Am I a laser lipo candidate, or will I need a traditional lipo/tummy tuck?

As cosmetic surgery procedures and technologies continue to advance, aided by both breakthroughs in knowledge and new methodologies for tackling common issues, well-informed patients often express interest in being there on the front lines of the latest and greatest developments. One example is the focus of this week’s Ask Dr. Pane segment. The patient, who wrote in on Twitter, wants to know, “Am I a laser lipo candidate, or will I need a traditional lipo/tummy tuck?”

Dr. Pane says the female patient provided photos of the area in question. She also clarified she would like to avoid scars if at all possible, which leaves her leaning more toward liposuction. He also notes with her anatomy, there is a fair amount of pinchable fat in the upper abdomen, but the lower abdomen doesn’t hang as dramatically as it might, reaching just below the level where a C-section scar might appear. (Note: The patient had not had a C-section and Dr. Pane noted using that as a reference is purely for landmarking purposes.)

Because the patient is on the younger side, i.e. under 40, the skin still appears to be relatively youthful, snug-looking and supple. In this case, Dr. Pane says the patient might be best rewarded to consider pure lipo first. This offers a potential threefold advantage for the patient. First, it’s possible to harvest more fat from the abdomen, flanks and back using lipo than as an adjunct to a tummy tuck. Second, the skin often tightens down over the area of the liposuction afterward, which is beneficial because it minimizes the scarring and may deliver a perfectly satisfactory result on its own. Third, as Dr. Pane has noted previously, it is generally better when and where possible to move from the least invasive procedure which is likely to achieve the desired outcome to a more invasive procedure if warranted. If she does the tummy tuck at this point, it will still leave that excess adipose tissue in the upper abdomen to be addressed later, and she will now have the scar from the tummy tuck to contend with as a cosmetic issue as well.

Another consideration is whether the patient intends to have children. Because she’s still in her childbearing years, if she decides to start or continue a family, lipo may be a better solution as well or she may wish to hold off entirely until she is satisfied she will not want any more kids, so as to minimize the chances of needing revision later after the stresses and changes wrought on her body as a result of pregnancy and childbirth resolve.

The final and largest consideration is striking a balance between the patient’s priorities, the results she wants and the safest way to achieve a reasonable facsimile of both. Some people would be more concerned about the contours of the lower abdomen and not worry about the upper abdominal area. Some people may be more interested in not having visible scarring. Some people are concerned about maximizing the available fat harvested for transfer to other areas, such as breast augmentation or BBL where fatty tissue is used in place of prosthetics or implants. An in-office direct examination and evaluation of the areas in question can help you and your cosmetic surgeon choose the right procedure or complex of procedures for your needs, to optimize your results and safety alike.

If you have a question about any aspect of cosmetic surgery, Dr. Pane and the staff of ACA welcome the opportunity to discuss your interests and concerns. Simply follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn; call us at (561) 571-9926; or send us an email. Your question might be selected as the topic of an upcoming Ask Dr. Pane segment, allowing us to inform and educate other patients who share your question while giving you the honest answers you need to make informed decisions and advocate for your own best outcomes. Remember, at ACA we believe the only bad question is the one you DON’T ask!