More than 120,000 people have tummy tuck surgery each year, making this one of the most popular procedures in the country. Abdominoplasty removes excess skin from the midsection, usually between the navel and the pubic area, but it’s not just about skin. A tummy tuck also corrects muscle laxity and even diastasis recti, the separation of abdominal muscles that can occur during pregnancy. Most people view the purpose of a tummy tuck as improving cosmetic appearance. That’s part of it. A big part; but there are additional rewards to this procedure. By tightening the abdominal muscles, a tummy tuck can also improve support to the lower back.
With aesthetics in mind, patients often ask whether they should include liposuction with their tummy tuck. Other patients assume that abdominoplasty will remove excess fat through its tightening and trimming. Here, we discuss scenarios in which a surgeon may or may not recommend liposuction along with the tummy tuck.
The Aesthetic Tummy Tuck
The vast majority of people who have a tummy tuck do so for aesthetic reasons. They want to look better. More importantly, they want to feel better about how they look. Post-pregnancy or post weight loss, a person may be left with loose, flabby skin. This is not uncommon and it can be a challenging physical trait to correct with diet and exercise. Often, there is also a layer of subcutaneous fat that persists beneath loose skin. In this situation, liposuction may be recommended to achieve the smoothest, flattest result.
The Medical Tummy Tuck
Statistics suggest that nearly 40 percent of tummy tucks are done for medical reasons. A person may feel more concerned about the lack of support within the abdominal region than they are about their physical appearance. When the abdominal muscles are extraordinarily loose, a person may experience frequent low back pain. They may experience skin rashes due to redundant tissue that hangs. In some cases, extreme tissue laxity in the abdominal area has been associated with stress urinary incontinence. In this situation, a surgeon may feel that the body has enough to heal from with more significant tissue tightening and they may advise against including liposuction.
It often makes sense to combine plastic surgery procedures like abdominoplasty and liposuction. Your surgeon’s priority is to achieve the best results without increasing the risk of surgical complications. Dr. Lombardo provides the utmost care that addresses the nuances of each patient’s situation. To learn more about body contouring at our Rancho Mirage office, call (760) 610-8990.
