Many individuals work hard to lose unwanted weight in their belly but just can't seem to get rid of it. Others have problems maintaining a healthy diet and workout regimen. If you are one of these individuals, you may consider a surgical procedure to help you out. However, surgery is never a substitute for a proper diet and exercise plan. Deciding between a tummy tuck or liposuction can be difficult without fully understanding the differences of each procedure.
Pre-Qualifers
To be a good candidate for a tummy tuck or liposuction, you need to have excess fat in your abdominal area. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, a liposuction candidate has "diet resistant fat" that is unbalanced with the rest of your body weight and cannot be easily lost with dieting and exercise. It is important that there is not sagging or loose skin associated with your abdominal fat. If excess skin accompanies the excess fat, this would make you a candidate for a tummy tuck. Tummy tucks are ideal for those who have poor skin elasticity or torn or weak stomach muscles.
Procedure
If you have liposuction, the doctor will use a long hollow metal rod, known as a cannula, to break up and remove the fat cells. Most procedures use suction to assist in extracting the fat through the tube. A tummy tuck requires the doctor to make an incision in the abdominal region to remove skin as well as excess fat. The goal is to make the incision in a discreet place, but yet an effective location to smooth out the belly fat and remove the resulting skin flap.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Liposuction
Liposuction has little scarring with infrequent complications. It is one of the two most common plastic surgeries performed in the United States. However, liposuction may not be able to adequately remove all your abdominal fat. The aggressive nature of manually breaking up the fat with a cannula can also be damaging and scarring to internal tissue, so you may want to consider laser or ultrasound for fat cell disruption. Furthermore if your skin elasticity is poor, you may have saggy skin areas where the fat was removed.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Tummy Tuck
Tummy tucks are capable of removing fat and excess skin all at once. More fat can be removed in one sitting with this procedure. The doctor can also fix ruptured abdominal muscles during this procedure. However, the procedure holds higher risks because a doctor is cutting into your abdomen, which introduces more surgical risks such as infection or internal bleeding. A larger scar results from the incision with a tummy tuck as opposed to liposuction.
Cost
When you select a physician to perform your surgery, cost alone should not be the sole basis on which you make your decision. Evaluate the physician's credentials and references first, so you ensure your body is in the best hands possible. In general, the tummy tuck procedure is more elaborate and more expensive. The price heavily depends on the location and physician for your procedure, but in the United States, a tummy tuck weighs in with an average cost just under $9,000. Liposuction will also vary, but will run you an average of around $6,000. Although the tummy tuck is expected to cost about 30 percent more than a liposuction, discuss the prequalifiers with your doctor to select the appropriate procedure ideal for you without cost consideration.
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