Does A Tummy Tuck Include Lipo
A tummy tuck, also called abdominoplasty or a lower body lift, is a type of surgery to remove excess skin and fat from the abdominal area. This is done in order to improve the shape of the abdomen, usually after pregnancy or drastic weight loss. A tummy tuck could also be recommended if you have excess skin or an umbilicus that looks sagging and out of place on your abdomen.
In this guide, we find out Does A Tummy Tuck Include Lipo, which is cheaper lipo or tummy tuck, what is more painful tummy tuck or liposuction, and tummy tuck without liposuction recovery.
Does A Tummy Tuck Include Lipo
You’ve been working hard to lose the extra weight you gained when you were pregnant. You’ve lost the weight, but it seems like some of your skin and fat still hangs around. The good news is that there’s a surgical procedure that can help you with this problem: an abdominoplasty (also known as a tummy tuck).
An abdominoplasty can include liposuction.
Liposuction is a surgical procedure to remove fat. It can be performed alone, or in conjunction with an abdominoplasty. The goal of liposuction is to remove excess fat from areas of the body that are difficult to target through diet and exercise.
In general, the amount of liposuction needed for an abdominoplasty will depend on your particular goals for surgery and your surgeon’s recommendations.
The goal is to remove excess skin and fat.
The goal of a tummy tuck is to remove excess skin and fat. The procedure will also tighten the abdominal muscles, which are often weakened after pregnancy, and tighten the fascia—the thin layer of tissue that surrounds your abdomen. Liposuction may be used in addition to a tummy tuck if you want to lose weight as well as tighten your abdominal wall.
Liposuction removes fat.
Liposuction is a procedure that removes fat from your body. The surgeon will discuss the pros and cons of liposuction, as well as the risks of liposuction, with you. Liposuction cost varies depending on the location and size of your procedure, but it can range from $1,000 to $5,000 per area being treated.
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved in having any type of surgery performed on you. The general risks associated with cosmetic surgeries include:
- Infection or bleeding at surgical site
- Swelling and bruising around surgical sites (this will usually subside within two weeks)
- Blood clots in legs or lungs (also known as pulmonary embolism)
It tightens your abdominal muscles and fascia.
This is a major benefit of a tummy tuck, and you should expect to see some tightening. The fascia, the connective tissue that covers your abdomen, is tightened by removing fat and skin. You will also see some tightening if there are excess amounts of fat or skin that need to be taken off.
In most cases, this will result in an improvement in muscle tone but not necessarily any muscle gain from exercise or dieting.
Your surgeon will give you options based on your needs and goals.
The most important thing to do when considering a tummy tuck is to have a consultation with your surgeon. Your surgeon will discuss the procedure and what you can expect from it, as well as pros and cons of different procedures, so that you can make an informed decision.
During your consultation, they will give you information about how liposuction could be used in conjunction with a tummy tuck to help sculpt your body even more effectively than just a tummy tuck alone. They will also help guide you toward choosing the best procedure for your needs – whether that means liposuction only or a combination of both liposuction and tummy tuck.”
which is cheaper lipo or tummy tuck
The abdominal area can be a stubborn area of the body to achieve a flat, taut or smooth appearance. If you’ve been looking for a treatment that will get rid of the sagging pooch or flab around your stomach, you may have looked into liposuction or a tummy tuck. Although both treatments may address similar areas, there are important differences to consider when deciding on your treatment.
Trying to determine which option is best for you can be confusing and overwhelming. The information below will help get you started.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a minimally-invasive surgical treatment that suctions excess fat away from the body permanently.
Achieving a flatter, tighter abdomen may not come to you despite regular exercise and a healthy diet. When it comes to stubborn deposits of belly fat, there are few treatments that can deliver results like liposuction. Though liposuction is not meant to be considered a weight-loss alternative, it is a great treatment for spot-reduction of exercise-resistant fat stores that typically develop around the stomach.
If the problem areas around your belly are primarily an issue of excess fat, then liposuction is typically the best route.
