Liposuction or Tummy Tuck?

Enhancing your figure with liposuction or a tummy tuck is one of the most effective ways to achieve a more slender, athletic, sculpted body. After weight changes or pregnancy, it is common to have pockets of fat or droopy skin that affect your self-esteem and body proportions. Removing them can restore your body confidence, improve your proportions, and help you achieve a slimmer with long-lasting results.

At Scottsdale Plastics, Dr. Robert Bonillas offers customizable body contouring procedures that have transformed many patients’ lives. If you are struggling with droopy skin and excess fat after changes to your figure, they do not need to be permanent.

Contact our office or call (480) 245-6380 to learn more about how Dr. Bonillas can help you improve your proportions and sculpt your figure for your desired look.

About Tummy Tucks

A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is a procedure that removes excess, droopy skin from the midsection to help you achieve a smoother figure. Weight fluctuations and pregnancy can stretch the skin, and it is not always able to bounce back on its own. Separated abdominal muscles–a condition called diastasis recti–are common after pregnancy. ⁽¹⁾ Dr. Bonillas can tighten the abdominal muscles during a tummy tuck to improve your strength.

Although a tummy tuck cannot directly target excess pockets of fat, and it often requires more downtime than liposuction, there are several benefits to a tummy tuck that make the procedure a desirable option for many patients, including:

If you recently experienced massive weight loss, an extended tummy tuck can remove a more significant amount of excess skin. A tummy tuck can also reduce back pain ⁽²⁾ because the excess skin can affect the way you move and function in your daily life. A tummy tuck usually takes between 1-4 hours, depending on the amount of excess skin you would like to remove. During the procedure, Dr. Bonillas will make an incision across the abdomen near the bikini line to remove excess tissue, tighten your skin, and repair your abdominal muscles.

About Liposuction

Liposuction is a body contouring procedure that removes pockets of fat with gentle suction that preserves the surrounding tissue. As you age, reducing pockets of excess fat with exercise can be difficult. For a more toned, athletic appearance, Dr. Bonillas can perform liposuction to:

Although liposuction cannot remove excess skin or repair loose muscles the way a tummy tuck can, the minimally invasive procedure can provide long-lasting results. There are two different types of liposuction Dr. Bonillas can perform to help you improve your appearance:

With a small, discreet incision, Dr. Bonillas can cleanse the excess fat with tumescent fluid and remove it with a thin cannula. Tumescent fluid is a combination of lidocaine, epinephrine, and saline that causes your fat cells to swell for easier removal. The gentle suction preserves the surrounding tissue for a natural appearance. Since the procedure permanently removes the fat (adipose) cells, you can achieve lasting results if you follow a healthy lifestyle–surrounding fat cells are still capable of increasing in size and obscuring results.

Body Contouring After Weight Loss

Body contouring after massive weight loss is a collection of procedures that remove excess skin and pockets of fat to help you improve your body proportions. After weight loss, some patients are not prepared for the amount of excess skin and fat they will experience, ⁽³⁾ especially in intimate areas. There are several additional procedures Dr. Bonillas can perform to sculpt your body and restore your figure after weight changes. During your consultation, he can discuss the best surgical plan for your needs.

To learn more about our additional procedures for improving your body, see our blog.

Candidate & Consultation

During your consultation, Dr. Bonillas will discuss your aesthetic goals and perform a physical exam to determine the best treatment plan for your needs. Please come prepared to discuss your lifestyle, medical history, and current medications. Suitable candidates for liposuction or a tummy tuck:

If you have additional body goals, Dr. Bonilllas can also discuss them during your consultation and recommend procedures to help you achieve them. If you were recently pregnant, he can also offer a collection of procedures to improve your figure and remove excess skin for a curvier look. Many women also experience changes to their breasts after pregnancy or weight changes which he can also address with a breast lift or breast augmentation.

To learn more, see the blog.

Preparation

To prepare for your procedure, you will need to:

Recovery

After your procedure, you will need to avoid strenuous exercise for several weeks, and Dr. Bonillas can provide specific instructions based on your personalized procedure to help you recover. If you receive a tummy tuck, you will need to take several weeks of downtime to allow your incisions to heal properly. It is common to experience some swelling after a tummy tuck while your incisions heal. Most patients will need to wear a compression garment for 4-6 weeks to support their bodies and improve circulation.

After liposuction, you can return to work after approximately one week depending on the physical demands of your job. Dr. Bonillas will also provide a compression garment to help your body heal correctly after liposuction. You will need to follow up with the office to allow us to monitor your progress.

Corresponding Procedures

Arm Lift

An arm lift removes hanging skin from the arms, colloquially known as “bat wings.” This excess skin is difficult to address with exercise and dieting, and can affect the way your clothes fit and the way you feel about your body. If you are struggling with droopy skin in this area, Dr. Bonillas can make a discreet incision along the underside of your arm to remove it. Dr. Bonillas can also combine an arm lift with liposuction to highlight your muscle definition and help you achieve a more muscular, toned appearance.

Breast Lift

Weight changes, pregnancy, the natural processes of aging, and other factors can all cause excessively sagging breasts. With a breast lift, Dr. Bonillas can reposition your breasts for a more youthful look and remove the excess tissue to help you feel more confident about your figure. During the procedure, he can make an incision along the edge of the nipple or the underside of the breast, depending on the amount of excess skin you would like to remove. He will determine the best procedural plan during your consultation to help you achieve your desired look.

Body Lift

A body lift is a procedure that removes excess skin from the lower and/or upper body. The procedure is customizable and Dr. Bonillas can target different areas of the body depending on your needs. A lower body lift can remove excess skin from the midsection, abdomen, and lower back. He can make discreet incisions to tighten the skin for a natural appearance, and you can maintain your results for several years. An upper body lift can remove skin from the chest, back, and arms.

The Cost of Liposuction or a Tummy Tuck in

The cost of liposuction or a tummy tuck will depend on your specific treatment plan. Dr. Bonillas can provide an all-inclusive quote and discuss whether or not you will need additional body contouring procedures during your consultation. Do not wait to schedule a consultation when a simple procedure can transform your figure with minimal downtime. Dr. Bonillas can also discuss financing options with you.

Contact our office or call (480) 245-6380 to learn more about how Dr. Bonillas can sculpt your body for your desired look.

FAQ

References

1. Ward ZJ, Bleich SN, Cradock AL, et al. Projected U.S. State-Level Prevalence of Adult Obesity and Severe Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. 2019;381(25):2440-2450. doi:https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmsa1909301
2. Soteropulos CE, Edinger KM, Leibl KE, Siebert JW. Improvement in Back Pain Following Abdominoplasty: Results of a 10-Year, Single-Surgeon Series. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2020;40(12):1309-1315. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjaa032
3. Poulsen L, Klassen AF, Jhanwar S, et al. Patient Expectations of Bariatric and Body Contouring Surgery. Plastic and reconstructive surgery Global open. 2016;4(4):e694-e694. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/gox.0000000000000677