Tummy Tuck vs. Liposuction: Which is the Better Choice for Me?

Ab flab is a common insecurity that in many cases isn’t primarily caused by weight gain. Genetics, aging, hormonal changes, pregnancy, and your natural body shape may contribute to a paunchy stomach. Tummy tuck and liposuction surgeries are often used for similar purposes: to make the abdominal area slimmer and firmer. However, these procedures differ from each other significantly when it comes to what they can do, the types of techniques used, risks, and downtime. At the office of Dr. Owen Reid, we often field questions from patients considering plastic surgery in the Vancouver area who are unsure about which procedure will work best for their concerns. The following is a basic rundown of how each treatment works.

Tummy Tuck

Like liposuction, tummy tucks are not designed for allover weight loss but are beneficial for a rounded stomach that the patient hasn’t been able to improve on their own through physical exercise and a clean diet. One of the main differences between a tummy tuck and liposuction is that the latter is only used for removing fat, but a tummy tuck also can also involve trimming and tightening sagging skin and strengthening the abdominal muscles.

During the operation, your skin is repositioned over the more sculpted contours. It’s a great choice for people who have just lost a significant amount of weight and want to fix sagging skin or those who want to correct separated sit-up muscles and stretched skin that contribute to “postpartum belly”.

Liposuction

In liposuction, fat is dislodged and surgically removed from just below the skin with a small, tube-like instrument. Afterward, the skin retracts around more slender contours. Unlike tummy tucks, which are entirely focused on the stomach, liposuction is beneficial not just belly fat but for the excess flab on surrounding transition areas that can be trouble spots for many people, like love handles and muffin top. Liposuction has less risks, a shorter recovery time, and less scarring. The two procedures are sometimes combined to address excess fat on the stomach and these other areas at the same time for optimized results.