What is a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure that removes excess, stretched or sagging skin from the abdomen to restore a flatter, and tighter abdominal area. A tummy tuck is also highly capable of repairing weakened or stretched abdominal muscles.
In many cases, when we’re talking about the stomach and abdominal area, there is also the issue of excess, sagging skin. Pregnancy, aging, and large amounts of weight loss can result in sagging, stretched “flaps” of skin around the stomach. In these cases, liposuction may not be the best treatment because the excess skin is better addressed through treatments such as a tummy tuck.
Tummy Tuck vs. Liposuction Houston, TX
Both a tummy tuck and liposuction can deliver great results for achieving a flatter, leaner abdomen. To answer the question of which treatment is right for you comes down to the issue of excess skin versus excess fat.
Belly Fat versus Excess Skin
The struggle to achieve a slimmer stomach is one of the most common issues and only tends to get more challenging as you get older. Fat distribution is highly individualized and is affected by age, gender, genetics, and lifestyle. For women, they may notice a pronounced change of excess fat deposits around the waist after menopause, which studies show is linked to the changing levels of estrogen in the body.
Hormone levels have an important influence on how your body stores fat.
Aging, genetics, and lifestyle also play a big role in skin elasticity. Skin elasticity is the ability of your skin to hold a taut shape and resist the effects of gravity. When skin becomes stretched due to weight gain, age, and pregnancy, sagging skin can develop. Additional dieting and weight loss cannot treat sagging skin and may actually make the appearance of sagging skin worse.
what is more painful tummy tuck or liposuction
Quick Answer: Tummy tuck surgery (adominoplasty) is best at addressing excess skin and loose muscles. Liposuction targets isolated fat pockets that are resistant to diet and exercise. Tummy tuck procedures are more invasive, requiring general anesthesia and an extensive recovery period. In contracts, liposuction can be done under twilight anesthesia and features relatively little downtime. Continue reading to learn the differences between liposuction and tummy tuck surgery.
Many of our patients that are interested in a flatter stomach ask what the difference is between a tummy tuck and liposuction. After all both procedures can drastically help clients improve the abdominal area by creating a tone and tight midsection. However, liposuction and tummy tuck procedures are actually very different in terms of the results they provide.
Liposuction
Liposuction is ideal for removing localized fatty tissue that is centralized to specific areas (think “buldges”). The tumescent liposuction is specifically effective for safely removing excess stubborn fat. Liposuction is also far less invasive than a tummy tuck, which involves a scarring, general anesthesia, and long recovery times.
Additionally liposuction can be used on many other places of the body than the stomach, including the sides (love handles), arms, chin, legs, and butt.
Liposuction is perfect for people who generally have good skin and muscle tone. These are individuals who do not have issues like excess skin in the midsection or loose abdominal muscles. Often liposuction improves the shape of the patient’s stomach to a point where they look better in and out of clothes; solving the main concern of the patient.
However liposuction will not eliminate extra skin, stretch marks, and issues stemming from loose abdominal muscles. Often these issues can be associated with massive weight loss or pregnancy.
Before and After Liposuction
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is a great procedure for removing excess abdominal skin while tightening the abdominal muscles.
The tummy tuck procedure starts with an incision across the lower abdomen allowing a surgeon to remove excess skin and tighten slack muscles. Any remaining skin is then re-draped over the abdominal area leaving a flat and tight stomach.
In short, a tummy tuck is the best solution if the main issue experienced by the patient is loose skin or stretched muscle tissue (not fat).
Before and After Tummy Tuck
The Key Indicator: Isolated Fat or Excess Skin and/or lax muscles?
Liposuction is commonly the best treatment for those with good skin tone and a relatively flat abdominal wall. Patients who do not have excess skin or lax muscles and just require the removal of isolated pockets of excess fat are ideal candidates for liposuction. Liposuction removes excess fat between the skin and abdominal wall through tiny incisions. A skilled surgeon won’t simply remove fat, but will sculpt an aesthetically pleasing contour.
