Liposuction and abdominoplasty (or \”tummy tuck\”) have some things in common. Both aim to improve the contours of your body by removing unsightly fat that clings to you no matter how much you exercise. Because they share similar end goals, some people have a tendency to confuse the two, but there are important differences between them.
First, abdominoplasty, as the name implies, is only for the abdominal region (the \”tummy\”). In contrast, you can also use liposuction to get rid of unwanted fat on your arms and legs, back, face, chest or buttocks.
The two surgeries also work in different ways. Liposuction eliminates fat by first loosening it up (the exact method of accomplishing this depends on the type of liposuction) and then drawing it out of the body. Abdominoplasty, on the other hand, involves your doctor making an incision in your midsection and restoring muscles and removing loose skin as well as removing fat.
It’s possible to get both at the same time, and many patients do. For other people, though, only one of them is an appropriate choice. If you have loose skin, perhaps as the result of rapid weight loss, a tummy tuck is recommended. If your skin is healthy and elastic, however, liposuction would be more appropriate.
If you aren’t sure which procedure is right for you, the best thing to do is to ask your doctor. He or she will be able to examine you and get a sense of what procedure would be best.
