Abdominoplasty and liposuction of flanks can be safely done together
Liposuction of the flanks is done in almost every tummy tuck and when performed by an expert plastic surgeon can be done safely and effectively.
Your friends plastic surgeons concern may be with liposuction of the abdomen at the same time as tummy tuck.
Extensive liposuction of the abdomen during the course of an abdominoplasty can interfere with blood supply and cause problems.However liposuction of the flanks is routinely done. (Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS, Boston Plastic Surgeon)
Tummy Tuck and Liposuction.
You most certainly can safely have both liposuction and an Abdominoplasty at the same time. It all depends ( as with most plastic surgery ) on how conservative your surgeon is. I do comfortably liposuction the flanks and hips but do not overly liposuction the central abdomen. This is because during an Abdominoplasty the bottom incision causes your skin to rely on superior sources of blood supply, especially the central part. (Bahair Ghazi, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)
You could have an abdominoplasty and lipo of the flanks and hips with no problem. Having a abdominoplasty would get rid of skin excess and would give you a firmer abdomen. The liposuction on the flanks and hips is going to give a better shape. It is very common to combine this 2 procedures with no harm. The problem to not do them together is a bad technique on the abdominoplasty or having an aggressive liposuction on the anterior side of the abdomen. Don`t be concerned about it and have the procedure performed as you had it planned . (Kelvin Eusebio, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)
I routinely perform Liposuction on patients that I perform abdominoplasty, it just generates a much better outcome. Now, liposuction can be safely performed on flanks, back, hips and lower extremities when combined with a abdominoplasty.
What I do with the abdominal flap (which is the skin from the abdomen that is elevated and pulled after the excess tissue has been taken out) is I do a technique called Lipectomy (Lipo=Fat, Ectomy=Resection), by lifting the abdominal flap and “thinning” it by resecting the fat on the points that I know there is no major blood supply under direct vision.
With this technique we can thin the abdomen (which is frequently needed in cases with very fatty abdomens) without risking the blood supply. Liposuction of the abdominal flap is a pretty risky maneuver that could compromise the abdominal blood supply and cause serious consequences. Hope this information lighted your doubts. (Luis A. Fernandez Goico, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)