Liposuction or Tummy Tuck: Which is Right for You?

Happy New Year from the team at Advanced Specialty Associates in Baxter and St. Paul, Minnesota! Our highly experienced providers want to help you make this the year you achieve the body you’ve always wanted. 

We know that despite exercise and watching what you eat, getting a toned, flat belly can be challenging. The good news is that thanks to advances in cosmetic medicine, you have options for taming your tummy. 

Our experienced surgeons offer different cosmetic solutions that can help you overcome the battle of the bulge. Many of our patients with tummy troubles wonder which treatment is better: a tummy tuck or liposuction?

In this blog, our providers explain the differences between these cosmetic procedures to help you decide which one might be right for you.

Understanding liposuction

During liposuction, your surgeon removes excess body fat from the targeted area using a suction tool. The surgery isn’t a weight-loss procedure. Rather, it’s a good choice for addressing stubborn areas of fat in specific areas, such as the tummy, when your overall weight is healthy.

At Advanced Specialty Associates, our providers offer traditional and laser liposuction. Traditional liposuction involves making tiny incisions and inserting a suction device to extract the excess fat from your body. 

Laser liposuction combines this traditional approach with ProLipo PLUSTM laser technology to help break down fat cells before suctioning them out. The laser energy also stimulates your body’s natural production of collagen, an important protein for skin health. 

With boosted collagen production, your skin produces tighter, firmer skin fibers, so as you heal, your skin becomes tighter and firmer, too. The result? Less belly fat and smoother, more toned abdominal skin. 

Understanding the tummy tuck

During a tummy tuck — also called abdominoplasty — your surgeon makes incisions in your lower belly. Then they excise (cut away) excess skin and fat and tighten your abdominal muscles. This helps create a smoother abdomen with tighter skin and aesthetically pleasing contours.

A tummy tuck isn’t a weight loss surgery, either. However, your abdomen can generally be looser and saggier than would be acceptable for liposuction. Still, you should be near your goal weight. Most surgeons recommend that patients be no more than 10-15 pounds from their goal weight, since losing more than that after surgery could undo the contours achieved during surgery.

Deciding between liposuction and a tummy tuck

The best way to learn if liposuction or a tummy tuck is right for you is by meeting with an aesthetic specialist, such as one of the team members at Advanced Specialty Associates. Here are some general guidelines to consider before your consultation:

When to consider a tummy tuck

Generally, it might be time to consider a tummy tuck if:

• You have significant amounts of excess skin on your abdomen
• Your abdominal skin is saggy (not firm or toned)
• You have a condition called diastasis recti, in which the abdominal muscles are separated
• You have substantial scarring on your tummy

When to consider liposuction

Liposuction may be the right choice for you if:

• You are at or neal your ideal weight but have stubborn pockets of abdominal fat
• You want to contour and shape your belly
• Your abdominal skin is relatively firm and toned
• You have decent muscle tone below the layers of fat

Keep in mind that for all surgical procedures, including tummy tucks and liposuction, you should be in good overall health, be a non-smoker, and be willing to maintain a healthy body weight. 

To learn more about whether a tummy tuck or liposuction could help you accomplish your goals, book an appointment online or over the phone with Advanced Specialty Associates today.