Many times patients will come into the office and resolutely declare they need liposuction. In reality though they need a tummy tuck. So what’s the difference?

Liposuction is a refining tool. It is designed to remove pockets of fat from unwanted areas like the hips, belly and love handles. A tummy tuck,on the other hand, is a procedure that is used to remove large amounts of excess fat (mostly below the belly button) and tighten the abdominal muscles. Frequently women who have had babies are more in need of a tummy tuck because their pregnancies have stretched out their abdominal walls. Liposuction on these patients would be a complete failure as would it be on an obese person. Also, women who are planning to have more babies in the near future should probably refrain from either procedure until after their pregnancies. This is because the weight gain and the soft tissue stretching associated with child bearing will probably destroy the results of the surgery.

These two blogs on tummy tucks and liposuction by Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery are very good in explaining  the difference.  To know for sure which procedure is best for you, talk to your surgeon.