Cosmetic surgery is wildly popular in the United States currently, and one of the most popular cosmetic procedures is abdominoplasty, or what is commonly referred to as tummy tuck. As a board certified Plastic Surgeon practicing in Chicago, there is no doubt the abdominoplasty procedure is one of the most common procedures that I perform.
Yet, in spite of its popularity, tummy tuck is often confused with liposuction by many people, which is also another popular procedure that can produce similar results, but ultimately, is a very different procedure than tummy tuck surgery.
One of the reasons people get so confused about these two procedures is because liposuction is used quite frequently in a tummy tuck procedure to help augment its effects, but having liposuction is not the same thing as having a tummy tuck.
Here are the four important aspects of a successful tummy tuck procedure that you should know about if you are considering either a tummy tuck or liposuction that can help you make the decision on which procedure is right for you.
- Abdominoplasty is a full surgical procedure where skin and fatty tissue are excised from the abdominal wall. In particular, this is the skin and fatty tissue that exists below the belly button, and is usually doesn't go away in spite of diet and exercise. The surgical excision results in a scar in the lower abdomen, but is hidden in the bikini line.
- Abdominoplasty involves tightening of the abdominal wall muscles in a procedure called plication. In women, especially those who have had multiple pregnancies, this procedure is performed frequently because the abdominal wall muscles have frequently 'thinned' out because of the stretching that occurs as a result of being pregnant. This condition is formally known as diastasis recti, and once again, no amount of exercise, including directed 'core exercises, such as crunches, can correct the condition. This procedure is not done and can not be done through liposuction. So, if you are looking for abdominal wall tightening, liposuction alone may not be the procedure for you.
- Abdominoplasty also involves rotation of the skin towards the midline. This is an important point because simple excision of skin and subcutaneous fatty tissue alone does not constitute a tummy tuck. When simple excision of skin and subcutaneous tissue alone is performed, this is called a panniculectomy, and though this can also improve the aesthetic appearance of the abdomen, it will not achieve an aesthetic contour of the abdomen, which can only be done through rotation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, which is called medial rotation. This will result in a hourglass contour of the torso, which many patients enjoy and prefer.
- The final aspect of the successful abdominoplasty usually involves liposuction. As I've mentioned before, liposuction can be used independently to achieve excellent results for body contouring but does not remove excess skin and the amount of fatty tissue that can be removed by liposuction has a limit which is much less than abdominoplasty. Liposuction cannot also tighten the abdominal wall. That being said, liposuction has the ability to remove subcutaneous fatty tissue from areas that a tummy tuck procedure cannot, such as the hips, and the remaining subcutaneous fatty tissue that remains. Therefore, a tummy tuck and liposuction can work synergistically to provide results that neither can achieve independently. And this is one of the reasons why they are used together so frequently. In fact, these two procedures are used concomitantly 95 to 99% of the time.
Abdominoplasty is a popular procedure and with good reason. It provides predictable and pleasing results for patients who desire a more youthful and well contoured torso. And when coupled with liposuction, tummy tuck is an even more powerful procedure, producing superior aesthetic results.
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