A flat, toned abdomen is a nearly universal desire for both men and women. Although it’s always best to start with diet and exercise, genetics play a huge role in your body shape, and many people find that a healthy lifestyle doesn’t get them the body that they desire. Because they don’t like their body shape, a large number of people in our society feel uncomfortable wearing a swimsuit or even shopping for clothes. Plastic surgery is the only way for many people to achieve the fit, slim body that they desire.

If you want a flat belly, should you choose a tummy tuck or liposuction? These two procedures address different problems. Which one is right for you depends on the types of problems that are currently causing you to be unhappy with your body.

A tummy tuck primarily addresses the abdominal muscles and excess skin

Medically, a tummy tuck is known as abdominoplasty. This surgical procedure can address a variety of different issues that affect the appearance of the abdominal region. The “six-pack” muscle on the front of the abdomen (known as the rectus abdominis) consists of two long muscles separated by connective tissue. When this connective tissue becomes stretched out or weakened, the two halves of the muscle separate from each other. This can happen during pregnancy, when significant weight is gained, or even from certain types of strenuous abdominal exercises.

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If the two halves of the muscle are separated, then the belly will generally look rounded, even if you’re at your ideal weight. Doing crunches or other exercises will not help, because this doesn’t address the connective tissue between the muscle halves. In fact, too much use of the muscle can actually worsen the problem, because it puts additional stress on the connective tissue and stretches it further. The only way to bring the muscle halves back together is to remove the extra connective tissue.

During an abdominoplasty, the surgeon removes any excess tissue from between the two halves of the muscle, and reattaches the two halves of the rectus abdominis to each other. This can help to create a flat belly and reduce the abdominal pooch that most patients dislike.

In addition, an abdominoplasty removes any excess sagging skin. After a significant weight loss or after pregnancy, it’s common to have sagging skin on the abdomen. During a tummy tuck, the surgeon can remove the extra skin. When the remaining skin is tightened, the appearance of stretch marks can often be improved, especially stretch marks below the navel. Excess fat tissue in the central and lower abdomen will often be removed along with the skin. By addressing the skin and the muscles, a tummy tuck can help to create the smooth, flat belly that most people desire.

Liposuction removes stubborn pockets of fat

Liposuction is intended for the removal of pockets of fat. This is also a surgical procedure, but is very different from abdominoplasty in that it requires only very small incisions. The recovery from the procedure is easier than from abdominoplasty, so it doesn’t require as much time off from work and other activities. Liposuction works well for those stubborn areas of fat that are not responsive to diet and exercise.

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The abdomen is one of the most common areas addressed by liposuction. Many women find that they have excess fat around the abdomen after pregnancy, even after losing the weight that they gained during the pregnancy. As people age, many also notice weight gain on the abdomen. It’s especially common to notice “love handles” on the sides of the waist. These tend to be very difficult to remove through lifestyle. Liposuction is often the only way to get rid of these undesirable fat deposits.

When fat is removed by liposuction, the results are best if the skin is of good elastic quality. Skin that has lost its elasticity will not “bounce back” after the procedure to adhere to the new body contour, and so the patient will be left with excess sagging skin. If the skin is stretched and sagging, then a tummy tuck will be necessary to achieve a flat abdomen.

It’s very important to remember that liposuction is not intended as a weight loss method. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you’ll need to try other methods (such as significant changes in your diet and exercise, or bariatric surgery) to do this, rather than liposuction. The ideal candidates for liposuction are within 25 pounds of their goal weight.

Liposuction can be performed along with abdominoplasty

What if you have excess fat along with separation of the muscles and/or excess sagging skin? Do you have to schedule surgery twice in order to have both procedures? Fortunately, this isn’t necessary. You can address all of your problems at the same time and achieve the flat tummy of your dreams.

Although fat in the front part of the central and lower abdomen is normally removed as part of a tummy tuck, fat in other areas (such as the flanks) is not addressed by the abdominoplasty procedure itself. If fat in other areas of the abdomen is a problem, liposuction can be performed during an abdominoplasty procedure. This will add a small amount of time to the procedure, but will not significantly affect the recovery time. When performed at the same time, the abdominoplasty and liposuction procedures can address multiple different issues with the appearance of the abdomen without the need for multiple separate procedures.

Which one is right for you? Tummy tuck or liposuction Lake Norman?

Whether you should choose abdominoplasty or liposuction depends on the current state of your body and what you want to accomplish with your procedure. If you have problems with the muscles of the abdomen or with excess sagging skin, then an abdominoplasty will be needed to address these issues. If you just have excess fat in certain areas of the abdomen, but no issues with the muscles or skin, then liposuction alone may be enough. If you have problems in both of these areas, then you may want to choose abdominoplasty with liposuction.

An evaluation by a qualified plastic surgeon is necessary to determine which procedure would be most likely to achieve the results you desire. When you schedule your consultation with Dr. Miles, who is a double board certified plastic surgeon, he’ll conduct a thorough examination. This will allow him to make recommendations about your treatment. There is no obligation to proceed with the recommended treatment plan. Rather, you’ll be empowered with knowledge so that you can decide what’s right for you. To schedule your appointment, please contact our office today.