Tummy Tuck vs. Liposuction: Body Contouring Comparison
If you have stretch marks, unwanted pockets of fat, poor overall body contour, and other issues affecting your figure, Dr. Anya Kishinevsky can help. She can give you a total makeover thanks to body contouring, skin tightening, and cosmetic fat removal surgery.
Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and liposuction are two of the most popular and well-known body contouring procedures, yet many patients are not sure what they can accomplish and how each surgery works. The team at our Darien, CT cosmetic surgery center would like to compare tummy tuck and liposuction, with a focus on which may be more ideal for you.
About Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
A tummy tuck is a body contouring surgery that’s ideal for removing loose skin around the lower abdominal area. The surgery typically involves three incisions comprising an anchor shape:
- A circular incision around the belly button
- A lateral incision along the lower abdomen spanning from hipbone to hipbone
- A vertical incision connecting the previous two
Through these incisions, a plastic surgeon can remove excess skin and fat, and adjust the underlying structures of the abdominal area as needed. For more extensive or less extensive tummy tuck needs, these incisions can be modified as needed.
Good Candidates for Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
Good candidates for tummy tuck are people who have a lot of excess skin and stretch marks following major weight loss. They should be in good overall health and not suffer from medical conditions that would make body contouring surgeries like this a risk to general wellness.
About Liposuction
Liposuction is a cosmic fat removal procedures that targets unwanted pockets of fat. Even if you eat right and exercise regularly, some pockets of fat may not respond to the healthy lifestyle.
During liposuction, targeted pockets of fat are extracted from the body using safe suction and small incisions. Once liposuction is performed, patients will look trimmer, slimmer, and have a better overall body contour.
Good Candidates for Liposuction
Good candidates for liposuction are people who have a little bit of body fat that they cannot get rid of through natural means. The surgery is not for weight loss; only a certain amount of body fat can be removed safely from the body. The procedure is ideal for aesthetic fat removal.
When Is Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) a Better Option?
Generally, tummy tuck surgery is best when a person has lost a lot of weight through pregnancy, bariatric surgery, and similar matters. The skin will hang loose from the slimmer frame, and only surgery will be able to remove the loose skin and tighten the overall frame.
Liposuction will not be able to remove the loose skin, though surgeons may perform liposuction in combination with tummy tuck to enhance the final outcomes of surgery.
When Is Liposuction a Better Option?
Liposuction is ideal for targeted fat removal from problem areas of the body, such as the love handles, lower abdomen, buttocks, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms. If patients have some problem pockets of fat, liposuction is designed just for this problem.
Tummy tuck surgery is too aggressive and invasive for relatively minor body contouring and sculpting needs.
Contact Dr. Anya Kishinevsky
For more information about tummy tuck, liposuction, and your many other body contouring options, be sure to contact cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Anya Kishinevsky. She and her team are here to help. You can reach their office in Fairfield by phone at (203) 349-9490, and their Norwalk office at (203) 347-0931.
