Tummy Tuck or Liposuction: Which Procedure Is Right for You?

Many people, perhaps you are one of them, face the same problem. No matter whether they eat the right food and exercise regularly enough, they still find it hard to remove excess skin, particularly around their abdomen. This happens to genetics, massive weight loss, and even pregnancy. Two options are available for people looking to tone their stomachs up and shift hard-to-move fat cells. As both procedures require a considerable investment and mean you must take two weeks off following the process, you must work out which is right for you.

Understanding Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck helps to create a taut and toned stomach by removing excess skin and sagging skin from the stomach and closing the abdominal muscles if they have separated or stretched too much.

The Liposuction Approach

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery that removes excess and stubborn fat deposits. As it permanently removes these unwanted cells that store excess fat, your appearance will improve.

Comparing the Techniques

Tummy tuck and liposuction procedures are often spoken of in the same breath because people who want them have similar results and goals. However, there are many differences between the two types of surgery. Below, you will find the six most important differences between the two procedures outlined to help you decide which is best for you.

Results of the Procedures

Perhaps the most significant difference between lipo and tummy tucks is the expected results of each. With a liposuction procedure, body fat is generally from problematic areas like the buttocks, chest, outer and inner thighs, upper abdomen, and lower abdomen.

While a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty removes the excessive fat from around the abdominal area, it also removes any excess skin there may be. For this reason, it is so common with women recently giving birth because pregnancy stretches out your skin and can increase your weight considerably.

Longevity of the Results

Another essential factor to consider when choosing between the two procedures is how long the results last. While it’s true that most experts will tell you the results of these procedures are permanent, lifestyle choices can significantly impact how successful they will be in the long run.

As liposuction involves the fat and the cells being removed, they are gone forever. This sounds great, and it is unless you put on the weight again, and the fat cells that remain in the areas you were treated start to expand. This could potentially reverse the results from your lipo.

The results of a successful tummy tuck are also stated as being permanent. As with the lipo results, the longevity of these results comes down, at least in part, to the type of lifestyle you lead after your surgery. It may be that you could have lots of loose skin if you put more weight on it, and this causes the skin to stretch and grow to accommodate the new excessive mass of fat. As you grow older, elastin and collagen levels lessen, which increases the likelihood that your skin will not be able to snap into place when you finally shift the weight you have gained. Furthermore, there is a severe risk of the walls of your abdomen separating again if certain stressful events, future pregnancies, and ventral hernias trigger that.

Anesthesia Used

Another considerable difference between the two plastic surgery procedures is the type of anaesthesia used. When you are having liposuction, intravenous sedation is the type of anaesthesia used. Depending on past experiences and what you prefer to feel comfortable with, you may also be given a local anaesthetic directly to the area where you are getting liposuction.

You will be given general anaesthesia if you opt for a tummy tuck.

The subject of the best anaesthesia and treatment will be discussed during your initial consultation with one of our plastic surgeons here at Linia Cosmetic Surgery. During this, we will discuss your medical history and personal preferences.

The Procedure

Though they both have similar outcomes, the procedures are different in how they are executed. For liposuction, a cannula, a skinny tube, is pushed through tiny incisions that the plastic surgeon will make around the target treatment area. This cannula then moves under your skin to feel up and loosen the excess fatty tissue. While this happens, a medical-grade suction tool is implemented to remove all the fat cells that become dislodged.

When you choose to have a tummy tuck, the plastic surgeon will make an incision at the bottom of your abdominal wall skin. When the muscle is exposed, we will sew together your ab muscles to repair and improve the wall if it has become separated or broken. All remaining excess skin is carefully trimmed before the surgeon uses sutures to close the incision.

 Two-Week Recovery Period During Post-Op

As you can probably guess by now, things are different between lipo and a tummy tuck for each point raised above. The recovery period is no other. Liposuction depends firstly on the number of areas focused during your session, the technique used to remove the unwanted fat cells, and how many fat cells you need to remove.

Most patients with white-collar jobs can return to work within a few short days. While those working a blue-collar job are not allowed to start work again until they have completed two weeks of post-op.

Both tummy tucks and lipo are outpatient processes. This means you will be given a dressing over the incision, which must be cleaned and changed numerous times. In addition, before you go home, you will be given a belly binder a compression garment.

After 24 hours following your procedure, if everything has gone well, you should start walking, assisted to avoid blood clots from developing. It may be necessary for you to take some prescribed antibiotics to reduce the risk of

Candidates for Tummy Tuck

You’re an ideal candidate for the cosmetic procedure known as a tummy tuck surgery if you have lost considerable weight and are close to your preferred weight. While the process will not reduce your body weight, as it involves removing excess skin from the extensive weight loss you’ve achieved and tightening your abs up, you will have a much flatter, firmer, and tighter looking and feeling stomach. If you have been pregnant and experienced weight loss, this procedure can help you get your pre-pregnancy figure back.

Candidates for Liposuction

You are an ideal liposuction candidate if you are at your target weight or under it. However, you have a lot of fatty deposits that are hard to eliminate with just exercise or a healthy diet and lifestyle. While this procedure is not designed to help you lose weight, it will improve your figure and help you fit into clothes better for your size. This, in turn, may help it look like you have lost additional weight.

Making the Right Choice

Tummy tuck and liposuction are two of the most popular procedures available at Linia Cosmetic Surgery. With the information above and help from one of our team, you need to determine which is best for you, whether you opt for a traditional liposuction or a tummy tuck procedure. For more information or to get the ball rolling towards either having fat removal or to getting a flat stomach, speak to one of our team today. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you to get the best procedure that removes excess skin and small fat deposits.

Posted In: Body Treatments Blogs

Written By: Dr Azhar Aslam