Diet and exercise are great ways to lose those pesky love handles and achieve a flat tummy. However, if you’re not seeing the results you want, it’s time to consider your best surgical solution. You can choose liposuction, a tummy tuck, or even both to remove exercise-resistant belly fat and stretched skin. Based on your body contouring goals, one or more procedures will help you achieve a toned, sculpted look that will help you fit comfortably into your clothes and give you increased confidence. Use this handy guide to learn more about the procedures that will help you reach your dream body.
Liposuction
Liposuction is the removal of fat deposits from the body, but does not address loose skin issues. This procedure can be performed just about anywhere there is persistent fat that can’t be removed through diet and exercise. When this procedure is done the patient is typically under general anesthesia. This means you are asleep and won’t feel a thing! After surgery, you can typically expect the following:
- Go home the same day
- Discomfort is moderate and is controlled through pain medication
- Take about two weeks off from work to heal properly
- You will have to wear a compression garment or a binder for at least three weeks
Remember, you won’t see the full results of your surgery until six months after the procedure.
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, is ideal for people who have excess abdominal fat and loose skin. Unlike liposuction which only addresses fat, a tummy tuck will remove excess skin from the area. Women looking to regain their pre-baby body, and those who have lost a large amount of weight are the usual candidates for a tummy tuck. This surgery is also performed under general anesthesia, and here’s what you can expect:
- It usually takes about 3 ½ hours, and requires an overnight hospital stay
- Patients usually take 2-3 weeks off from work to allow the body to heal
- Recovery discomfort is generally very low
- Using a walker can help with mobility
Both
If your goal is both fat and excess skin removal, you can opt for both surgeries to save recovery time, time off work, and pain by having one single procedure instead of two. You’ll also get stunning results in half the time while addressing multiple body contouring issues. We also have an expert in house! Our own Dr. Jones co-authored an article about combining liposuction and tummy tuck that was published in the prestigious Aesthetic Surgery Journal. The article focuses on using proper technique and risk mitigation to give patients superior results with minimal complications. If you want to dramatically recontour your body by removing unwanted exercise-resistant fat deposits and loose skin, opting for both procedures at once may be the best solution.
We would love to talk to you about these two procedures, or combining them to achieve dramatic results. Call us in Hyannis at (508) 771-8967, or Plymouth at (508) 747-1322 to schedule an appointment.
