Sometimes patients looking to address issues with the contour of their abdomen confuse what liposuction or a tummy tuck target. While their goals are the same, a slimmer contour, how they do it is vastly different.
Liposuction
Year in and year out, liposuction is the most popular surgical cosmetic procedure in the country. Liposuction specifically targets pockets of fat that don’t respond to changes in diet or regular exercise. In the abdomen area, these pockets are colloquially known as love handles, spare tires, and muffin tops. The ideal liposuction candidate should be within 10% of his or her ideal body weight and have tried both diet and exercise to get rid of stubborn areas of fat. Liposuction is nowhere near as invasive as it was just a decade ago, making recovery relatively simple.
Tummy tuck
A tummy tuck addresses skin and muscle that have been overstretched due to pregnancy or weight gain and loss. A tummy tuck doesn’t target fat pockets — instead it improves the appearance of the midsection by removing loose, hanging abdominal skin and tightening the underlying abdominal muscles for a well-contoured abdomen. Tummy tuck surgery involves recovery time because the muscles in the abdomen are involved. Things like heavy lifting and strenuous exercise have to be avoided for six weeks.
Why decide? Choose both.
The good news is you can have the best of both worlds! If you have issues with both excess fat and skin laxity in the abdominal area, Dr. Perron can perform both liposuction and a tummy tuck as part of your body-contouring plan.
Body contouring and weight loss
It is important to note that both liposuction and a tummy tuck are not meant to be weight loss panaceas. Dr. Perron wants his patients to be at or near their ideal body weight before either of these procedures can go forward. If excessive weight is the concern, bariatric surgery is the ideal type of procedure (we do not perform bariatric surgery).
Similarly, body-contouring surgery isn’t a magic potion to stop any future weight gain. Lifestyle changes need to be in place to guarantee your results will stay with your for the long haul. After all, if you gain a good deal of weight, the results you achieve with liposuction or a tummy tuck will be lost.
Interested in slimming that abdomen through liposuction, a tummy tuck, or maybe both? Call us at 403-228-7076 and let’s talk about it.
