Are you having excess fat around your abdomen area that you aren’t able to lose? Perhaps you must undergo plastic surgery to get rid of the excess fat and achieve the lean physique you desire. According to Healthline, tummy tuck and liposuction are the two most popular plastic surgery procedures that can address your issue. So, are these two procedures the same, and if not, what are their differences?
In this post, you’ll learn the key differences between liposuction and tummy tuck and how to determine the right one for you. However, before delving into the differences, you must understand the basics of these procedures.
What to Expect During a Tummy Tuck Surgery
When undergoing a tummy tuck surgical procedure, your surgeon will make an incision horizontally over your hips, specifically between your belly button and groin area. The incision enables your surgeon to perform a muscle repair procedure by dragging them close to each other and using medical-grade nylon to stitch them.
After your surgeon has repaired the muscles, they will cut off excess skin and stitch the remaining skin together. The outcome of this procedure is a leaner, smoother belly with a faded incision scar over your hip area. By eating healthy food and exercising, you can make the outcome of a tummy tuck permanent. Therefore, ensure you avoid adding significant weight, as this will reverse the outcomes of your tummy tuck.
Who is the Ideal Person to Undergo a Tummy Tuck Procedure?
A tummy tuck surgical procedure is ideal for perfectly healthy individuals with persistent fat on their abdominal area, which they can’t eliminate with diet and exercise. Suppose your midsection area is saggy because of pregnancy, age, earlier surgeries, or weight loss, and you don’t suffer from other health conditions. In that case, you can consider yourself an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck surgery.
What to Expect During a Liposuction Surgery
Liposuction is a relatively less invasive cosmetic surgical procedure compared with a tummy tuck. Additionally, a professional liposuction Kansas City surgeon can perform this procedure on nearly any part of your body with excess stubborn fat. For instance, your surgeon can perform the procedure on your arms, chin, stomach, legs, and back.
While performing the procedure, your surgeon will inject water, anesthesia, and saline solution around the fat cells they intend to remove. Then, with the help of a cannula resembling an IV needle, your surgeon will suck out the fat. The outcome of this procedure is that you’ll get a well-shaped body figure.
However, it’s important to note that liposuction can’t get rid of excess skin, unlike a tummy tuck, making it more suitable for removing small fat deposits. Moreover, liposuction isn’t a surgical procedure to help you cut weight drastically. The outcomes of this procedure are permanent, but that doesn’t mean you can gain more weight in the future. Therefore, you must remain fit by eating healthy and exercising.
Who is the Ideal Person to Undergo Liposuction Procedure?
Liposuction can be ideal if you intend to eliminate small fat deposits from different parts of your body. These small fat deposits are often prevalent on your stomach, hips, buttocks, or thighs.
Liposuction vs. Tummy Tuck: The Principal Distinctions between Them
1. The Invasiveness of the Procedures
Generally, compared to liposuction, a tummy tuck is a more invasive surgical procedure. Your surgeon can perform the latter without applying general anesthesia. Usually, the procedure requires several tiny incisions, through which your surgeon inserts a tiny tube referred to as a cannula to suck out the excess fat.
Conversely, a tummy tuck is a relatively more invasive surgical procedure for which your surgeon must make an extensive incision. This incision often runs horizontally from your hip area to your belly button. These extensive incisions are necessary for the surgeon to perform the procedure and get rid of the excess skin, in addition to tightening loose muscles manually. Finally, your surgeon will reposition the belly button before closing the incisions with sutures.
2. The Outcome of the Procedures
When choosing whether to use liposuction or tummy tuck procedure, you’ll base your decision on your needs and the outcome you desire to get. In light of this, liposuction doesn’t offer a solution to saggy skin, stretch marks, or lax muscles. Instead, the procedure is meant to get rid of small fat deposits from specific areas giving your body the desired contour.
On the contrary, a tummy tuck procedure can tighten lax muscles. Moreover, it can eliminate unwanted fat and skin and give your stomach a new look.
3. Possible Complications Associated with the Procedures
Like any other surgery, liposuction and tummy tuck have possible complications and side effects that you may experience and must know. Between the two procedures, tummy tuck carries greater complication risks than liposuction. Possible complications with this procedure include tissue necrosis, wound infections, fluid accumulation, and changes in sensation.
On the contrary, the risk of complications if you’re undergoing a liposuction procedure, increases if an extensive area of your stomach is operated on. Common complication risks include fluid accumulation, numbness, and non-uniformity of your body’s contour.
4. The Post-Surgery Recovery Period
Generally, recovering from a liposuction surgical procedure is faster than recovering from a tummy tuck surgery. With liposuction, you can embark on light activities after 2-3 days of surgery. For moderate to hard activities, you can resume 2-3 weeks after a successful surgery.
On the contrary, a tummy tuck recovery can take 2-3 weeks of full rest before you can resume work and light movement. Moderate to hard activities can take up to three months when incisions and muscles would have healed fully.
5. The Post-Surgery Scarring
Like most surgical procedures, tummy tuck and liposuction are likely to leave scars after successful completion and healing of the area. However, liposuction has fewer chances of leaving a visible scar than a tummy tuck procedure. That’s because liposuction requires tiny incisions that are less conspicuous.
Conversely, a tummy tuck will likely develop visible scars since they usually involve larger incisions. For instance, a traditional tummy tuck can create a scar that extends from your right hip to your belly button.
Wrapping It Up
Although liposuction and tummy tuck can enhance the appearance of your abdominal area, they have significant differences. Liposuction is a relatively less invasive surgical procedure with a shorter recovery period, while the reverse applies to a tummy tuck procedure. Ultimately, it would help if you involved your surgeon before settling for any other these procedures.
