There are several treatments for fat removal and two types of treatment that are similar in some ways, but different in several ways, are tummy tucks and liposuction.
A tummy tuck surgery, also known as an abdominoplasty, is designed to improve the appearance of the abdomen by removing excess skin.
Some benefits of the tummy tuck include:
. Removing loose skin or fat
. Tightening a weak fascia (the connective tissue in the abdomen)
. Removing stretch marks and excess skin below the belly button
Tummy tucks are often used by women who have had a C-section, and they can be combined with other body contouring cosmetic procedures. However, if you are planning to lose a large amount of weight, considering future pregnancy, or have a body mass index (BMI) over 30 or a severe chronic condition, your doctor might advise against a tummy tuck.
Liposuction can treat a larger variety of areas, including:
. Thighs
. Hips and buttocks
. Abdomen and waist
. Upper arms
. Back
. Inner knee
. Chest area
. Cheeks, chin and neck
. Calves and ankles
Liposuction surgery helps slim and reshape these areas by removing excess fat deposits and improving body contours and proportions. It’s excellent for treating large areas in a single procedure, and its results are more consistent and predictable than non-invasive treatments. Liposuction is not a substitute for proper diet or exercise, nor is it an effective treatment for cellulite or loose, saggy skin. (Read more about plastic surgery in Iran)
What is the difference between tummy tuck and liposuction surgical techniques?
Tummy tuck is a surgery that removes redundant skin and fatty tissue of the abdomen. It is performed under general anesthetic. An incision is made along the lower abdomen from hip to hip and around the belly button. Skin and fatty tissue are elevated above the abdominal wall to the level of the rib cage and xiphoid process. The soft tissues are red raped and excess skin and fat is removed at the level of the lower incision. Often following pregnancy or significant fluctuation in body weight, patients may develop a “rectus diastasis”, which is a separation or gap between the abdominal muscles centrally. Patients may feel this muscle separation when performing a sit-up and often report decreased core strength. During tummy tuck, the rectus muscles are stitched together and tightened through what is called the rectus plication. The belly button stays attached to the abdominal wall during the procedure to maintain its blood supply. It is brought out through the abdominal skin after the excess skin has been removed. Excess fatty tissue (“love handles”) in the flank region is not addressed by tummy tuck alone. Liposuction may be performed in combination with tummy tuck for these cases to remove the fatty deposits and improve contour of the flanks during the same surgery.
Liposuction is a less invasive surgical procedure than tummy tuck. It removes localized fatty deposits but does not remove any skin. Depending on the extent of liposuction and body regions being treated, it may either be performed under general anesthetic or conscious sedation. For optimal results and to lower risk of complications, patients considering liposuction should be within 10% of their ideal body weight. It is an appropriate technique to address localized fatty deposits that are unresponsive to diet and exercise. Liposuction will not result in significant body weight reduction, rather it is a tool for body contouring and increasing definition. A few small incisions are made – 3-4mm in length – to allow for the liposuction cannula (tube) to be placed. A solution of local freezing, epinephrine, and saline is first injected. This helps break down the fat cells and reduce bleeding, bruising, and discomfort following surgery. The fat deposits are then suctioned to improve body contour. The front of the abdomen and flank regions are common sites for liposuction in appropriately selected patients. Since liposuction removes fatty deposits alone and no skin, it is important for patients to have normal skin elasticity. Contour improvements depend on skin contraction and tightening after surgery. Although liposuction would remove fat deposits in a patient with decreased skin elasticity, loose skin may result and lead to a suboptimal aesthetic result. Tummy tuck is generally a more appropriate surgery for patients with decreased skin tone.
What is the difference between tummy tuck and liposuction in terms of recovery?
Following both tummy tuck and liposuction, it is advised to refrain from strenuous activity, exercise, or heavy lifting for 4 weeks. These activity restrictions are intended to lower the risk of bleeding, bruising, or accumulation of fluid or blood within the tissues following surgery. After tummy tuck, abdominal exercises should not be performed for 6 weeks to reduce risk of healing complications at the muscle repair site. An abdominal binder is recommended following tummy tuck surgery for 4-6 weeks.
