Women Get the Flat Abdomen They Want with a "Tummy Tuck"

Q. I used to have a really flat stomach when I was younger, but after several children I just can't get it back. Will liposuction remove the fat and sagging skin? Tell me what will give me a washboard-flat stomach and how much it will cost.

A. Liposuction can be used to remove the fat deposit from the abdominal area, however, excess skin can not be removed with liposuction. Many women who have had children, such as yourself, require a "tummy tuck" rather than liposuction of the abdomen. "Tummy tuck" is, quite simply, popular slang for an abdominoplasty, which is the surgical procedure for removing excess wrinkled skin and fatty tissue from the middle and lower portions of the abdomen.

An abdominoplasty certainly is not a substitute for weight reduction. The most common conditions for which an abdominoplasty is best suited are the stretched skin and the separation of underlying muscles that occurs after pregnancy and the loose skin which can accompany mild obesity in older patients.

In my experience, women are particularly pleased with their "tummy tucks" because they get what they had always dreamed of - a flat, taut abdomen.

Q. I have a "poochy" tummy that really bothers me, but I don't want a whole tummy tuck. Is there anything I can do?

A. Many patients we see are in your situation. For those like you who don't really have enough excess skin to justify a tummy tuck, yet at the same time have excess localized fat and enough excess skin to be of concern, we try to do the least amount which will accomplish the best result. You may be a candidate combining External Ultrasound with liposuction. The External Ultrasound in combination with the liposuction can help to smoothen and firm your tummy skin while the liposuction removes the excess fat.