A flat and well-toned abdomen is something many of us strive for with exercise and healthy lifestyle choices. Sometimes these methods cannot achieve our aesthetic goals. Even individuals of otherwise normal body weight and proportion can develop an abdomen that protrudes or is loose and sagging. The most common causes of this include:
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For many liposuction or a tummy tuck can both help create an improved body contour, and flat abdomen. But how do you decide which will be right for you?
Baltimore Liposuction: Fat removal, contouring
During a Baltimore liposuction, Dr. Schreiber uses a thin tube known as a cannula which is inserted into tiny incisions made at the treatment sites. The cannula is moved beneath your skin to loosen excess adipose tissue. Dr. Schreiber sometimes uses techniques, ultrasound or vibration is used to break up the fat cells to make them easier to remove. Then, a medical-grade suction device is used to remove the dislodged fat cells.
Liposuction candidate:
- You have excess pockets of fat which are resistant to diet and exercise.
- You are within 25 pounds of your goal weight.
- You have good skin tone and a fairly flat abdominal wall
- You don’t have a history of massive weight loss or pregnancy.
Liposuction is a fat removal procedure rather than a weight loss procedure. If you need to lose weight you may be left with excess skin and need several procedures to achieve your desired aesthetic. Women after pregnancy can still be good candidates for liposuction but more commonly the skin and abdominal wall is permanently stretched and is best improved with a tummy tuck.
Tummy Tuck Baltimore: Skin removal, fat removal, and abdominal muscle repair
A tummy tuck Baltimore consists of making an incision low along the bikini line from hip to hip and lifting the skin and fat off the abdominal wall. With the abdominal wall exposed, stitches are then used to tighten the abdominal wall. This stitching resembles the effect of a girdle and is often necessary to repair the stretching that occurs with childbearing or morbid obesity. In addition to improving the skin and abdominal wall, liposuction is typically included with a tummy tuck in order to treat the fatty layer and provide a more comprehensive improvement in contour. The excess skin is then pulled down and removed finalizes the full correction of the abdomen.
Tummy Tuck candidate:
- You have a body mass index no greater than 30, not be actively trying to lose weight
- You do not suffer from a chronic heart condition
- You do not plan to become pregnant in the future (There are no risks but pregnancy causes weight gain in the abdomen particular and will affect results)
- If there is a noticeable amount of sagging skin, which generally occurs after massive weight loss
“Complete” muscle repair is only possible through standard tummy tuck in which a hip-to-hip incision is used.
Combination of Tummy Tuck and Liposuction
However, a physical evaluation is needed to determine if muscle laxity and/or fat is the underlying cause of the “problem.” After careful evaluation, some patients can actually benefit from simultaneous tummy tuck and liposuction. But if there is a need to remove large volumes of fat, the consensus is to stage each surgery to minimize the surgical trauma and bleeding.
In some cases Dr. Schreiber prefers tummy tuck after liposuction; while in others perform it in reverse order. However, the ideal approach boils down to the patient’s underlying anatomies and cosmetic goals.
It all starts with a consultation but hopefully now you have a better idea of which procedure, tummy tuck Baltimore or Baltimore liposuction or both, you’re leaning towards! Please call our office at (410) 205-1846.
