A trim and sculpted abdomen and waistline is a desire of many men no matter what their age is. Most men battle their waistline for much of the adult life. Many of today's teenagers and younger men are beginning this fight at even an earlier age. Because of the strong tendency for men to gain weight almost exclusively in the 'middle', the goal of a trim figure is elusive for many.
While a consistent long-term diet and exercise program is an integral part to a successful fight against unsightly fat deposits, liposuction is an option to consider. But an underlying thought when considering liposuction is...should I do it to help or are these ill-gotten gains that will be short-lived?
When considering liposuction, men should ask themselves three important questions. First, have I made some type of commitment to optimize the surgical results and maintain them afterwards? This, of course, refers to a lifestyle change in diet and exercise. There is no sense in spending thousands of dollars if a year from the surgery you are back to where you started. Second, at what weight and shape do I want to be in for the surgery? For some, losing as much weight as possible and then having the surgery is best. For others, liposuction may be considered a jumpstart or a front end approach to beginning the process. Contrary to popular perception, either method is acceptable and that consideration must be individualized and thought through with good counseling and education at the time of the plastic surgery consultation. In my Indianapolis plastic surgery practice, I have seen both approaches work...as well as fail. Lastly, how much recovery can I afford to go through? Liposuction of the mid-section, where every body movement affects, is always more difficult and prolonged than most men assume. Your work and lifestyle schedule must have a realistic amount of time built in to accommodate this issue.
While numerous types liposuction exist, I currently prefer Smartlipo or laser liposuction for abdominal contouring. Some plastic surgeons use the term abdominal sculpting but for most men undergoing the procedure that term is overstated. Abdominal sculpting is for the already thin male who is getting muscular etching and waistline indention. Most male liposuction strives to get the abdomen flatter and not having waistline hangovers around the beltline. Smartlipo, in my experience, appears to be better as more fat can be eliminated due to the collateral damage from the heat of the laser. Laser liposuction is more than just zapping fat that the end of the probe hits. (traditional liposuction only sucks out fat that the tip of the cannula touches) The overall heat build-up that occurs in the treated area from the use of the laser damages fat cells that the end of the probe never touches.
Successful abdominal shaping in men is a combination of integrating liposuction into a long-term body plan, having a realistic expectation of the potential outcome, and making sure one has enough time for the recovery needed.
Dr Barry Eppley is a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice in Indianapolis, Indiana at Clarian Health Systems. (eppleyplasticsurgery.com) He writes a daily blog on plastic surgery, spa therapies, and medical skin care at http://www.exploreplasticsurgery.com