A stomach like this can be achieved in one simple procedure.

Q: I would like to get rid of my “flabby” stomach but have received contradictory advice from a few doctors with regards to liposuction versus a tummy tuck. How can I choose the right procedure for me?

-Andrea M., Chino

A: This certainly is a difficult question to answer without seeing you in person. But in a nut shell, both procedures are designed to improve the way an abdomen looks. Which one is right for you depends on the amount of excess fat you have as well as the degree of skin laxity that is present. The liposuction procedure can improve an abdomen that has a few inches of fat between the skin and the underlying muscles, but only if the skin is not particularly loose.

The first patient shown below has had two children, has an inch or two of excess fat accumulated between her skin and abdominal wall, very little skin excess and was an excellent candidate for a liposuction. Many women who have had pregnancies or lost weight through dieting end up with some fatty excess but have a significant skin excess – this skin excess will not be improved with a liposuction procedure, and indeed, could leave a patient looking worse, more prune-like.

The second set of photos shows a 42-year-old professional dancer after two kids, before and a month after an abdominoplasty, and before returning to work! You can see that she has loose skin in the before photo and this could not have been improved with a liposuction without a skin resection. Your best bet would be to see a board certified plastic surgeon, one well versed in liposuction as well as surgical correction of skin excess with an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, to determine which category you fall in and to discuss your options. Dr. Bunkis has performed tummy tucks and lipsuctions on the Learning Channel as well as on NBC’s “The Other Half” show. Feel free to contact our office if you would like to discuss your options with Dr. Bunkis 949.888.9700.
 

(Above:) 35-year-old mother of two, before and after an abdominal liposuction

(Below:) 45-year-old dancer, before and a month after an abdominoplasty