The best candidates for liposuction generally fit the following profile:
Patients with excess skin or abdominal muscles which have become loose or stretched may need a tummy tuck procedure. In this case, a liposuction procedure could actually result in even more loose, sagging skin.
Otherwise known as abdominoplasty, tummy tucks can be performed instead of or in addition to liposuction. A tummy tuck involves surgical excision (removal) of fat or excess skin as well as the tightening of underlying muscle tissue. Tummy tuck results are often dramatic, transforming the entire abdominal area into a tighter and tone silhouette.
Ideal candidates for abdominoplasty generally fit the following profile:
Liposuction vs Tummy Tuck: What’s the Difference?
Ultimately, the choice between a tummy tuck or liposuction procedure depends on the needs and desired final result of the patient. Liposuction does not address sagging skin, lax muscles, cellulite or stretch marks. The procedure is solely intended to remove isolated areas of unwanted fat and contour the treatment area. Tummy tuck surgery has the ability to tighten lax abdominal muscles and remove excess fat and skin in order to completely transform the appearance of the stomach.
Both procedures can provide permanent results as long as they are properly maintained by the patient post-surgery.
While both liposuction and tummy tuck techniques can vary, tummy tuck is often considered to be a more invasive procedure than liposuction. Lipo can be performed without the use of general anesthesia. The procedure requires several small incisions, which allow a small tube called a cannula to be inserted in order to suck out unwanted fat and contour the body.
A tummy tuck is a more invasive surgery which requires a larger incision. Tummy tuck incisions run horizontally between the hips and sometimes around the belly button. These larger incisions allow surgeons to surgically excise (remove) excess skin and tissue is removed, as well as manually tighten loose or lax muscle. Often the belly button is repositioned before the incisions are closed with sutures.
Recovery from liposuction is typically quicker than tummy tuck recovery. Most patients can resume light activity within 2-3 days of their surgery. Moderate to strenuous activity can resume after 2-3 weeks.
Tummy tuck recovery, on the other hand, often requires 2-3 weeks of rest before returning to work or light movement. A return to moderate or strenuous activity can take up to 3 months, at which point muscles and incisions have both fully healed.
While pain tolerance can differ from individual to individual, patients often say the process of recovering from tummy tuck surgery is more painful than liposuction. While liposuction requires small incisions in the skin only, many tummy tuck techniques involve incisions that penetrate the muscle. Additionally, the tightening of abdominal muscles during a tummy tuck procedure can cause pain and discomfort for several days after the procedure. However, any pain or discomfort from either procedure can be effectively managed via prescription pain medication.
Like any surgical procedure, both liposuction and tummy tuck surgery can result in scarring. However, the risk of developing a visible scar after liposuction is lower compared to a tummy tuck procedure. Most liposuction techniques involve incision sites are small and typically hidden where they will be covered by undergarments or bikini bottoms.
Experienced surgeons will also place tummy tuck incisions in areas where they can be hidden by clothing, but the larger incisions inherent to a tummy tuck procedure results in a greater risk of scarring. A traditional tummy tuck procedure, for example, can create scars extending from the right to left hip and around the belly button.
It’s important for patients to know that scars stemming from either procedure can be minimized with proper aftercare. Additionally, there are several effective scar removal treatments to minimize the appearance of scarring. These include steroid therapy, laser skin resurfacing, intense pulsed light therapy, and microneedling.
The cost of liposuction typically depends upon the size of the area(s) to be treated. A minor procedure could cost as low as $2,000, while treating several areas at once may cost up to $8,000. Liposuction in the abdominal area may include the lower belly below the navel, the waist and low back.
Tummy tuck surgery is not only more complex than liposuction, but requires general anesthesia, which adds to the expense. Depending on the type of abdominoplasty technique used, the cost of tummy tuck surgery can range anywhere from $6,000 – $10,000.
The final cost of any plastic surgery procedure is determined by several variables including the unique need of each patient and the surgical technique used. The only way to know exactly how much your procedure will cost is to get an in-person consultation, where a surgeon can assess your needs and create a treatment plan to provider your desired end result.
