If you are not completely satisfied with your appearance, you can opt for a body contouring procedure like liposuction or a tummy tuck. Body contouring offers a long-lasting way to change your body profile by sculpting and trimming away isolated areas of fat that have not responded to diet and exercise. The right procedure for you will depend on a number of different factors, which the surgeons at the New York Group for Plastic Surgery will go over with you at your initial consultation. These are a few of the basics that will likely be covered at that appointment.
What Are Your Goals?
The first step is to determine what your specific goals are for your plastic surgery. If your concerns primarily focus around your midsection, a tummy tuck may be the right choice. On the other hand, if you have other areas of fat you want to eliminate, liposuction might be a better option. In some cases, a combination of the two procedures might give you the best results overall.
What is the Condition of Your Skin?
Liposuction tends to work best on patients that still have some elasticity in their skin, because this allows the skin to conform over the new contour for a smoother result. Some patients with minor skin laxity can still have a liposuction procedure that uses laser technology to tighten the skin as it removes fat deposits. If you are dealing with significant skin laxity and loose skin around the middle, a tummy tuck will address the skin problem much more effectively, as well as the extra fat and tissue in the area.
How Much Time Can You Take for Recovery?
Liposuction is a less invasive surgical procedure that often allows you to get back to your daily routine within a matter of days. It can also be performed under local anesthesia in many cases, which lowers your risk during and after surgery and speeds the recovery process. Tummy tucks are usually performed under general anesthesia and are much more invasive in nature. Recovery usually takes 2-4 weeks, so you will have to be prepared to take time off of work and other activities to give your body a full recuperation period.
Benefits of Liposuction
Liposuction can be used on various areas of the body to eliminate small pockets of fat that you haven’t been able to get rid of through other methods. The procedure can be used for small areas of fat around the middle, as well as the hips, thighs, back and chest. Even smaller areas like the back of the knees and upper arms can be sculpted using this procedure. Results of liposuction are more subtle, but they are considered permanent since fat is removed from the area completely.
Benefits of a Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that removes areas of fat, tissue and loose skin from the midsection. The surgery is also used to tighten up abdominal muscles that have become lax through pregnancy or weight gain. The procedure offers dramatic, long-lasting results and is usually recommended for women after they are finished having children.
No matter which body contouring procedure you choose, it is important to note that these treatments are not weight loss procedures. Patients should have achieved a healthy, stable weight prior to surgery and need to be willing to adhere to a healthy diet and exercise program after to maintain positive results. To learn more about your options in body contouring, contact the New York Group for Plastic Surgery at 888-834-2075 (New York City) or 914-366-6139 (Tarrytown).
