What’s the Difference Between a Tummy Tuck and a Panniculectomy?

While both surgeries remove excess skin and fat, a Tummy Tuck includes tightening of the abdominal muscles for aesthetic purposes. You’re a good candidate for a Tummy Tuck if you are in relatively good shape, but your abdominal muscles have stretched out to the point where they are resistant to exercise (common after pregnancy).  Panniculectomy is often the surgery of choice for people who have lost a significant amount of weight and are left with an apron of hanging skin and fat below the belly button (called a pannus).

Most patients need an abdominoplasty as they want the muscle tightening.  This is called a plication of the muscles.   This will give a patient the flattest most aesthetic surgical result.   I have developed the “Beverly Hills Belly Button” which is a procedure to keep the incision around the belly button hidden and in the inner surface.  This gives a patient the “inny” belly button and is a better result.

While panniculectomy may be covered by some insurances, the plication or muscle tightening is deemed a cosmetic procedure.   We also recommend liposculpture of the sides called the flanks to help give the waistline a nicer contour.

Want more information about these procedures?   Please contact Shelley, my Patient Care Coordinator at (310) 659-8771 or click here to contact her.