Difference between Tummy Tuck & Liposuction

One of the most common dilemmas for patients who are concerned with their abdomen is whether they would be better served with a Tummy Tuck or Liposuction.
While a Tummy Tuck or abdominoplasty is designed to remove loose abdominal skin and to tighten the belly, Liposuction is designed only to remove excess fat. A Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty will not reduce the dress size in a woman of size 14 who has much fat around her abdomen. Likewise, a woman who has lost all her excess weight after pregnancy and is left with loose, hanging abdominal skin will not be able to tighten her abdomen or remove the stretch marks with Liposuction.
There are some people who are "in-between" these two groups – who have both excess fat and a hanging "spare tire." These people will first need to undergo Liposuction to rid themselves of the fat. They will then need a Tummy Tuck to remove the excess skin and to tighten their abdominal muscles.

Candidates for Tummy Tuck

Men and women who have loose, hanging skin and weak abdominal muscles with a protruding belly are candidates for a full Tummy Tuck. On the other hand those who have a firm abdomen, but who have redundant lower abdominal skin folds are better served with a Mini-Tummy Tuck, also known as a Mini-Abdominoplasty.

There are several life changes that cause your abdominal wall to lose its strength and tightness, and to develop excessive, loose skin. Examples of these are:


Pregnancy

Almost all women develop stretch marks and loose lower abdominal skin as a result of pregnancy. They often complain of a lower abdominal pouch that protrudes and is unsightly when wearing tight clothes or low-cut shirts.

Especially during the last months of pregnancy, the rapid growth of the uterus stresses the lower abdominal wall and skin. Rapid stretching causes the deeper layer of skin to break, thereby forming stretch marks centered mostly in the lower abdomen, and covering the flanks and hips. The rapid stretching also causes the separation and stretching of the abdominal muscles that give the belly its core strength. The resulting weakness causes a pouch to develop in center of the abdomen. Because there is no longer adequate muscle support, exercise and dieting are ineffective in tightening the abdomen.

Massive Weight Loss
Men and women who have lost large amounts of weight by any means, including those who have dieted or have lost it through “Gastric Bypass” -- also known as “Stomach Stapling” or “Bariatric Surgery” -- are often left with folds of skin that hang like an apron. This is not only demoralizing for those who have gone to the effort of achieving a significant weight loss, but it also makes personal hygiene, exercising and wearing normal clothes difficult.

“After I had my children, I was never with my husband when the lights were on because I was embarrassed by the loose skin on my belly. He thought I was imagining my need for this surgery, but finally I showed him what I was talking about, and his eyes got wide as saucers. Even though he didn’t care if I had this surgery, he has been supportive of my need to do it.”
Laura, age 30

Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty- General Information

Abdominoplasty, also known as Tummy Tuck, removes loose hanging abdominal skin and tightens weakened abdominal wall muscles. Because even diligent diet and exercise cannot fix these problems, each year more than 80,000 American women and men undergo Tummy Tuck.

Women and men who have a protruding belly, loose hanging abdominal skin and weak abdominal muscles are candidates for a full Tummy Tuck.

Mini-Abdominoplasty, also known as a Mini-Tummy Tuck, is reserved for those who have only a limited amount of loose skin or stretch marks in the lower abdomen, or above the public bone. Also, Mini Tummy Tuck does not usually involve the tightening of abdominal muscles. Therefore, it is sometimes combined with Liposuction for patients with excessive fat, but limited looseness of the abdomen.

In most cases, women considering Abdominoplasty should not be considering additional pregnancies, or they may have the need for a second procedure to re-tighten the belly. In many cases, Tummy Tuck does help rid of stretch marks because it removes most of the “stretched out” skin below the navel.

During Abdominoplasty, the plastic surgeon makes an incision that extends from hip to hip along the lower pubic area. A skilled surgeon makes this incision so that the resulting scar is hidden under a bathing suit or by undergarments. The plastic surgeon then lifts the loose skin off of the abdominal wall, and tightens and repairs the loosened “rectus” muscles – the muscles that normally give the abdomen its strength – achieving the effect that an old-fashioned girdle would.

The umbilicus or “belly button” is disconnected from the abdomen, and reattached after the loose skin is removed. A skilled plastic surgeon not only tightens the abdominal wall, but also pulls up and tightens the thighs and the buttocks – as we do at the Regency Surgery Center. Drains will be inserted into each side of your abdomen to remove excess fluid as it accumulates following surgery.

During Mini-Abdominoplasty, the plastic surgeon makes an incision that generally spans only the width of the pubic area, and that is similar to a C-section incision. In both procedures, patients with excessive fat in the hips and flanks may have Liposuction in these areas to contour them, but not in the areas of the abdomen that are being stretched because this could cause damage to the blood circulation in those areas, leading to scarring or even skin loss.

The result of Tummy Tuck is an abdomen that is tight and flat, a waist that is narrow and curvy and thighs and buttocks that are firmer.

Tummy Tuck is major surgery that can be performed only after any chronic health conditions, such as thyroid disease, diabetes; high blood pressure and arthritis have been optimized. Nonetheless, depending on the patient, it can be safely performed simultaneously with procedures such as Breast Lift, Breast Augmentation and Facial Rejuvenation procedures such as Eyelid Surgery.

There are also other trunk lift procedures that are similar to a tummy tuck. For example a Panniculectomy is a type of abdominoplasty where only the redundant abdominal pannis is removed without tightening the abdominal wall. This is usually reserved for those with extremely large pannis that are too sick to undergo a lengthier procedure such as an abdominoplasty.

A body lift is a combination of a tummy tuck in the front and a buttock lift in the back. With this procedure the surgeon makes a circumferential incision around the waist and lifts the entire lower body. A body lift is reserved for those with much redundant and loose abdominal and lower body skin, such as those who have had Gastric Bypass Bariatric surgery. A belt Lipectomy is another version of a body lift where a belt-like section of the trunk skin flap is removed circumferentially.

A thigh lift is procedure designed to lift sagging thighs. A thigh lift mostly lifts only the inner thighs, while the outer thighs and buttocks are lifted with a body lift. An extensive tummy tuck also to some extend lifts the thighs.

In the following sections Dr. Younai reviews your treatment options for body contouring and tummy tuck, including pros and cons of each procedure, potential risks and complications, recovery course, pre and post operative instructions, and esthetic outcomes. There are also many before-and-after pictures and high resolution images of abdominoplasty available in our photo gallery.

Dr. Younai is a board certified plastic surgeon who receives patients at the California Center for Plastic Surgery from the Northern as well as the Southern California region. Some of these cities include Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, and Oxnard.