Dr. David Stoker board-certified plastic surgeon in Los Angeles. A question that patients frequently ask our practice is, “tummy tuck versus liposuction, which should I have? well, it depends on what your needs and goals are. In general, if you’re going to perform liposuction only, you need to have adequate skin elasticity to tighten up afterward; that’s going to involve younger people with smaller amounts of surgery or certain targeted areas in older people who have more fat to remove. A tummy tuck is a much bigger operation but also with much bigger improvements that is typically reserved for moms after having multiple babies. Patients after significant weight loss or patients getting into their late 50s and 60s or older where they just want some tightening of the lower abdomen, you need to choose the procedure that matches your goal. No amount of wishing is going to make liposuction result in a tummy tuck result and vice versa.
What Is Power-Assisted Liposuction? Dr. Stoker has been using PAL systems for much of his career and has performed studies on multiple generations of models. PAL offers several advantages compared to other liposuction technologies as it is highly precise, creates minimal trauma, and results in less bruising. These advantages mean a faster recovery for patients. Unlike power-assisted liposuction, manual tumescent liposuction requires the surgeon to vigorously move the cannula to break up fatty tissues, which results in more bruising and bleeding compared to PAL. Advantages of PAL Power-assisted liposuction offers a variety of benefits, including:
– More efficient removal of fat
– More control for the surgeon to sculpt precisely
– More effective in fibrous or previously treated areas
– Less trauma to the surrounding tissues
– Less bruising
– Faster recovery
– Less time under anesthesia
The power-assisted system relies on a vibrating cannula tip that gently shakes fat loose and suctions it away in one step. The cannula vibrates at just the right frequency to maximize the efficient removal of fat. The vibration also helps the cannula glide through the fatty layers with minimal force. Power-assisted liposuction gives Dr. Stoker more control and precision, allowing him to focus on sculpting a more beautiful figure for the patient. It also helps minimize a patient’s recovery because there’s less trauma to the body.
How Is a Tummy Tuck Performed?
As a board-certified plastic surgeon and body contouring specialist, Dr. Stoker customizes his technique during tummy tuck surgery to address each patient’s specific needs. Abdominoplasty, commonly called a tummy tuck, is a procedure Dr. Stoker performs several times a week, often combining it with other procedures. His expertise includes years of research on innovative techniques used for tummy tuck surgery. Dr. Stoker makes tummy tuck incisions as low as possible on the abdomen—just above the pubic area—so patients can wear virtually any bikini bottom, low-cut pants, or any other fashion that reveals most of the midsection. He discusses the location and length of the incision in detail with patients during their consultations so they know what to expect. Typically, the length of the incision depends on the amount of skin that needs to be removed.
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