The question of whether to have a Tummy tuck or Liposuction is a very common one from my Baltimore patients. The two procedures address different problems. Liposuction deals only with fatty tissues, whereas Tummy tuck deals with muscle, skin, and fat. Some patients are candidates for liposuction only, some for Tummy tuck only, and some could have either procedure, depending on their priorities.
Candidates for Liposuction
A candidate for liposuction only should have good skin tone. The skin will retract nicely after taking out the fat. Recovery time will be minimal, 7-10 days and you’re back to work. I like doing the procedure with a super fine cannula, and after surgery I apply foam pads to the skin to create the best possible smooth contour.
Candidates for Tummy Tuck
A patient who has loose skin, or a lot of stretch marks, or poor muscle tone will be much better off with a Tummy tuck. The recovery time is longer, but the use of local anesthetic pumps has helped tremendously to minimize pain. Patients should be ready to miss work for 3 weeks. The payoff is a tightened abdominal skin and a dramatic change in shape.
If I need a Tummy Tuck, can I still have liposuction?
Some patients can’t spare the time off work, or the expense for a Tummy tuck is more than they are prepared to spend. In these cases a liposuction can achieve a visible improvement in body contour, but abdomen skin won’t be tightened. In most cases, the flanks or love handles can still be liposuctioned, but any type of liposuction to the abdomen will result in even looser skin.
If I don’t have a muscle separation, can I get only the hanging skin removed?
If the skin is loose, but muscle tone is OK, the patient may benefit from a dermolipectomy. This is a version of the Tummy Tuck without the muscle repair. This is an excision of skin and fat only. It has a scar like a Tummy tuck, but since no muscle work is done, recovery time is short (1 week), and the price is much less than a Tummy tuck.
