Do I Need Tummy Tuck or Liposuction?

Which do I need, liposuction or a tummy tuck, patients frequently ask this question when they visit their plastic surgeon. Patients can try to answer this question for themselves before they visit the plastic surgeon by understand the difference between the two procedures, figuring out what bothers them most about their body, and what they want to accomplish.

Liposuction

Liposuction reduces the fat volume in problem areas that make patients uncomfortable about the way they look. This is a more intense procedure as it takes more fat from different areas of the body and not just one location. This can include love handles, midriff, buttocks, thighs, and so on. Small incisions are made by the cosmetic surgeon in order to remove the excess fat from the troubled areas. The pitfall for this type of cosmetic surgery is that it doesn’t remove excess skin so in order to consider this procedure one should have a good skin tone or may have to consider having a tummy tuck.  Dr. Tattelbaum is a liposuction Maryland specialist he will  review your goals and advise whether lipo or tummy tuck is ideal for your goals.

Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck is for women who may have just a bit of fat they want removed but have extra skin that needs to be removed as well from their mid-section. Some women with weak abdominal walls, as well as, those with poor skin tones would benefit more by seeing a tummy tuck Maryland specialist.

Before consulting with a cosmetic surgeon as to whether which is best for you, liposuction or tummy tuck, Maryland women should look at themselves in a mirror. Figure out what you don’t like most about your body. Are you just wanting to give yourself a younger looking flatter stomach or do you want rolls removed from it and maybe your upper back or love handles. Knowing what your desires are can help determine whether you should have lipo or tummy tuck Maryland surgery.

Another thing that should be taken into consideration is the cost variation between a liposuction and tummy tuck Maryland procedure. Although most Maryland cosmetic surgeons will work with patients to find the right treatment plan at the right cost, one should still take their budget into account. There are many liposuction and tummy tuck Maryland professionals to choose from, so before you run out and have some work done, compare costs and services provided between a few different professionals.

Hopefully this helps answer your question!

What’s a breast augmentation “refund gap”?

In a Q &A chat room I was asked the question “how do I avoid a refund gap?” I had never heard this term before so I Googled it. I learned that a refund gap is a situation in which the breast implants have migrated so far apart that there is a large gap between the implants….so the patients request a refund.

After 16 years in practice I thought I should post a blog and tell you how I avoid this.

As you may know I prefer breast implants placed under the pectoral muscle (submuscular). Implants under the muscle look more natural because they are better hidden, mammography is easier to interpret, and there is strong evidence that the risk of infection and capsular contracture is lower.

When going under the muscle I always place my implants as close to the midline as possible, but without lifting up the pec muscle where it attaches to the sternum. Overly releasing the pec muscle can lead to synmastia, also called “breadloafing” or “uniboob” by some. A patient with a narrower space will have closer breasts; a wider space will result in breasts that are further apart.

The body itself also affects the implant position. Over the first year the pec muscle pushes the implants down and outwards. This is why I have my patients massage toward the midline and why cleavage will still always need help from a bra.

Chest shape makes a difference too, when the chest slopes inward (pectus excavatum) implants tend to stay more to the middle. In some cases the chest slopes outward (pectus carinatum) and the implants move more under the arms.
With a subglandular augmentation (just under the breast tissue, not the muscle) implants can be placed closer to the midline but the risk of tenting , rippling and implant visibility make this far less appealing in my opinion.

So, the truth is we always try to minimize the gap but a lot depends upon the patients starting situation. While we always strive for cleavage a bra is still necessary to achieve it in most patients. It is often the patient, more than the surgeon that determines final implant position. As I often say “ the body is smarter than the doctor”…