Liposuction and abdominoplasty (also known as a tummy tuck) are two distinct surgical procedures that seek to alter your body’s appearance. Both surgeries promise to make your stomach look flatter, smaller, and tighter. They’re both done by plastic surgeons and are considered cosmetic surgery.
Liposuction is a surgical procedure in which fat is removed from specific areas of the body using a suction technique, whereas a tummy tuck removes extra fat and skin from the stomach. Let’s have a look at each surgery separately:
Tummy Tuck Surgery
Let’s explore this procedure in more depth.
Why is tummy tuck surgery performed?
There are several reasons to undergo tummy tuck surgery:
- Your body type may make you more likely to have extra skin and fat in your abdomen.
- Your skin's elasticity has decreased.
- The connective tissues in your body have weakened.
- You have excess fat in your abdomen.
- You've had a recent change in your body weight - whether that be gaining or losing a significant amount of weight.
- Your body may have changed due to pregnancy, aging, or any abdominal surgery - such as getting a C-section.
This surgery can remove any excess fat or skin around the stomach area, as well as tighten weak fascia. A tummy tuck might also remove stretch marks or excess skin in the lower abdomen below your umbilical region.
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, can be done in conjunction with other cosmetic surgeries like breast surgery. If you’ve had liposuction to remove fat from your abdomen area, you may want a tummy tuck as well. This is because liposuction only eliminates the tissue beneath the skin and fat; it doesn’t get rid of extra skin.
What are the benefits of tummy tuck surgery?
- Abdominoplasty or a tummy tuck may improve your abdomen's appearance by sculpting the body figure to a more desirable form.
- By tightening your abdominal core muscles, you will be improving your posture as your back and spine become better supported. This also reduces the strain on the rest of your body.
- If you have scars from a previous cesarean section, they can be removed during abdominoplasty or tummy tuck surgery. The old scars will either be removed along with the loose skin, or they will become part of the new scars from the tummy tuck.
- Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is the best treatment for an incisional hernia, a type of hernia that occurs at the location of a prior surgery.
What are the results of tummy tuck surgery?
A tummy tuck will give you a firmer and flatter stomach that is more in line with your body type and weight.
What is the cost of tummy tuck surgery?
Liposuction
Now that we know about tummy tuck surgery, let’s learn about the specifics of liposuction.
Some facts about liposuction
Although it is not meant for weight loss, liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that can result in a slimmer-looking body.
Liposuction can be performed on the following body parts:
- Neckline and area under the chin
- Upper arms
- Back
- Abdomen
- Hips
- Thighs
- Buttocks
What are the benefits of liposuction?
- Liposuction removes fat effectively and safely.
- The procedure can also reduce cellulite or improve the appearance of cellulite.
- Not only can liposuction enhance your appearance, but it may also improve your health by reducing fat.
- Liposuction restores patients' self-esteem and confidence.
- The procedure promotes sculpting or contouring of the body parts that traditional exercise and diet haven't been able to improve.
What are the results of liposuction?
When the swelling and fluid retention that frequently follows liposuction subside, your improved body contour will be apparent.
What is the cost of liposuction?
Which surgery is right for you: tummy tuck or liposuction?
There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding between the two procedures. Even though both procedures focus on making your stomach area flatter, firmer, and smoother, there are definite differences between the surgeries themselves as well as their recoveries and results.
The procedures:
The main objectives of an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck and liposuction are quite similar. Liposuction and tummy tucks are both popular procedures to help give patients the slim and thin stomachs they desire. However, these two procedures are very different from one another:
- Liposuction uses a cannula and vacuum-like device to suction out fat deposits that diet and exercise cannot remove from areas such as the stomach, thighs, arms, hips, lower back, and chin.
- A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that aims to remove extra skin, fat, and tissue from the stomach as well as tighten the abdominal muscles. Depending on your wishes, you can choose from a mini, full, circumferential, or extended tummy tuck. This procedure is often done after a large weight loss or pregnancy.
- To put it plainly, liposuction removes any extra, undesired fat, while the tummy tuck gets rid of saggy skin and fat.
- Recovery time for liposuction is 5-7 days, whereas tummy tuck takes 2-3 weeks.
Things to remember before making your decision:
- It's crucial to set reasonable expectations. Cosmetic surgery is not a magic trick.
- Liposuction is a comparatively less invasive procedure that only eliminates fat cells, while abdominoplasty, a major surgery, addresses all aesthetic concerns for a flatter stomach, such as stretch marks and loose muscles.
- A person's age is an important consideration before electing to have either liposuction or a tummy tuck. You must be at least 18 years old to psychologically cope with the changes that these surgeries will bring about.
- You should be ready to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- You must talk about your medical history with your surgeon. If you have an underlying condition, then the surgery may not be suitable for you.
- Depending on the extent of surgery, you may need to take a break from any sort of high-intensity activity for 1-6 weeks.
- The finest surgeon who has mastered the art of cosmetic surgery should be your surgeon. The greatest surgeon has qualifications, expertise, and patient reviews.
If you’re not sure whether a tummy tuck or liposuction is the best choice for you, make an appointment with Dr. Santosh Bhatia.
Meet the Doctor
Dr. Santosh Bhatia
Dr Santosh Bhatia is Mumbai’s most-sought-after Plastic Surgeon. Founder and Director at Vanity Cosmetic Clinic, Dr Bhatia is also associated with some of the best hospitals in Mumbai such as Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Breach Candy Hospital.
Dr Bhatia has a vast global experience working with Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery hospitals in New York, Toronto, London, Chicago, Miami, Pune, and Mumbai.
Dr Santosh Bhatia’s focus lies in performing minimally invasive, state-of-the-art plastic surgeries that yield natural-looking and gorgeous results. He is a cosmetic surgeon with the vision of an artist. Dr Bhatia pays keen attention to details which makes the patient’s transformation graceful and aesthetically pleasing.
Dr Santosh Bhatia has happy patients including celebrities, socialites, and everyday women from all over the world. His surgical skills, experience and high-regard for safety has earned him a reputation not only in Mumbai but all over the world.
“Surgeon’s skill and experience, quality of care, infrastructure and facilities, and your comfort with the surgeon are just as important as the final cost of the surgery"
