Difference Between Lipo and Tummy Tuck

Liposuction and tummy tucks are two types of body contouring surgery. Often times, people ask the difference between lipo and tummy tuck. Both of these surgeries will help you to improve the contour and definition of your abdomen through different techniques. While tummy tuck surgery is mainly about the resection of the excess fat and skin, the liposuction removes the fat deposits from your abdomen only. With certain clinical examinations and tests, it will help determine whether a liposuction or a tummy tuck surgery will be ideal for the patient. Sometimes, even the combination of these two surgeries will help a patient to achieve their aesthetic goals.

A tummy tuck is used to remove excess fatty tissue and skin on your stomach area. Liposuction, on the other hand, is more geared towards contouring the body, and typically does not remove as much fat as a tummy tuck does.

What is the Difference?

A tummy tuck is a type of cosmetic surgery that removes the fatty tissues as well as the redundant skin of your abdomen. This is performed under general anesthesia. Along your lower abdomen, a incision is made from one hip to another around your belly button. Fatty tissues and skin are then elevated above your abdominal wall to the level of the rib cage. Surgeons red tape the soft tissues first. Then the fat and excess skins are removed at the level of the lower incision. Although everything appears to be normal from outside, it has been reported that patients can feel a different while performing sit-up. According to the report, the core strength also decreases due to this. The rectus muscles are stitched together to make it more tightened through the process called rectus plication during the tummy tuck surgery.

On the other hand, liposuction is a much lesser invasive procedure than that of tummy tuck. This procedure helps to remove the localized fatty deposits. It does not remove any skin from your body. But depending on the level of liposuction, some of the body regions are treated. Liposuction can be performed either under conscious sedation or general anesthesia. For the best result and to minimize the risk of any complications, the patients who are considering liposuction must be within 10% of the respective ideal body weights. This is the best technique for addressing the fatty deposits in your body. You may not find a significant reduction in body weight after the liposuction. It is just a tool for body contouring and increasing the definition of your body.

Recovery Speed and Terms

After both liposuction and tummy tuck, it is advised to refrain yourself from any kind of strenuous activities, heavy lifting or exercises for 4 weeks. These restrictions are meant for lowering the risk of bruising, bleeding as accumulation of blood or other fluids in the tissues after the surgery. You should not perform abdominal exercises for 6 weeks after a tummy tuck surgery.

Bottom Line

So, now you should understand the difference between lipo and tummy tuck. Liposuction and tummy tuck surgery must be performed by licensed cosmetic surgeons. It’s important to understand the difference between the two, so you can better determine which procedure is right for you.