For most of us, the stomach area is an area of dissatisfaction if not outright annoyance. If you’ve gained and then lost weight, if you’ve gained a few pounds as your metabolism has slowed down, or if aging skin and muscles have simply created a pooch on your lower abdomen, our stomach area is an almost universal complaint. Just think of all the miracle products on late night infomercials designed specifically to give you “rock hard” abs.
Of course, those products do nothing because fat is very difficult to target in this area of the body. Anything short of a hunger strike isn’t likely to get rid of any fat in the stomach area. And if your skin is loose from pregnancy or weight loss, you’re not tightening that up with any infomercial waste of money.
Liposuction or a tummy tuck from our Elite Plastic Surgery team, however, can do something about your stomach area. And while the goals of a tummy tuck and liposuction are similar — a leaner, tighter contour — their methods are quite different.
Liposuction
Each year, liposuction is usually the top or second-most popular cosmetic surgery in the U.S. Liposuction targets excess pockets of fat such as love handles, spare tires, and muffin tops. As cannulas have gotten smaller, it can be done across the body now. People like liposuction because, while it is invasive, it doesn’t demand the recovery periods of full surgery. 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 best for patients who also still have good elasticity in their stomach skin.
Tummy tuck
Unlike liposuction, which removes only fat, a tummy tuck improves the appearance of the midsection by removing loose, hanging abdominal skin and tightening the abdominal muscles for a well-contoured abdomen. This is particularly the case for women who have had children and others who have gained and lost large amounts of weight. The skin has been overstretched for too long and can’t return to its former degree of tautness.
Or maybe both procedures are right for you
If you have issues with both excess fat and skin laxity in the abdominal area, we combine both liposuction and a tummy tuck as part of your body-contouring plan. Tummy tuck procedures often include some degree of liposuction because it is a more effective way to remove fat pockets particularly on the flanks.
Not for weight loss
There is one important note, however. Neither liposuction nor tummy tucks are weight loss panaceas. Patients need to be at or near their ideal body weight to qualify for these procedures at Elite.
So, don’t call the number on that moronic infomercial, call Elite Plastic Surgery at (616) 459-1907 and let’s do something about that stomach.
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