subject: Can I Get A Liposuction And A Tummy Tuck At The Same Time? [print this page] There are a number of cosmetic procedures which target the abdomen. Two of the largest surgical procedures are liposuction (also referred to as lipoplasty and suction lipectomy) and abdominoplasty (more popularly called tummy tuck). Each of these surgeries have certain things that they are well-suited for treating.
Lipoplasty removes excess fat from the abdomen by using a small, hollow needle called a cannula. After numbing the area, the doctor makes one or several small incisions and inserts the cannula into the incision. By moving the cannula back and forth through the fatty tissue of the target area, the doctor is able to break up and suction out the excess and unwanted fat.
By contrast, when a tummy tuck is performed, it requires large incisions. Instead of removing large amounts of thick fat, this surgery cuts away excess skin and tightens the underlying abdominal musculature. The doctor will frequently try to place the scar in an area where it will be hidden by a person's underwear or swimsuit.
When it is possible, it is advisable to receive a liposuction instead of a tummy tuck, because a tummy tuck is more expensive, more dangerous and more difficult to recover from. However, there are some situations in which a lipoplasty cannot fix a person's appearance on its own. For example, if there are large amounts of loose skin, a lipoplasty may actually exacerbate the problem by removing fat and making the skin even looser. Also, sometimes a person appears fat even if they do not have much excess fat. This is sometimes the case because the person's abdominal muscles are loose and saggy. This is often the case with women who have had children and had their abdominal muscles stretched during pregnancy.
In some cases, neither surgery will do enough on its own. Sometimes a patient has loose abdominal muscles, lots of excess skin, and large amounts of fat. In these cases, to achieve the optimal appearance, both surgeries are required. When this is the case, patients often wonder whether they could simply get both procedures done at the same time. However, due to safety issues, the surgeries cannot be combined. Trying to do them together drastically increases the amount of trauma the body undergoes and is unsafe. Because of this, patients typically have to undergo one surgery, wait a few to several months to recover, and then undergo another. For more information, please speak with your surgeon.
