1. How can one minimize the risk of complications associated with a tummy tuck?

Before a tummy tuck, it is essential to be nicotine free for a minimum of 1 -2 months pre-op and post-op, to minimize complications. A good healthy diet with adequate protein also helps facilitate healing. Some surgeons like their patients to shower with anti-bacterial soap pre-operatively to avoid infection. Light walking, as soon as possible, after surgery is encouraged preventing circulation problems in the legs.


2. How does abdominal liposuction differ from a "tummy tuck"?

Liposuction involves vacuuming subcutaneous fat with special instrumentation from one or more tiny incisions. With a tummy tuck, excess fat and loose, inelastic and/or hanging skin is surgically excised from the belly button to the pubic hair. Commonly during a tummy tuck, rectus muscle tightening stitches are also placed to narrow the waistline and decrease bulging. Therefore, abdominoplasty scarring is more extensive and recovery usually takes longer.


3. What are the advantages of a tummy tuck? (Compared to liposuction)

Tummy tucks remove loose, hanging, wrinkled and stretch marked skin which results after pregnancies and/or major weight loss. The internal stitches also help to further flatten the abdominal wall for hopefully a "washboard" abdominal type of look. The results from liposuction require the overlying skin to be in good condition with proper elasticity, so it can re-drape nicely after the fat cells are removed.


4. What are the disadvantages of a tummy tuck?

Most patients with a formal Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) have a horizontal lower abdominal scar from roughly hip to hip and a small circular scar around the belly button. Most patients with a tummy tuck have more post-op pain than those having liposuction alone. Because more surgery is required, the recovery from a tummy tuck is longer, in terms of work and "feeling normal" again. Since more surgery is required potential complications are more common than with liposuction.


5. When is liposuction sufficient and when is a tummy tuck necessary?

The ideal candidate for liposuction is a patient with a localized collection of fat and good skin tone. In this setting, once the fat is removed, the skin will contract and re-drape properly over the new architecture leading to good results. Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity or diabetes. Abdominoplasty is more appropriate when the abdominal contour abnormality is due to excess loose, hanging or irregular skin combined with excess abdominal fat and/or poor muscle tone or diastases rectus. Sometimes abdominoplasty and liposuction are combined depending on the individual problem.


6. If liposuction is safer, what are the reasons for doing a tummy tuck?

If the patient has deformed, irregular, stretched marked or wrinkled abdominal skin, liposuction will not correct these and may make things worse. For good results with liposuction, the patient' s skin should have good tone and elasticity. Patients with floppy, hanging aprons of loose flesh need to have it removed and tightened via a tummy tuck. Bulging tummies due to poor muscle and fascia tone also need a tummy tuck rather than liposuction.


7. Are tummy tucks covered by insurance?

Tummy Tucks are very rarely covered by Insurance.