Abdominal liposuction is safer and more affordable than abdominoplasty.
Abdominal liposuction can successfully remove stubborn fat cells, providing results for men and women without the need for general anesthesia or the expenses incurred with abdominoplasty.
LOCATION
South Yarra Day Surgery
BACK TO WORK
2- 3 days
ANAESTHETIC
Mild sedation & local anaesthetic
BACK TO GYM
3 weeks
PROCEDURE TIME
1-2 hours
FULL RECOVERY
4-6 months
Benefits of abdominal liposuction over abdominoplasty…
- less downtime
- no general anaesthetic required
- less expense
- tightening -with the skin contracting after the procedure four to six months later.
Tummy/Stomach Liposuction: Before & After Photos
The ‘before and after’ photographs on Dr Joni Feldman’s website illustrate examples of the types of procedures Dr Feldman provides, along with the results received. Results may vary, depending on the individual. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Read more about surgical risks here. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
This information has been medically reviewed by Melbourne-trained cosmetic physician Dr Joni Feldman, General registration (MED0001156545), MBBS (MELB), FACCSM (Med) Fellow of Lipoplasty. (ACCSM) Read more about Dr Feldman here >
The liposuction procedure
The liposuction procedure on the stomach does not require general anaesthetic. The procedure can be performed in our accredited day surgery in South Yarra. Along with the injected local tumescent anaesthesia, patients usually only require a sedative to help them relax.
After the procedure
After your stomach liposuction procedure, you’ll be sent home within a few hours and given a compression garment to wear from two to four weeks. Abdominal lipo recovery is comparatively quicker than abdominoplasty, however, liposuction is a surgical procedure and, as with all surgery, requires adequate care and healing time. You must carefully follow Dr Feldman’s instructions during this time.
Potential liposuction risks
All surgery carries risks. It is essential you understand all the risks involved with liposuction to make an informed decision before proceeding.
Complications associated with liposuction may include asymmetry, skin rippling, excessive loose skin, poor scarring, abnormal skin pigmentation, bleeding, infection, seroma formation (fluid accumulation under the skin), deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications, swelling, poor wound healing, bruising, and a potential need for revision surgery. Dr Feldman will discuss all potential surgical risks with you at your initial consultation. She will be happy to address any concerns or questions so that you are fully informed before proceeding with your surgery.
Read relevant liposuction articles from our blog…
Abdominal Liposuction vs. Abdominoplasty
Many people think they need surgery to remove abdominal fat, only to discover they can get the desired results with stomach liposuction. If you think you may also require abdominoplasty, we recommend you have the abdominal liposuction procedure first. Then wait three to six months before deciding to proceed with further surgery.
With any surgical procedure, you must consider the pros and cons. With abdominal liposuction, certain factors need to be considered, including your gender; age; amount of fat, wrinkling and sagging on your tummy; stretch marks; history of repeated weight gain and loss; and (if female), the number of pregnancies.
Pros and cons of stomach liposuction & abdominoplasty
The pros and cons of stomach liposuction and abdominoplasty will need to be discussed carefully with your doctor to determine the best procedure for you. Both procedures have their place.
Choosing stomach liposuction over abdominoplasty…
Pros
- Less expense
- No general anaesthetic required
- Less downtime
- tightening -with the skin contracting after the procedure four to six months later.
Cons
- Liposuction will not remove stretch marks or excessively sagging skin (e.g. after severe weight loss or several pregnancies)
Choosing abdominoplasty over liposuction…
Pros
- A good option for those with excessively stretched and sagging skin with a lot of stretch marks
- The procedure surgically removes stretched, scarred skin that cannot be cosmetically altered by simply removing fat cells
- Tightens and repairs abdominal muscles – excellent for those with excessively stretched abdominal muscles after pregnancies, and for those with abdominal hernias.
Cons
- Can be quite an involved procedure which always requires general anaesthetic
- Scars may be permanently visible without clothing
- When the largest segment of lower abdominal skin is removed, the belly button requires surgical repositioning and reconstruction
- Often, a surgically altered naval
- Abdominoplasty is more dangerous with potential complications, such as blood clots or pulmonary embolism .
- Abdominoplasty costs are roughly 2 to 3 times more expensive than liposuction of the tummy area
- Recovery time is typically 2 to 4 weeks longer than liposuction
If you’d like both cosmetic surgery procedures done
Dr Joni Feldman suggests to have the liposuction performed first, then wait six months before abdominoplasty. After this period, many patients find they do not require abdominoplasty as the skin often retracts sufficiently with their liposuction procedure alone and decide not to pursue abdominoplasty, saving them considerable expense, time and discomfort.
For those who wish to continue with plans for abdominoplasty, as the liposuction has already been performed, the procedure takes less time and often the scars from abdominoplasty will be reduced as the excess fat has been removed and skin retraction has taken place.