Are you struggling with your middle section sporting a permanent belly pooch, loose skin, and an extra layer of fat? Are you finding that, despite your healthy diet and consistent exercise routine, that your lean, sexy stomach is as elusive as ever?
Well, it’s not your fault. Excess skin, stretched muscles due to pregnancy, stubborn fat, or both are conditions that many of us encounter. You might be a good candidate for a tummy tuck, or liposuction, or a combination of these. Combining the two procedures, known as lipoabdominoplasty, might the best choice if your goal is to tighten your abdominal area as well as remove excess fat.
Liposuction uses suction to remove isolated pockets of stubborn subcutaneous fat in those pesky love handles, belly fat, and back rolls. What it doesn’t address is excess skin or muscle laxity that may follow pregnancy or weight loss.
On the other hand, a tummy tuck removes excess skin and tightens loose or separated abdominal muscles, resulting in a smooth, toned physique. For those areas of stubborn fat surrounding the abdomen, on its own, a tummy tuck may not be the most effective option.
Liposuction, combined with other procedures, is safe and growing in popularity. For example, for the mommy makeovers procedure Dr. Florence Mussat offers, she may combine liposuction with a tummy tuck. Doing this in one procedure removes excess fat and reduces abdominal stretching, returning your body to its former, more desirable, sexy shape.
How Does Liposuction Complement a Tummy Tuck in Chicago, IL?
At the start of your tummy tuck surgery, Dr. Mussat first performs liposuction throughout the abdominal area to eliminate excess fat. A tiny tube, known as a cannula, is inserted through small incisions in the abdomen, and fat cells are removed with an aspirator.
Once the fat has been removed, the tummy tuck is then performed, removing excess tissue and skin, and tightening the abdominal muscles, resulting in a flatter, firmer abdominal profile.
What Are the Benefits of Adding Liposuction to Your Tummy Tuck?
The most significant benefit of adding liposuction to your tummy tuck is that exercise- and diet-resistant fat can be removed during the same procedure where loose skin is tightened, and stretched muscles are repaired.
Scheduling only one surgery with just one recovery period and less overall downtime is an excellent benefit for someone with a busy schedule.
Finally, when your tummy tuck is combined with liposuction, body contouring results are maximized. Removing excess fat and stretched loose skin at the same time is often the most efficient and effective approach in getting ready for that new bathing suit!
How Do You Decide to Add Liposuction to Your Tummy Tuck?
You can combine these two procedures following a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Florence Mussat, in Chicago, IL. She would be happy to help you make this decision and to plan for the procedure itself. Schedule a personal consultation online or by calling (312) 751-9000 today!
When it comes to building a better body, diet and exercise are your first line of defense. However, some people may continue to experience problem spots in their arms or stomach, no matter how many calories they burn or desserts they forego. If you are one of these people, thenliposuction and other body sculpting procedures like aTummy Tuck may be right for you. Body sculpting procedures can solve problem areas that have bothered you for years, with permanent results.Doctor Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, has years of experience performing plastic surgery on the face, breast, and body.
What to Bring to Your Consultation
When you arrive for your consultation with Doctor Florence Mussat, bring a copy of your full medical records. Be sure to mention any allergies and current medications you are taking to ensure your safety during the procedure. You may be asked to undress, so it is advised that you wear loose clothing that is easy to remove.
Don’t be afraid to bring in a picture of your ideal arms, stomach, or thighs. Additionally, if there is a look you really don’t want, don’t hesitate to bring in a picture of that as well. Any information you share about your goals can help Dr. Mussat and her team create a body you love.
The 6 Essential Questions to Ask
When you arrive for your liposuction consultation, remember to ask your surgeon these six essential questions to achieve the best results:
1. Are you Board Certified?
When you are undergoing an invasive procedure like liposuction, it’s essential to make sure that the surgeon performing the operation is qualified. Doctor Florence Mussat is a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, with over 15 years of experience in private practice. Additionally, she also works as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
2. Am I a good candidate?
The ideal candidate for liposuction surgery is at or near their ideal weight. Liposuction is a form of body sculpting, designed to eliminate small pockets of fat, rather than reduce overall. An important factor in determining whether you will have good results is the elasticity of your skin. You can conduct a “skin pinch test” by gathering the skin on your hand with your index and thumb. Your skin is elastic enough if it immediately springs back to its original shape when you release your hold.
3. Can I Combine Liposuction With Other Surgeries?
Liposuction can be combined with a tummy tuck orMommy Makeover to eliminate excess skin and create a more toned appearance. In a Mommy Makeover, Dr. Florence Mussat performs both an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and a breast lift to reverse the adverse effects that pregnancy may have taken on your body. If you are concerned about your arms or thighs, anArm Lift orThigh Lift will help you achieve your goals better than liposuction alone. If you feel an area of your body is too thin, you can move fat from one area to another with aFat Transfer.
4. What is the Recovery Time After Surgery?
You will experience bruising and swelling following surgery, but will be able to return to work within a week. During the first few weeks of recovery, you will probably wear a compression garment to aid the healing process and prevent complications.
5. What Will The Surgery Be Like?
Before surgery, you will be put under either local or general anesthesia to numb the surgical site. During the operation, Dr. Mussat makes a small incision before inserting a device called a cannula, which she will attach to a vacuum and use to suck out fat.
6. What Kind of Results Can I Expect?
Swelling usually subsides within a few weeks, and you should expect to see a leaner look within the coming months. The results of liposuction are permanent. Because liposuction is a body contouring procedure, your overall shape will stay the same even if you gain weight.
Scheduling your Liposuction Consultation with Dr. Florence Mussat
Now that you’re familiar with the essential questions to ask at a liposuction consultation, the next step is scheduling your consultation with Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago. You can call us at 312-751-9000 orschedule an appointment online. You don’t have to settle for a look you don’t love. Call Dr. Florence Mussat today!
