Tummy tuck or liposuction Sydney

A slim, toned tummy is considered a sign of health and fitness, and nearly everyone (whether male or female) desires this. There are a lucky few who are able to achieve this through exercise and a healthy diet. However, many people find that doing crunches and reducing their sugar intake do help them feel better within themselves, that flat belly remains an elusive goal.

As a physician, Dr. Sjarif certainly recommends a healthy lifestyle is paramount. The truth is however, that many people find that they can’t achieve a flat tummy through lifestyle alone. In this case, they may seek the help of a plastic surgeon to address their body shape. While Dr. Sjarif offers a number of different procedures that can be useful in achieving this goal, an abdominoplasty (also known as a tummy tuck) and liposuction are two of the most common ones that are used to flatten the belly.

If you’re seeking plastic surgery for the abdomen, which of these should you choose? What’s the difference between a tummy tuck and liposuction of the tummy, and what factors might you consider if you’re thinking about having one of these procedures?

Abdominoplasty addresses the skin and abdominal muscles

Abdominoplasty, which is more commonly known as a tummy tuck, is used to address problems with the abdominal muscles and/or the skin of the abdomen. One reason that the belly might look rounded is that there is separation between the paired rectus abdominis muscle, which is the long muscle that runs vertically along the front of the abdomen. (This is the muscle that you can see as a “six-pack” in certain people.)

The two halves of the muscle are connected by a band of connective tissue called the linea alba, which runs along the midline of the body just under the skin and fatty tissue. The linea alba can become stretched or weakened by pregnancy, significant weight gain, or even certain types of intense abdominal exercises. When this happens, the two halves of the muscle are separated apart from each other. This tends to cause the middle of the belly to pooch out, and makes it look round and soft rather than flat and toned.

Abdominal exercises like crunches only address the muscle itself, not the connective tissue. When the abdominal muscles are separated from each other, no amount of exercises will be able to bring them back together. In fact, intense abdominal exercise can make the problem worse by putting too much stress on the linea alba and stretching it even further.

During an abdominoplasty, Dr Sjarif tightens the excess connective tissue between the two halves of the muscle, bringing the paired muscle together. This results in a flattened appearance of the abdomen.

In addition to addressing the problem of muscle separation, an abdominoplasty can also address the problem of excess sagging skin. After a pregnancy or after losing a large amount of weight, many people are left with excess skin that may sag and drape from the belly. During the procedure, Dr Sjarif removes this extra skin, tightening the remaining skin of the belly. This cde821helps to create a more toned and flat abdominal appearance. A standard tummy tuck also includes the removal of excess fatty tissue on the central and lower abdomen.

Liposuction addresses fat tissue

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that is used to remove pockets of excess fat tissue. It can be performed on many different parts of the body, including the abdomen. In contrast to an abdominoplasty, liposuction doesn’t address the muscles or skin of the tummy, but instead focuses on excess fatty deposits. For example, in a woman who has had a pregnancy, there may be pockets of excess fat tissue left around the belly area, even if she has lost the baby weight; liposuction can be used to remove these. Another common area is the deposits of fat on the sides of the waist (the “love handles”), which often develop as people age.

During liposuction, very small incisions are used to allow the plastic surgeon access to the area of concern. A small instrument called a cannula is then used to break up and remove fat tissue from beneath the skin. This can be done on many different parts of the body, including on the abdomen. Many women who have had a pregnancy find that they are left with excess fatty tissue around the abdominal area afterward, even if they successfully lose the baby weight.

It’s important to note that liposuction is not intended as a method of overall weight loss. The procedure removes localized deposits of fat that have been resistant to lifestyle changes but cannot safely be used broadly over large areas of the body for a “quick fix” weight loss. The ideal candidate for liposuction is someone who is at or close to their goal weight (within about 10-15 kilos), but who desires removal of some remaining pockets of fat tissue. For those who need to lose a large amount of weight, significant lifestyle changes and/or bariatric surgery are more suitable.

Because it addresses the fat tissue and not the skin, liposuction generally works best when the skin has good elasticity. This allows the skin to “bounce back” to follow the new body contour after removal of the extra fat. In people with excess sagging skin, liposuction alone is unlikely to produce the results that they’re looking for.

Both abdominoplasty and liposuction can be performed together

Abdominoplasty primarily addresses the muscles and/or skin, while liposuction addresses the fat tissue. What if you would like to address both of these issues at the same time? Dr. Sjarif can perform a combined procedure, in which he performs liposuction on localized areas during a tummy tuck.

The standard tummmy tuck procedure does include removal of fat tissue on the central and lower abdomen, but fat tissue of adjacent areas (such as the sides of the waist) is generally not addressed. Liposuction for these areas can safely be added to the tummy tuck procedure if desired by the patient. Although this will make the surgical procedure slightly longer and will incur an extra cost, it will not significantly delay the recovery from the procedure.

Tummy tuck or liposuction Sydney?

Which procedure is best for achieving a flat tummy really depends on your particular situation. There is no standard answer as to which one you should choose. Rather, these two procedures should be considered as complementary to one another.

If you have concerns about your abdominal appearance and are considering one or both procedures, then you may want to consult with a plastic surgeon in order to get personalized advice about which would be most likely to help you achieve your goals. When you come for a consultation with Dr. Sjarif, he’ll perform a thorough physical examination and have a conversation with you about your concerns and your goals for surgery. This will allow him to give you personalised medical advice based on your situation.

There is no obligation to proceed with any surgery or other treatment after your consultation appointment; it is simply intended for you to receive information and recommendations, so that you can make your own decisions. If you are considering having a surgical procedure to address the appearance of the abdomen, and would like to meet with Dr. Sjarif to learn more, please contact our office to book your appointment.