Tummy tuck vs. liposuction: both will give you a flatter abdomen. Many people consider having one or the other. Others have both at the same time. Liposuction gives people with good skin elasticity a smaller waistline with small incision. A tummy tuck gives a more overall streamlined stomach. It is the better choice for those with sagging stomach skin. Multiple pregnancies make tummy tucks a better option as well. It helps restructure the muscles as well as the skin of the abdomen. Liposuction is a minor procedure compared to a tummy tuck. The ideal candidate for liposuction has enough skin elasticity to bounce back once the fat leaves. The tummy tuck candidate often does not have enough elasticity.

Tummy tuck vs. liposuction: the size of the incision makes a big difference. With a tummy tuck, the surgeon makes an incision from hipbone to hipbone. While the surgeon buries it in the pubic fold along the hip line, it is still a very large incision. That large incision means a larger scar and a longer recovery time. With liposuction, much smaller incisions are used. Surgeons often close these tiny holes with just a bandage and no stitches. This makes the scars much less noticeable for liposuction.

Tummy tuck vs. liposuction: this is major surgery versus a minor procedure. While liposuction does involve some surgical risk, compared to a tummy tuck it is a minor surgery. The chances of infection and bleeding exist with liposuction but not to the extent as it does with a tummy tuck. You also need to be aware of all surgical risks and potential complications with either procedure. Liposuction involves using local anesthetics most of the time. Tummy tucks require general anesthesia. Either type can prove problematic for some patients. Pain medications cause problems for both types of surgery.

Tummy tuck vs. liposuction: the biggest difference between the two is the time for recovery. With liposuction, recovery is as little as three or four days. A tummy tuck can involve many months of recovery. Most people return to normal activities within a few days of liposuction. A tummy tuck may leave people bed ridden for days. It will be weeks before normal activity returns. With an extended recovery time, those costs are higher as well. Cost is another factor for the procedure itself. Liposuction costs much less than a normal tummy tuck. All in all, the patient needs to know what they want and how much they want to spend before making their choice.