When it comes to cosmetic procedures that sculpt the body and improve its contours, there are few as popular as liposuction. For decades this enduring method of eliminating excess fat cells and removing pesky bulges has been a staple in aesthetic medicine. Now that we are well into the summer months when people are more aware of fat pads that diet and exercise seem to ignore, liposuction becomes a practical cosmetic option.
Over the years, millions of patients have enjoyed the sleeker form liposuction delivers in problem areas like the abdomen, back, and thighs. But do these results last forever? Although liposuction removes fat cells permanently, it doesn’t remove them all. It is possible to expand existing cells, which can harm your results. Here are some simple tips to follow to maintain your results after liposuction.
Stay Active
Fifty percent of liposuction patients will gain about two or three pounds within six months after having the procedure while the other half stay focused on retaining their hard-won results. The best way to maintain your liposuction results is to find a way to keep fit. Staying active through physical exercise will not only help you keep the body you’ve earned, but will also improve your quality of life with better health.
Eat Right
The older you get, the more diet impacts your ability to keep your healthy weight. We all struggle with certain foods that can undermine a sleek and slender body outline. Although you don’t have to starve yourself, you should limit eating foods that may cause a problem. These include:
Simple carbs like bread, rice, and pasta
Saturated fat and sugars
Carbonated sodas including diet drinks
Energy drinks high in sugar
Fried and processed foods
The less you eat of these foods, the less you will crave them. The more you eat the right foods, the easier it will be to continue with a healthy diet. These foods include:
Fresh vegetables and fruits
Whole grains and complex carbs
Drink plenty of water (eight cups a day)
Eat smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to binge eating late. Eating a good, healthy breakfast will ease cravings during the day and give you the energy you need to remain active.
Prioritize Sleep
A busy schedule can impede the sleep you need for a healthy lifestyle. Studies prove that sleep between 6.5 and 8.5 hours each night can lower the percentage of body fat. People who get consistent, adequate sleep daily will increase their odds of keeping the pounds off because sleep helps to suppress the appetite.
Become Accountable
The best way to hold yourself to a standard of keeping fit and slim is to have someone in your life to hold you accountable. A friend, family member, or spouse can help, especially if they are trying to stay fit and healthy as well. We all need encouragement and at times admonishment to remain focused on living a healthy lifestyle that promotes a beautiful body!
Do You Have Questions About Liposuction
To learn more about liposuction and how to maintain its stunning results, contact board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Florence Mussat for a consultation.
Healthy habits, like eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly, are integral to living a long life—but they don’t always result in uniform weight loss. That’s why over 200,000 Americans turn to liposuction each year: Liposuction can effectively “spot reduce” the deposits of stubborn fat that sometimes cling to otherwise slim, fit individuals.
Though liposuction is safe and effective for the vast majority of patients, those interested in having fat surgically removed often worry that their unwanted pounds will inevitably return. This expectation is usually based on years of “yo yo” dieting; many of us are used to the fat we lose coming back after a diet ends. Fortunately, liposuction works very differently than traditional weight loss. In many cases, it actually can produce permanent results. Here’s how it works:
Liposuction Vs. Conventional Weight Loss
How many fat cells we have and how they’re distributed is determined largely by our genetics. People have different body types owing to heritable patterns of fat storage: Some people are “apple shaped,” for example, carrying most of their body fat on their stomachs and chests. Others are naturally slender or tend to store fat evenly across their limbs and torso.
When we lose weight through diet or exercise, these patterns of fat storage—and our fat cells—don’t actually go away. Instead, our fat cells just shrink in size; the slimming we observe during weight loss occurs because fat cells take up less space as they lose volume. Alas, as soon as we start consuming more calories than we’re burning, our fat cells quickly expand again. This causes us to regain weight in all of the same problem areas, time and time again.
Even people who successfully stay slim often retain small but distracting fat deposits in areas where fat cells are particularly dense. A pear-shaped woman, for example, might feel like her thighs too thick for her otherwise lean frame—no matter how much she works out. An apple-shaped woman, on the other hand, may notice persistent lower belly fat, arm fat, or rolls around her bra line. These issues persist unless the individual in question achieves a very low body fat percentage, which is neither realistic nor healthy for the average person.
Liposuction, by contrast, does not shrink fat cells. During liposuction, a very thin tube (called a cannula) is inserted directly into adipose tissue. Localized fat deposits are irrigated with a special solution, then a significant number of fat cells are gently sucked out. This reduces the actual density of fatty tissue in targeted areas, not just the volume of individual fat cells.
Fat cells that are removed or destroyed rarely ever grow back on their own. Areas that are treated with liposuction therefore remain proportionally slimmer than they used to be, even if the patient gains weight after surgery. An apple-shaped woman who used liposuction to sculpt a more distinct waistline will notice more weight gain on her thighs, buttocks, and chest than her stomach, for example.
Sometimes, gaining a very large amount of weight (over 30 pounds) can cause the body to create new fat cells. This isn’t a common occurrence, but it is a possibility. You should therefore try to keep your weight relatively stable if you’ve had this procedure, just in case.
Dr. Florence Mussat offers both liposuction and medically supervised weight loss, so if you’re worried about gaining weight after surgery, she can help you stay on track. To learn more about the liposuction procedure, recovery, and long-term maintenance, contact her Chicago plastic surgery practice to arrange a consultation.
Liposuction is an effective plastic surgery procedure that eliminates stubborn, unwanted fat. Many patients know that they want to undergo liposuction and understand what the surgical process involves, but patients also need to learn about the recovery process. Read our infographic below to find out what recovering from liposuction is like.
If you’re interested in liposuction, contact us today.
