Liposuction and tummy tucks are two of the most common surgical procedures to help with weight loss. However, the two are not always interchangeable. And the best procedure for you will depend on a variety of things. These include where you are with your body now, what you want to correct, and the desired results. So, while each patient is different, it is important to have a basic understanding of them. This way, when you walk in for a consultation, you’ll have a good understanding of the pros and cons of liposuction vs tummy tuck.
Liposuction Vs Tummy Tuck
Trying to figure out which option is best for you may be difficult and stressful. The information provided here will help you in getting started.
What Is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a procedure that removes excess fat from problem areas on the body, such as the hips, back, chin, arms, thighs, and abdomen. Liposuction is not a “weight loss” procedure. And all liposuction patients must be in very good physical condition. The fat pockets that will be removed are in places where exercise and diet are ineffective. The doctor will make a tiny incision in the target area. Then the doctor will put a tube called a cannula into the incision to suck out the extra fat.
What Is A Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck is a surgical treatment that removes extra skin, fat, and tissue from the stomach while tightening abdominal muscles to create a more toned abdomen. Because the skin and tissue surrounding the stomach can expand due to weight gain, pregnancy, and ageing, a tummy tuck aims to remove any unwanted hanging skin. The doctor will create an incision from hip to hip during a tummy tuck, spanning the whole abdomen. He will remove the excess tissue, fat, and skin. Doctors can also use liposuction to remove excess fat during a tummy tuck in some situations.
What Is The Liposuction Procedure Like?
Both liposuction and tummy tucks need incisions and anaesthesia and are performed by a plastic surgeon.
This operation may need intravenous sedation. Your surgeon will use a local anaesthetic to numb your midsection in some cases.
Your surgeon will make tiny incisions around the site of your fat deposits after the area is numb. To remove the fat cells, a tiny tube (cannula) will be inserted under your skin. Your surgeon will suck out the dislodged fat deposits using a medical vacuum. To achieve the desired results, you may require many sessions.
What Is The New Tummy Tuck Procedure Like?
Your surgeon will give general anaesthesia to put you to sleep. After you’ve been anaesthetized, an incision will be made at the bottom of the skin that covers your abdominal wall.
If the muscles in your abdominal wall have become stretched out, your surgeon will stitch them together after they have been exposed. Then your surgeon will pull tight the skin over your abdomen, remove extra skin, and close the incision with sutures.
This new Tummy tuck procedure is done in a single surgery. The complete procedure usually takes two to three hours.
Who Is A Good Candidate?
It might be difficult to tell the difference between a tummy tuck and abdominal liposuction. While both treatments aim to restore abdominal shape, they achieve this goal in different ways. This section explains who a good candidate for each surgery would be.
1. Candidate for Liposuction
Liposuction could be beneficial for people who:
- Are within 30% of their optimum weight
- Maintain a healthy level of skin elasticity and muscle tone
- Are in good physical condition
- Have localized fat deposits beneath the skin around their belly that they want to get rid of
- Have reasonable expectations for the treatment’s outcomes
2. Candidate for Tummy Tuck
Individuals who are candidates for a tummy tuck include those who:
- Have excessive skin or muscle laxity from the navel down
- Are in good physical condition
- Have stopped having children
- Have lost weight and now have sagging skin
- Understand that a stomach tuck requires an incision below the navel
- Have a reasonable expectation of what the treatment can achieve
What Are The Expected Results?
Even though doctors claim both liposuction and tummy tucks to have long-term benefits, significant weight gain after the procedure can change this.
1. Expected Results of Liposuction
After recovering from liposuction on the belly, patients typically notice a flatter, more proportioned midsection. These results are meant to be long-term. But, at least one research disagrees. According to one study, the fat deposits return up to a year after the operation, though they may develop elsewhere on your body. Fat will re-accumulate in your body if you gain weight, though not in the suctioned regions.
2. Expected Results of Tummy Tuck
The results of a tummy tuck are believed to be permanent. Your abdominal wall’s strength and stability will improve. The extra removed skin will not return unless the area is stretched out again due to weight changes or subsequent pregnancy.
What Are The Possible Risks or Side Effects?
Although all surgeries have side effects, each treatment has its own set of risks that you should be aware of.
1. Liposuction Side Effects
Complications are more likely with liposuction if your surgeon is working on a large area. Performing multiple operations at the same time might also raise your risk.
