[Abdominal Liposuction] "The Skin Is Tightened, the Contour Is Sculpted"The Role of Abdominal LiposuctionWhen Combined with Abdominoplasty
Hello, this is Dr. Pyongrim Choi
from Lesarts Plastic Surgery.
Even after recovering much of
their pre-pregnancy weight,
many women find that
their lower abdomen remains
noticeably protruded,
with loose, stretched skin
that changes the way
their clothes fit.
Contour Changes After Abdominoplasty and Abdominal Liposuction – Dr. Pyongrim Choi | Lesarts Plastic Surgery
In patients who have undergone
a Cesarean section,
the issue is often
more complex than
simple fat accumulation.
In many cases,
skin laxity,
abdominal thickness,
and scar adhesion
all contribute together
to the overall contour problem.
Because of this,
many people wonder,
“Wouldn’t liposuction alone
be enough?”
Or,
“Wouldn’t abdominoplasty alone
solve the problem?”
However,
what truly determines
the surgical outcome
is how these two procedures
are divided in their roles
and combined together.
This case involves
a woman in her late 40s.
161 cm / 68 kg / BMI 26
Two Cesarean sections
performed 15 years ago
Maximum weight during pregnancy:
93 kg
Preoperative Body Assessment for Abdominoplasty and Abdominal Liposuction
Condition Before Surgery
1. Excess Skin
Loose skin was concentrated
in the lower abdomen,
creating visible folds.
If liposuction alone
had been performed,
excess skin would have remained.
2. Abdominal Thickness
Fat was distributed throughout
the upper abdomen,
the flanks,
and the entire abdominal area.
This contributed to
an overall “thick” appearance.
3. Adhesion Around
the Cesarean Section Scar
The lower abdomen
was being pulled downward,
making the abdominal contour
appear uneven
and more protruded.
In other words,
this was not simply
a fat-related problem.
It was a case in which
skin, fat, and structural factors
were all contributing together.
Surgical Strategy
In this case,
the roles of the procedures
were clearly divided.
1. The Role of Abdominoplasty
“Skin is tightened.”
-Removal of loose skin
from the lower abdomen
-Excision including
the Cesarean section scar
-The foundational step
in creating a flatter abdomen
However,
one important point is that
abdominoplasty alone
does not make
the abdomen thinner.
2. The Role of Liposuction
“The contour is sculpted.”
-Reduction of
upper abdominal thickness
→ Because the upper abdomen
is connected to the lower abdomen
after skin tightening,
the thickness must be
evenly reduced
to prevent irregular contours.
-Contouring of the flanks
(including the love handles)
→ To minimize skin folding
at the ends of the incision,
the transition from
the flanks to the pelvis
must be refined naturally.
-Three-dimensional shaping
of the entire abdomen
→ The contour must be designed
with the expected skin tension
after abdominoplasty in mind.
-Release of adhesions
→ Performed during liposuction,
helping facilitate
the abdominoplasty procedure.
In this patient,
reducing volume in
the upper abdomen
and flanks
was particularly important.
Because even if
the lower abdomen
was tightened,
the remaining fullness
of the upper abdomen
and flanks
would still leave
the overall abdomen
appearing thick.
The Effects of Liposuction Combined with Abdominoplasty – Dr. Pyongrim Choi | Lesarts Plastic Surgery
Front Abdominal Liposuction and Abdominal Lifting Before and Afte – Lesarts Plastic Surgery
3-Month Before-and-After Comparison Following Abdominoplasty – Dr. Pyongrim Choi | Lesarts Plastic Surgery
Changes in the Flank Contour After Abdominal Liposuction – Lesarts Plastic Surgery
The changes seen after
abdominoplasty
and abdominal liposuction
are not simply that
“the abdomen became flatter.”
-Removal of lower abdominal sagging
-Reduction in overall
abdominal thickness
-Refinement of the flank contour
-Improvement of the transition
between the waist and abdomen
As a result,
the body shape itself
appears different,
even without any significant
change in body weight.
What matters most
in abdominal surgery
is not which procedure
is performed,
but how accurately
the role of each procedure
is understood and applied.
Abdominoplasty
addresses excess skin,
while liposuction
completes the contour.
Therefore,
when lower abdominal sagging
and abdominal thickness
are present at the same time,
the approach of
“tightening the skin
and sculpting the contour”
can produce
the most refined result.
