Abdominoplasty Alternatives
What are other options for a tummy tuck?
Tummy tuck surgery, also known as abdominoplasty, removes excess fat and skin. This procedure typically restores weakened or separated muscles and creates a smoother, firmer abdominal profile. Depending on your areas of concerns and goals, an alternative body lift or contouring procedure may deliver better, less invasive results than an abdominoplasty.
Learn about the other options for a tummy tuck at Crystal Clinic Plastic Surgeons.
Lipoplasty
Lipoplasty, also known as liposuction, removes stubborn or excess fat. A popular fat reduction procedure, lipoplasty, slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing fat deposits and improving body contours and proportion. Liposuction addresses areas all over the body, unlike an abdominoplasty which tends to focus only on the stomach.
While liposuction reduces fat, this procedure does not remove loose or saggy skin. A lift or tuck procedure removes excess skin and cellulite to create smoother, tighter skin. Many patients undergo both lipoplasty and a lift procedure, either at the same time or in stages.
Mini-Abdominoplasty
If you want to improve the look of your stomach, but have excess lower abdominal fat and skin, consider a mini-abdominoplasty. A mini-abdominoplasty uses a C-section-like incision to tighten muscle and remove excess lower abdominal skin. This procedure also tightens stomach muscles, like a complete abdominoplasty. Advantages of a mini-abdominoplasty include limited or reduced scarring, as a shorter incision just at or above the pubic region is made.
Lifestyle Changes to Improve Abdominals
Proper nutrition and regular exercise help you look and feel your best, before and after cosmetic surgery. Crystal Clinic Plastic Surgeons’ registered dietitians create custom nutrition programs for prescribed medical diets, such as high-cholesterol, diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease.
Weight Loss
Losing weight changes your overall body shape. However, if you want to address certain areas of your body, weight loss doesn’t let you enhance specific concerns or issues. Fat reduction or lift procedures permanently eliminate excess fat at specific locations, especially in places resistant to diet and exercise. Many patients find the combination of natural weight loss and cosmetic procedure to produce the best results. Prior to surgery, our registered dietitian assesses your diet and suggests changes to meet your specific needs.
Exercise
Exercise strengthens your body and tones your muscles. To improve the appearance of certain areas of your body, certain type of exercise or strength training lets you focus on specific muscle. However, if you suffer from separated abdominals, exercise cannot tighten the stretched area between your stomach muscles.
A mini-abdominoplasty or a conventional abdominoplasty tightens separated stomach muscles and creates a smaller waist and flatter stomach. Similarly, exercise helps you lose weight overall, especially around the abdomen. But exercise doesn’t tighten severely loose, excess skin. Removing loose skin or skin with stretch marks results in smoother, tighter skin.
Benefits of Exercise and Abdominoplasty
Exercise, including both aerobic fitness and muscle strength training, helps improve your health and maintain your results, before and after surgery. For anyone considering abdominoplasty, we recommend making an appointment with our personal trainer at Crystal Clinic Plastic Surgeons. Our personal trainer evaluates your fitness routine and offers suggestions to get the best results.
Additionally, exercise offers the following benefits to abdominoplasty surgery patients:
- Burns more calories
- Improves muscle tone and strength
- Strengthens your heart and other organs
- Reduces stress
- Enhances mood and creates energy
- Helps maintain your new shape
Request a Plastic Surgery Consult
Learn more about abdominoplasty surgery by speaking with one of our experienced plastic surgeons at Crystal Clinic Plastic Surgery. Use our online form to request a consultation with a plastic surgeon today.