Among the possible risks are:
- Numbness in the affected region is possible. Although this is usually temporary, it can become permanent.
- Contour Irregularities. When fat is removed, it might create a wavy or jagged impression on the top layer of your skin. This might make the skin look rougher.
- Fluid Accumulation. Seromas, or temporary pockets of fluid under the skin, can develop. They will have to be removed by your doctor.
Rare risks include:
- Infections at the location of your liposuction incision are possible.
- Internal organ puncture. The cannula may puncture an organ if it penetrates too far.
- Fat Embolism. A fat embolism is a kind of embolism that occurs when a loosened bit of fat breaks away. It becomes stuck in a blood vessel and goes to the lungs or brain, causing an embolism.
2. Tummy Tuck Side Effects
Tummy tucks have been shown to have a higher risk of side effects than other cosmetic procedures. According to one research, 8.5 percent of people who had a tummy tuck were required to return to the hospital due to complications. The most common reasons for readmission were wound problems and infections.
Other possible risks include:
- Sensational Changes. The superficial sensory nerves in this place and those in your upper thighs may be affected by repositioning your abdominal tissue. You could have numbness in these places.
- Fluid Accumulation. Temporary pockets of fluid may develop under the skin, as with liposuction. Your doctor will have to remove them.
- Tissue necrosis.Fatty tissue deep within the belly area may be damaged in some cases. Your surgeon must remove tissue that does not heal or dies.
What’s The Recovery Process Like?
The amount of time it takes to recover varies depending on the procedure.
1. Liposuction Recovery
Your recovery time will depend on how many areas were operated on, as well as whether you need more liposuction treatments.
After the treatment, you may experience:
- Swelling at the fat removal site
- Draining and bleeding from the surgical location
Your surgeon may advise you to wear a compression garment to help reduce swelling and promote smooth skin healing over your new shape.
You can resume regular exercise quite quickly after liposuction because it is an outpatient surgery. Within the next 48 hours, you should be able to do everything you usually do.
You should avoid heavy weight lifting and extensive cardio until you’ve received your doctor’s approval.
2. Tummy Tuck Recovery
When you wake up, your incision will be covered in a surgical dressing that you must change few times. Your surgeon will also supply you with a compression garment, often known as a “belly binder.”
To avoid the formation of blood clots, you should be up and walking (with assistance) within one day. Your doctor may prescribe pain medications and antibiotics to help relieve any discomfort and minimize your risk of infection.
Surgical drains may also be present for up to two weeks. The first tummy tuck recovery phase takes 6 weeks. And you’ll need several follow-up consultations with your doctor to see how your incision is healing. Avoid any positions that require abdominal extension or bending backwards at this time because they may pull or put too much tension on the incision.
You should also refrain from engaging in any severe physical activity or exercise until your doctor has given them approval.
Scarring
Both liposuction and tummy tuck can leave scars. But the degree of scars are different.
1. Liposuction Scarring
Liposuction requires the use of tiny incisions in the skin of the patient. As a result, tiny scars will appear around the treatment area, although they will fade with time.
2. Tummy Tuck Scarring
Tummy tuck surgery leaves a scar that runs horizontally across the lower abdomen. The length of the scar will be determined by the type of tummy tuck procedure performed.
The scar will be permanent, although it will fade significantly over time. Plastic surgeons usually perform the incision below the bikini line to hide the scar by underwear or swimwear.
Liposuction vs Tummy Tuck Cost
1. Liposuction Cost
The cost of abdominal liposuction is between $5000 and $10,000. The total cost is based on factors such as the surgeon’s location, qualifications, the sort of facility where the surgery is performed, and the amount of fat removed.
2. Tummy Tuck Cost
In the U.S., an abdominoplasty operation costs between $3000 and $12,500, not including anaesthesia and facility expenses.
The kind of tummy tuck, the surgeon’s credentials, anaesthetic expenses, the facility itself, and its geographic location all impact the procedure’s final cost.
The Bottom Line
Liposuction and Tummy Tuck are both effective treatments for restoring your figure and helping you lose weight. Still, neither is a replacement for a healthy diet or a regular exercise routine.
Both can be beneficial depending on what you want to achieve and have their implications. We strongly recommend that you get the advice of a qualified surgeon before proceeding with the surgery.
