Liposuction or lipectomy, is a minimally invasive cosmetic surgical procedure. Dr will suction excess fat out from targeted areas of the body permanently, thereby reshaping and adding contour to that area. It reduces stubborn fat in areas of the body resistant to conventional weight loss methods like dietary modification and regular exercise.
A tummy tuck surgery or abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure wherein Dr will remove excess skin from the stomach area, which has a smoothing and tightening effect on your mid-section.
Both the surgeries are similar, yet apply different surgical techniques to get the desired tummy shape. Each has its own merits and demerits.
Liposuction vs Tummy Tuck
Both liposuction and tummy tuck are beneficial in people with body contouring goals. But they have some important differences:
Tumescent liposuction
It is the most popular method of fat extraction. Intumescent liposuction is as follows:
- Dr will make small, inconspicuous incisions around the target areas to remove the fat. This helps in reducing post-operative scarring.
- First, diluted local anesthesia will infuse to reduce discomfort, bleeding, and trauma.
- Then, a thin cannula will insert through the incisions to loosen and dislodge excess fat cells from the site using a controlled back and forth motion.
- After that, dislodged fat will suction out of the body using a syringe attached to the cannula.
- Finally, incisions will stitch after fat removal.
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Vaser Liposuction
Vaser lipo or ultrasonic liposuction, is a recent addition in the field of body sculpting cosmetic surgery. In vaser liposuction, the cannula will energize with ultrasound, making it ultrasonographically charged, and will insert through multiple small incisions.
The cannula’s ultrasound vibrations destroy the fat cells’ walls, emulsify, or liquefy the fat, making it easier to suction out; using suction-assisted liposuction.
Power-Assisted Liposuction
The procedure involved is similar to tumescent liposuction. The only difference is using a specialised cannula with a mechanized system. This vibrates back and forth rapidly to accelerate the breakdown of the fat cells and help removing them easily. This allows less time for completing the procedure, minimal tissue trauma and faster recovery.
Tummy Tuck Procedure
The stepwise tummy tuck procedure is as below:
Tummy Tuck will do under General anesthesia. Some women usually do this along with breast augmentation as mummy makeover surgery. It’s a combination of these two plastic surgeries that may help them to find their pre-pregnancy body. After administration of the anesthetic:
- The amount of skin to remove will mark before the operation.
- An incision will make that spans the entire length of the abdomen.
- After incising, the abdominal skin will lift upwards. However, your umbilicus remains attached to the underlying abdominal skin.
- Then, abdominal musculature will reveal with the attached umbilicus. The exposed muscle layer will tighten using a running suture. Then muscles are brought together into the midline.
- Excess skin will pull downward. The original hole will lift along with the skin lies below this line and gets resected along with the excess skin, and the wound will close.
What to Expect as Results?
Liposuction is a method for permanent fat removal from the targeted side. However, significant weight gain or subsequent pregnancy after liposuction can diminish the results.
A tummy tuck can restore the abdomen’s contour by removing excess fat and skin by bringing the rectus abdominis back together. Tummy tuck results are usually permanent. Same as liposuction, significant fluctuations in weight and subsequent pregnancy can diminish the results.
What Are the Benefits?
Liposuction
- Helps get rid of excess stubborn fat, not responding to conventional methods of weight reduction.
- The procedure can be done with few small incisions with minimal post-operative scarring.
- Provides an enhanced contour to your body, and your clothes fit better.
Tummy Tuck
- Improves your abdominal tone.
- Helps remove excess skin from the abdomen following significant weight loss after pregnancy or any other condition.
- Helps improve posture.
- Enhances your self-confidence with a chiselled look.
How Is Recovery Time?
Liposuction
Bandages and compression garments will apply over your incisions sites and surrounding areas. Temporary surgical drains may also drain out excess local anesthetic or blood build-up under the skin. The dressings must remain in place for one week. You must wear the compression garment for up to six weeks following the surgery. Despite the dressings, you can take shower.
You will require someone to drive you home from John Flynn Private Hospital where your surgery will perform. Also, taking leave from work for a few days is a good idea.
Tenderness, bruising, and swelling commonly occur after the surgery. Dr will be prescribe pain medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics as needed to help you manage these common conditions. Infections after liposuction is a rare finding but can easily be managed with antibiotics.
You need to meet the surgeon for follow-ups to ensure the healing process is going on properly. Normal work can resume in about two weeks after the surgery, but this is individual-specific and extensiveness of the surgery. However, it can take several months to recover completely after the surgery and see full results in treated areas.
Tummy Tuck
In this procedure, Dr will place drainage tubes under your skin to prevent fluid accumulation, it helps incisions to heal properly. It would be best if you avoid showering or making the area wet for the period.
You should stay in the hospital for 24 hours for monitoring purposes. Pain, swelling, and bruising are common after the procedure. Still, the majority of swelling should subside after about six weeks. Dr will prescribe you pain-medications to relieve pain. You need to wear pressure garments for about three weeks postoperatively.
You will be able to return to light activity within about two weeks after a tummy tuck. Still, you should always consult with your surgeon before resuming any strenuous physical activity. Complete tummy tuck recovery and final result is expected in six months after the surgery.
