5 Things You Need to Know About Stomach Liposuction

1. Stubborn Spare Tire

Liposuction for belly fat is the most popular liposuction among men and women. Stomach fat is difficult to remove with diet and exercise. The stomach is naturally inclined to storing fat genetically for survival reasons. Women especially have difficulty losing stomach fat after giving birth to one or more children. Liposuction can remove the excess jiggly fat from childbirth. Age causes the belly to bulge and form fat deposits. Genetics is the primary determinant of how easily stomach fat is to lose. Stomach liposuction reshapes and contours the stomach for a flatter, more lifted look.

2. Quick and Easy

Most patients can get up and walk around immediately following stomach liposuction. The patient can choose to have the fat removed from the entire stomach or just the upper and lower regions. Tumescent liposuction for stomach fat is non-invasive. Your doctor uses a small surgical instrument called a canula after administering a local anesthetic. The canula is a blunt-tipped instrument as small as a piece of angel hair pasta. The doctor completes the entire procedure in 2 hours or less. You are awake during the procedure and normally will not feel any pain. Most patients use over the counter pain relievers following the surgery.

3. Recovery Before Bikini

Short walks help the stomach drain off fluid from the surgery. Fluid drainage is normal. After the surgery, the swelling takes weeks or months to pass. You will wear a spandex-like garment for about a week afterward. There is a dull ache as if you had done sit-ups. Patients normally return to work in 3 or 4 days. Liposuction on the belly does not leave any scarring and the procedure does not require stitches of any kind.

4. For a Small Fee

Stomach liposuction cost is generally affordable. Clinics commonly allow for payment plans to spread out the cost over a course of months. Flexible health spending accounts at work can allow you to save ahead of time. Traditional health insurance typically will not cover the procedure. The entire stomach, covering from under the breasts to below the belly button, costs from $3,500 to $4,000. Getting liposuction done on only the upper or lower region runs $2,500 to $3,000. Many patients opt to have other areas treated simultaneously. Shop around for the best costs. Research the clinic in the Better Business Bureau database before signing any paperwork.

5. Not Much Alternative

The alternatives to stomach liposuction are inferior. A tummy tuck is a more involved procedure that removes excess skin. A permanent scar may cover the area. The surgery requires heavy anesthesia and an overnight stay in the hospital for observation. Patients cannot return to work for up to a month following the surgery. The possibility of complications is much higher than liposuction.