Abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, is a major surgical procedure used to flatten out and tighten the stomach muscles. Additionally, abdominoplasty is used to remove some excess belly fat and abdominal skin which has formed in the area. The result of abdominoplasty is a much flatter, tighter abdominal area.

- Abdominal Liposuction vs. Tummy Tuck

While a tummy tuck is the proper surgical procedure for many men and women, a less invasive option is to have abdominal liposuction.

Abdominal liposuction simply removes excess fat deposits in the abdominal area without involving the muscle tissue. This makes liposuction a much simpler and less pain intensive for patients. But may be less effective than a tummy tuck if you have muscle damage from pregnancy, for example.

Determining which procedure is for you should be based on an evaluation by a reputable plastic surgeon. Some criteria for both procedures are listed below to get you started ...

- Who Should Have a Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck procedure is generally the right one to choose if you have issues with buldging of your abdominal muscles or lax skin in the area. You may be a good candidate if you meet some or all of the following criteria:

* Excess fat in your abdominal area

* Excess skin on your abdominal area which either sags or has an over-hang

* Laxity of your abdominal skin caused by previous pregnancy, age, or weight gain or loss.

* Bulging of the true abdominal wall caused by pregnancy

* Bulging of the abdominal area caused by being over-weight.

- Who Should Have Liposuction?

Only patients who have a small amount of excess fat and good tone of the skin and muscles of their abdominal area should consider liposuction as an alternative to a tummy tuck.

It is also imperative that you have no bulging of the abdominal wall muscle or excess abdominal skin which is lax because both of these situations will cause your surgery to appear to have failed.

In order to be an appropriate candidate for liposuction, some plastic surgeons will consider ...

* If you are over-weight

* If you've ever been pregnant

* Your age

* If you have ever lost large amounts of weight

As you can see from the information listed above, a good candidate for liposuction simply needs to remove excess fat from their body.

However, the good candidate for a tummy tuck needs a more invasive procedure which will deal with issues of saggy skin and lax muscle tone. To evaluate which option is needed for your body you should schedule a consultation appointment with a Board Certified plastic surgeon in your area.