How does abdominal liposuction differ from a “tummy tuck”?
Liposuction of the abdomen removes most of the fat found under the skin and above the abdominal muscles. When patients have good abdominal muscle tone, liposuction can provide a dramatic improvement, with a natural appearance of the abdomen, and with minimal scarring. In the vast majority of liposuction patients, the natural elasticity of abdominal skin contracts smoothly, and there is no need to surgically remove skin. Tummy tuck usually involves liposuction to remove fat plus the surgical removal of a large section of skin from the lower abdomen, together with a surgical relocation of the belly button. A tummy tuck can result in an unsightly scar that extends across the entire lower abdomen, just above the pubic area in addition to an unnatural appearance of the belly button. The recovery after liposuction is much safer, quicker and easier than the recovery after a tummy tuck.
What are the advantages of a tummy tuck (compared to liposuction)?
The only patients for whom a tummy tuck is superior to abdominal liposuction are the relatively few women having extreme degrees of lower abdominal skin laxity, unusually extensive stretch marks, or severely stretched abdominal muscles (as a result of pregnancy). Tummy tuck surgically removes skin with severe stretch-marks (striae-distensae). Liposuction does not remove stretch marks. A tummy tuck can produce a flatter abdominal wall by tightening the abdominal muscles. Liposuction is appropriate for patients who have abdominal muscles that have not be excessively stretched out of shape by pregnancy. A tummy tuck can remove excessive amounts of loose abdominal skin. However, loose abdominal skin does not mean that a tummy tuck is necessary. After liposuction, abdominal skin often contracts to a surprising degree so that an excision is not necessary.
What are the disadvantages of a tummy tuck?
Tummy tucks are often associated with ugly scars producing a deformed appearance of the pubic and lower abdominal areas. Although the lower abdominal area is usually covered when a bathing suit is worn, the scars are quite apparent without clothes. The removal of a large segment of lower abdominal skin requires that the belly-button be repositioned and surgically reconstructed. A surgically altered belly button often does not have a natural appearance. Tummy tucks are far more dangerous than abdominal liposuction. Tummy tuck surgery has a much higher risk of surgical complications such as blood clots in the lung (pulmonary embolism) compared to liposuction. In most cases, liposuction alone, without a tummy tuck, produces excellent cosmetic results and avoids the risks and additional expenses associated with a tummy tuck.
When is liposuction sufficient and when is a tummy tuck necessary?
The majority of female patients who have excessive abdominal fat find that they are very happy with the results of a simple abdominal liposuction. Several months after having had an abdominal liposuction, the vast majority of women are so happy with their results that they decline a subsequent tummy tuck.
Is the cost of a tummy tuck greater than liposuction cost?
Tummy tucks are approximately twice as expensive as liposuction of the abdomen. The recovery time required before a person can return to work after a tummy tuck is typically two to four times longer than after liposuction of the abdomen.
If liposuction is safer, what are the reasons for doing a tummy tuck?
Abdominal liposuction is safer, gives superior cosmetic results, and has a more natural appearance without disfiguring surgical scars. Thus, liposuction has now largely replaced tummy tuck surgery as the preferred technique for improving the silhouette of the abdomen. There is another reason why a surgeon might recommend a tummy tuck. Some surgeons and some patients believe the aesthetics benefits of a maximally flat tummy outweigh the disadvantages of an abnormal appearance of the belly button and the unnatural appearance of the lower abdominal scar. Patients should be aware of this issue when evaluating liposuction vs. tummy tuck.
How can one minimize the risk of complications associated with a tummy tuck?
When a tummy tuck is indicated, some surgeons believe it is safer to first do a liposuction and then, several months later, do the tummy tuck. Often the patient is so pleased with the initial liposuction that she no longer sees a need for a tummy tuck. Second, if the results of the liposuction are not sufficient, then dividing liposuction and tummy tuck into two separate relatively minor surgical procedures is usually much safer than one major surgery.