The standard tummy tuck or abdominoplasty will produce a flat stomach by removing excess skin and fat along with tightening the abdominal wall. So when thin girls have this procedure their problem is solved and off they go to buy another pair of size 2 skinny leg jeans. For everyone else who weighs more than 110 pounds, the standard abdominoplasty alone can create an imbalance in trunk proportions. Patients who are a little more “fluffy” will like a standard tummy tuck result only as long as they look at themselves in the mirror from the side view. Unfortunately, when they turn to the front their reflection will appear shorter and wider because the abdomen, hips, flank & back are still bulky.
Over the last decade, the addition of liposuction to the trunk and thighs, at the same time of a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty operation, has dramatically improved the contour of the trunk from all angles. Years ago liposuction and an abdominoplasty procedure would not have been done at the same time, but rather in stages, one first then the other. This meant multiple anesthetics and multiple recoveries.
I now do a lipoabdominoplasty (liposuction+abdominoplasty) in my “fluffier” patients since multiple studies have shown it is both safe and effective. The result has been a more pleasing result giving patients a dramatic shape change.
More next week on pre-surgery fitness goals and a checklist of how to minimize the risks of combination procedures…