Liposuction
Liposuction alone is excellent for localized fat deposits of abdomen, flanks, hips or thighs. These areas respond well in most patients with good skin draping and contour. Skin quality and elasticity are crucial for a good result; if not , baggy skin may have to be removed to get the optimum result. Liposuction is not a diet plan and usual fat removal is 2 to 7 pounds. Less good areas for liposuction, generally speaking, are buttock folds and upper back; even less ideal are knees and below.

Bruising for both abdominoplasty and liposuction lasts 3 to 5 weeks and the final result with either surgery regarding shape and appearance is not seen for about 6 to 8 weeks.

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Body Contouring
This area encompasses but is not limited to liposuction, tummy tucks (abdominoplasty), thigh lifts and even full trunk lifts (skin and fat removal from the entire lower abdomen and back. The patient should be within 20 to 25 pounds of their desired body weight, whatever that is, to have the optimum long term result. Treatments will vary widely depending on whether skin excess, fat excess, stretch marks or a combination are being addressed. The surgery, therefore, is tailored to the patient problem areas, skin quality and goals.

Abdominoplasty
My approach to almost all abdominoplasties is liposuction the problem areas of the flanks, upper back, abdomen and hips, remove the lower 1/4 to 1/3 of the abdominal skin and fat, and 3) tighten the abdominal muscles (rectus) from ribs to pubic bone with heavy permanent sutures. The final skin closure is made so that the smaller waistline is accentuated and the side to side scar is concealed by an average bathing suit. There are many variations to the operation which are worked out with the surgeon – umbilical relocation or not, “mini “ skin excision, shape of incision, degree of liposuction of the upper abdomen. Many times but not all, stretch marks of the lower abdomen are removed with the skin excision. These operations may or may not involve scar revision of a midline scar, usually not required unless already present. The back skin excision may be done in rare cases to lift the buttock and thighs after an extreme weight loss.

Significant recovery is expected for abdominoplasty, in the neighborhood of 2 to 4 weeks. Bruising for both abdominoplasty and liposuction lasts 3 to 5 weeks and the final result with either surgery regarding shape and appearance is not seen for about 6 to 8 weeks.

Before

After