the correct surgery. An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and liposuction of the abdomen are not interchangeable. This article is written to help readers understand which surgery will best fit their needs.
Dr. Moss prides himself in having staff that are well informed and can direct patients to the surgery that is most likely appropriate for them, before a consultation is scheduled. The area that more patients seem to be misinformed about is the abdomen. We have an enormous number of callers asking to schedule appointments for liposuction of the abdomen when what they clearly need is an abdominoplasty. What is also abundantly clear as we speak with some is that they think that they can choose the surgery they want. And since most want a lesser procedure with no scar, they chose liposuction.
Unfortunately, selecting the proper cosmetic surgery procedure does not work that way. A plastic surgeon will examine the patient and select the procedure that will best correct the problem. Most who call with complaints about their abdomen have all or some of the problems listed below:
- Excess fat in their abdominal area
- Excess skin in their abdominal area which either sags or has an overhang
- Laxity of the abdominal skin caused by pregnancy, age or weight fluctuations (gaining weight and loosing weight)
- Bulging of the true abdominal wall caused by pregnancy
- Bulging of the abdominal area caused by being overweight
Liposuction of the abdomen will only help those who have a small amount of excess fat in their abdominal area and have good tone of their abdominal skin. They also have no bulge of the abdominal rectus muscle (true abdominal wall). This means that the appropriate candidate for liposuction of the abdomen usually has all of the following criteria:
- Is not overweight or only slightly overweight
- Has not lost large amounts of weight
- Has never been pregnant
- Is young (under age 35)
The following before and after pictures demonstrate such a patient.
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Patient prior to liposuction of the abdomen |
Patient after liposuction of the abdomen |
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Same patient, front view prior to liposuction of the abdomen |
Same patient, front view after liposuction of the abdomen |
Same patient just before surgery
The following picture represents the topographical mapping technique. The surgeon outlines on the patient where he plans to perform liposuction. The patient is always in a standing position. The space between the inner and outer perimeters is liposuctioned to a lesser degree (feathering or tapering). Within the inner perimeter Dr. Moss liposuctions more aggressively. He is most aggressive with liposuction where the double x’s are positioned.
Most who call us with complaints about the appearance of their abdomen cannot satisfy all of the above requirements. In fact many cannot satisfy any of these requirements. Even thin women who have had children often need an abdominoplasty. The following pictures demonstrate how much skin is removed during an abdominoplasty on a thin woman. This woman had no excess fat. She was also young. She had however, had given birth to three children. Her problem was caused from excess skin, laxity of the skin and a bulging of the true abdominal wall. The only way to correct her problem was for Dr. Moss to perform an abdominoplasty.
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Skin removed in abdominoplasty surgery |
This picture demonstrates how much skin is removed from a woman who weighs approximately 100 pounds. Despite the fact that she was thin she still needed an abdominoplasty to correct her problem.
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Same patient before abdominoplasty |
Same patient after abdominoplasty |
While the two patients may not look that different to the untrained eye, they are. The woman, who had the abdominoplasty, has a bulge, resembling the early stages of pregnancy. This bulging is caused by the true abdominal wall being stretched during pregnancy and not returning to its original condition after childbirth. She also has a tethering of the skin (creating a slight overhang) in the lower part of her abdomen from a c-section scar. In addition, what cannot be seen is that her skin was not taut, but rather had a large amount of laxity to it. This was evident on examination by Dr. Moss. An abdominoplasty was required to correct the appearance of her abdomen.
The patient who had liposuction of the abdomen presented with a much different situation. She had no bulge of the true abdominal wall. Upon examination by Dr. Moss he felt that her abdominal skin was taut. She also had a few areas on her abdomen of slight excess fat that he felt could be removed by liposuction. She was therefore a candidate for liposuction of the abdomen.
Most women who call us are not nearly as thin as the woman pictured above who had liposuction of the abdomen. Most women who call us have all of the problems listed below:
- Excess abdominal fat
- Excess abdominal skin
- Bulging of the true abdominal wall (rectus abdominal)
The only way these women are going to have their problem corrected is with an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). Yes, abdominoplasty surgery is a major surgery, (liposuction is also surgery, although usually is considered less extensive). Abdominoplasty surgery does require an overnight stay at the hospital, while liposuction patients usually can go home. Abdominoplasty surgery is more expensive than liposuction of the abdomen, ($7750 versus about $5000). Abdominoplasty surgery has a slightly longer recovery than liposuction of the abdomen, (2 weeks versus 10 days). And abdominoplasty surgery does leave a large scar (which will fade with time but not disappear completely), while liposuction leaves what resembles a few freckles.
There are not many options for the woman who is dissatisfied with the appearance of her abdomen. For a few select patients liposuction of the abdomen might be the appropriate choice. But for most the choice is either abdominoplasty surgery (tummy tuck) or live with the problem. It is also important that readers understand that Dr. Moss will not suggest an abdominoplasty if the patient truly is a candidate for liposuction of the abdomen.
While this blog article does not deal with the issue of being overweight, it is important to mention that neither abdominoplasty surgery nor liposuction of the abdomen are replacements for weight loss. As with any cosmetic procedure of the body, all patients will obtain their best result if they are at or close to their ideal body weight.
While this article may make some unhappy, it is our hope that we can put patients on the right track to which surgery is best for them. Many patients who are delighted with their abdominoplasty results initially thought they needed liposuction of the abdomen. It is not unusual for patients to take months or even years to finally realize that an abdominoplasty is their best (and usually only) option. But once the surgery is over, they are happy that they made that choice.