Should You Add Liposuction to Your Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck flattens and firms your abdomen, removing excess skin that has stretched and sagged, and tightening and reconnecting loose and separated abdominal muscles. It’s common to add liposuction to a tummy tuck for an even greater slimming effect. Here’s an explanation of how the two procedures work together and why you might consider combining them.

What’s the Difference Between a Tummy Tuck and Liposuction?

A tummy tuck and liposuction are both body contouring procedures, designed to trim and flatten areas of your body when you are close to your ideal weight. But the two procedures are quite different from each other.

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin from the abdomen. It often includes steps to tighten and reconnect the abdominal muscles if they have stretched or separated as a result of pregnancy or significant weight changes. The result is a firmer, flatter belly and a tightening of the waist. A surgeon can also trim excess fat as part of a tummy tuck, but only in the immediate surgical area, which is the center of the abdomen.

Liposuction uses a suction tube, called a cannula, inserted through small incisions, to remove pockets of fat that resist slimming with diet and exercise. It’s possible to use liposuction almost anywhere on the body where unwanted fat accumulates, including the belly, waist, back, thighs, arms, and under the chin. Liposuction does not tighten loose skin or restore firmness to stretched and weakened muscles.

Why You Might Consider Adding Liposuction to a Tummy Tuck

If your problem is with loose skin and weakened abdominal muscles, and you don’t have excess fat on your belly or around your waist, a tummy tuck alone is probably what you need. And if your problem is with stubborn abdominal fat, and your belly skin and muscles are tight and resilient, liposuction alone might be a good solution.

However, if your concerns include loose abdominal skin, a bulging belly from weakened muscles, and excess fat on your belly and around your waist, a combination of the two procedures – called a lipoabdominoplasty – may be your best choice.

Here are some benefits of combining the two procedures.

• One surgery, one recovery: Both procedures involve surgery, and both require downtime for recovery. By combining them, you’ll need to schedule a single surgery, and you’ll only have one recovery period. Recovery from a tummy tuck with liposuction is usually similar to recovery from a tummy tuck alone.
• Cost-effective: It’s less expensive to have a tummy tuck and liposuction as a combined procedure than it is to have them separately. For example, you’ll have a single charge for anesthesia, and there can be other efficiencies in doing both procedures at the same time. Of course, cost shouldn’t be the driving factor in your decision. You should pay more attention to choosing a skilled surgeon with a track record of excellent outcomes. But plastic surgery can be a big investment, and you want to spend your money wisely.
• Better results: Combining a tummy tuck with liposuction can give you better body-contouring results than either procedure on its own. You’ll get the skin-tightening and muscle-toning effects of the tummy tuck, with a flatter, firmer abdomen. And liposuction can trim excess fat from your waist and areas beyond the reach of tummy tuck surgery.
• Contour more than one area: Your surgeon may be able to combine a tummy tuck with liposuction on another part of your body — your thighs or hips, for example — for more comprehensive body contouring.

Learn More About Body Contouring in Beverly Hills

Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery have developed an impeccable reputation for stunning, natural-looking cosmetic treatment and plastic surgery results, attracting patients from all over the world. Contact our practice today at (310) 746-5475 or send an online request to schedule a consultation.