Many women today are under the false impression that an abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck as it is more commonly referred to as, is the same thing as having abdominal liposuction (or fat removal). However, nothing could really be further from the truth. Tummy tucks and liposuction of the abdomen are two distinctly different procedures. Each requires that a specific set of criteria to be present in the patient in order to be successful.

If you have had children, or if you have lost weight, you may be noticing that your stomach is bulging and hanging a bit. Many other women in this situation have scheduled appointments with a plastic surgeon and expressed an interest in having liposuction to fix the problem. However, they are disappointed when they find out that simple fat removal will not help them. They need to have an abdominoplasty performed in order to get to the true root of the problem.

While women generally choose liposuction procedures, over tummy tuck procedures, (because it is cheaper and less invasive), the truth is that both procedures vary greatly from each other and for them to be successful they need to be performed on patients with the medical needs that each operation addresses.

Which Patients Need Which Surgery?

Only patients who have a small amount of excess fat and good elasticity of the skin of their abdominal area should consider liposuction as an alternative to an abdominoplastic procedure. It is also imperative that you have no bulging of the abdominal wall muscle known as the abdominal rectus muscle.

In order to be an appropriate candidate for liposuction you must meet all of the following criteria:

* You cannot be over-weight, or only slightly over-weight

* You cannot have ever been pregnant

* You must be under 35 years of age

* You have never lost large amounts of weight

If you meet all of the above criteria, then you might be a good candidate for liposuction rather than a tummy tuck.

Even if you do not qualify as a candidate to have liposuction, you may find that you can achieve wonderful results by having a tummy tuck. While it is a more invasive and more expensive procedure, you will find the results satisfying. In order to meet the criteria for a tummy tuck you will likely meet some or all of the criteria below:

* Excess fat in your abdominal area

* Excess skin on your abdominal area which either sags or creates 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

The only way to deal with each of the above issues is through a tummy tuck. While liposuction can remove small amounts of fat, it will not give you the results you want, if you are really in need of a tummy tuck.