Many of you know that I perform frontal flank liposuction on most of my tummy tucks. For those that need it this area of liposuction gives more curve and contour to the hips and in my opinion makes the tummy tuck look more streamlined and sexy. The frontal flank is the love handle or the area you can grab if you pinch the roll just above your hips. In some people this roll is mainly on the side of the body, but in some it extends all the way around above the buttocks. When it goes around the backside I call this the “posterior flank” and I handle this differently.
With a patient facing upright in preparation for tummy tuck it’s easy to get to the frontal flank for liposuction, but in this position you really can’t get well around the backside for people who want to contour the posterior flank. In patients who have posterior flank liposuction, before the tummy tuck even begins, we place them face down and liposuction from the backside first and then flip them face up to continue with the frontal flank. This positioning allows full contour all the way around the lower trunk.
Not everyone needs the posterior flank liposuction, but for those who have a bulge or fullness above the buttock area it is a powerful tool for contouring the waist and even a good location to harvest fat for grafting or Brazilian butt lift. It can sometimes make a dramatic difference in the size of the waist even beyond what the tummy tuck can do. Tummy tuck is not just about the tummy it’s about the hips and curves that surround it and in some cases liposuction posterior flank can make a huge improvement.
If you are interested in learning more about liposuction or another type of body contouring procedure in the Baltimore, Rockville, DC, Virginia area contact my practice to schedule a consultation.
