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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Interested in a tummy tuck in San Antonio? Check out Dr. Albright’s most recent before and after photos on Instagram.