Patients with excess fat and sagging skin who are seeking dramatic results may actually benefit most from a combination of both tummy tuck and liposuction. Both procedures can also be done in conjunction with other popular plastic surgery treatments like breast lift or breast augmentation in what is often referred to as a “mommy makeover.” There are several advantages of doing multiple surgical procedures simultaneously including reductions in procedure cost and recovery time.
Which Procedure is better for you?
While both liposuction and tummy tuck are excellent body contouring procedures it’s extremely important to determine what specific issues must be corrected to determine the best course of treatment. If the problem is excess skin or loose abdominal muscles from excessive weight loss a tummy tuck may be your best option. For individuals who just need to improve isolated areas liposuction is usually the best course of treatment.
Still unsure which procedure would be best for you? Contact us today for a free no-obligation consultation.
Cameron Craven MD, FACS is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Craven specializes in the full spectrum of cosmetic surgery including breast augmentation, liposuction and body contouring, facial rejuvenation, laser surgery, eyelid surgery, and rhinoplasty, as well as reconstructive surgery for skin cancers.
tummy tuck without liposuction recovery
It is becoming more and more common to add liposuction to a tummy tuck (~80-90% of our patients). For many women and men, liposuction adds curves accentuating the waist and hips.
We recommend consultations with a few board certified plastic surgeons with great reviews (pay special attention to any one star reviews). Check out our blog article on How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon. During the consultations, gather as much information as possible about what they see based on your specific body and your goals. Ensure you go to plastic surgeons whom offer tummy tuck with liposuction in the same procedure. Some will only offer a staged procedure where liposuction is performed fist and a tummy tuck is performed 6-12 months later.
Based on their recommendations, you should have a good understanding if liposuction is recommended to meet your goals.
What is Liposuction?
In today’s medical landscape, there has been a dramatic increase in ‘minimally invasive’ fat loss procedures utilizing heat, cold, ultrasound or radiofrequency energy in an attempt to achieve results similar to liposuction. However, most of these technologies do not compare favorably to the more powerful and time-tested liposuction fat removal technique. Liposuction’s continued popularity as a cosmetic procedure is testament to this fact.
Liposuction is a very effective body contouring procedure that uses suction to remove unwanted areas of fat. Combined with a tummy tuck, liposcution can get rid of love handles, back rolls and belly fat.
What is Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a cosmetic surgery that will remove excess skin and stretch marks, typically from the lower part of the abdomen and leave a scar that can be hidden under most underwear and bikini bottoms. While loose skin is being removed, a stretched or damaged looking belly button (umbilicus) can often be rejuvenated. Also, if there has been separation of the abdominal muscles from pregnancies (rectus diastasis), Dr. Albright can improve this with ‘rectus plication’ helping to narrow and feminize the waistline. Full or droopy pubic mound (mons pubis), Dr. Albright will see about flattening this during the surgery. Therefore, a tummy tuck is plastic surgery that can rejuvenate the entire abdominal area.
One Recovery
In general the recovery for a tummy tuck without liposuction and with liposuction is very similar. Most people do find more bruising, pain(managed by a pain medication), and swelling with liposuction. In general, however, for either surgery in the first week after surgery, the patient will need to maintain a flexed waist (bent-over) position while standing, sitting and lying down. In the days following surgery if drains are used, they will typically be removed by the second week. In the first week patients will wear an abdominal binder 24/7, followed by 5 weeks of a compression garment. Walking exercise may be resumed by 4 weeks in most patients, followed by advancing to strenuous activities at 6 weeks. Most patients will be unrestricted by 2 months after surgery (out of compression and performing all normal exercise activities). However, if a rectus diastasis repair was performed, Dr. A will recommend avoiding intense abdominal bracing movements like heavy weightlifting, until 3 months after surgery, and with precautions.
Maximize Results
When liposuction is combined with a tummy tuck, your results will be maximized in a way not possible with either procedure alone. The plastic surgeon is able to remove as much fat as possible and then remove as much excess skin as possible leaving a very tight and flat end result.