Abdominal Contouring: Liposuction vs. Tummy Tuck
By Michele Shermak | Published on July 23, 2010 | 0 Comments
When it comes to plastic surgery, most people simply don’t know what procedure it is that they really need. After watching makeover shows on TV and reading success stories in magazines, many people think they know the exact procedure they want to have done, when in fact they need a entirely different procedure to achieve the results they want, according to Dr. Michele Shermak, MD. “A lot of people come in asking for one thing, and they are actually a better candidate for something else,” she says.
Among the areas causing the most confusion for women is the stomach, Shermak explains. At her practice in Baltimore, many people will say they want an MD to perform liposuction on their abdomens, when in fact what they really need is the tummy tuck procedure instead. “Usually they are asking for liposuction, but they actually want a tummy tuck,” she says.
An MD who performs liposuction on a patient in Baltimore is effectively thinning the tissue in the person’s affected area, usually the abdomen or the thighs, which Shermak says is ideal for someone who has “thick, localized fatty deposits.” For someone with those body issues, liposuction would absolutely be the best option to help the person achieve a thinner, more toned look.
Liposuction is the best procedure to try for someone with good, tight skin tone, as opposed to someone whose skin in the stomach area is more lax. “So it is good for people with good skin tone, people who don’t have abdominal scarring, people who have good muscle tone, and those who are generally fit,” Shermak says. The ideal liposuction candidate is not necessarily overweight, but just has some problem areas in the hips or the abdomen that he or she would like to have addressed by a plastic surgeon.
From what Shermak has seen in her Baltimore practice though, many women who think they need liposuction are actually better candidates for tummy tucks. In general, tummy tucks are a better option for individuals who have a lot of excess skin. “And that is because liposuction is not going to remove any skin excess,” Shermak says.
Additionally, a tummy tuck would be a good option for someone who has poor muscle tone, which may have been impaired by significant weight changes in life or because of surgeries that actually cut through the abdominal muscles. Having a prior surgery that required the surgeon to cut through the abdominal muscle could absolutely result in poor muscle tone in the stomach, and a tummy tuck would be an excellent option for repairing that and bringing the look of that muscle tone back to the abs. “So an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck addresses the muscle tightness and tone of the abdomen,” Shermak says.
As patients get older, Shermak says that liposuction becomes less of a good option for reducing girth in the abdominal area. This is for multiple reasons, starting with the fact that older patients are more likely to have had multiple surgeries over the course of their lifetimes. “And as you have more surgery, abdominoplasty tends to be the better procedure for the individual,” she says.
Of course, the best way for a patient to determine whether a tummy tuck or liposuction is right is to visit a plastic surgeon. In Baltimore, Shermak regularly meets with patients and explains the ins and outs of what each procedure entails.
Oftentimes, a person might come into Shermak’s office wanting one procedure, and leaving wanting to have something else done entirely. By working with a surgeon who is as experienced as Shermak—and who will offer the right amount of guidance throughout the process—patients can help themselves arrive at the best possible decisions for toning their stomachs.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.