Liposuction or a tummy tuck
Liposuction removes fat. It does not remove skin, stretch marks or an overhang, and it does not repair the muscles. After pregnancy or a lot of weight loss, the problem is often skin and muscle, and that's a tummy tuck: €5,600 to €7,900 for a mini, €8,000 to €12,000 for a full one. Our guide to liposuction or a tummy tuck goes through the signs.
Fat you can pinch, and fat you can't
Liposuction only reaches the fat under the skin, the fat you can pinch. Fat inside the abdomen, around the organs, sits behind the muscle wall and liposuction can't touch it. A firm, round belly that you can't pinch much is mostly that internal fat, and it responds to weight loss, not surgery.
Who it suits
Liposuction is probably not for you if:
- you are still losing or gaining weight, or your BMI is well above the healthy range
- the problem is loose, hanging skin rather than fat (that needs a skin-removal operation)
- you smoke and won't stop before surgery: smoking slows healing and raises the risk of blood clots
- you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy soon
- you hope it will change how you feel about your whole body, not one area
Recovery
Most people go home the same day or after one night. You wear an abdominal compression garment for several weeks. Desk work after about a week, gentle exercise at three to four weeks, core training and heavy lifting at around ten to twelve weeks with your surgeon's agreement. The flatter shape shows as the swelling goes down, over up to six months.
Risks
Common in the weeks after any liposuction:
- bruising and swelling, which can last up to six months
- numbness, which usually settles in six to eight weeks
- small scars where the tube went in
- fluid leaking from the cuts for the first days
Less common, and the reason you want a specialist and a proper hospital or clinic:
- lumpy or uneven results, sometimes needing a second operation
- bleeding under the skin (a haematoma)
- numbness that lasts for months
- changes in skin colour over the treated area
- infection, or an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic
- a blood clot in a leg vein, which can travel to the lungs
- fluid on the lungs from the fluid injected during surgery
- damage to internal organs, which is very rare
Your surgeon should tell you how likely each one is for you, and what they do if it happens. See the full guide to liposuction risks and side effects.
Cost
One area costs €2,200 to €4,500; stomach and love handles together €3,000 to €7,000. See the price guide.
By law every doctor practising in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council, and a doctor can only practise independently as a specialist if they hold specialist registration. For liposuction, look for an entry in the Specialist Division under Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. You can search the register yourself on the Medical Council's website.
Questions people ask
Will stomach lipo get rid of my mummy tummy?
Only if the problem is fat. Loose skin and separated muscles after pregnancy need a tummy tuck, and the HSE advises a physiotherapy referral through your GP if you're worried about the gap more than eight weeks after the birth.
Can fat come back after stomach lipo?
The fat cells removed don't come back, but the remaining ones can grow if you gain weight, sometimes in other areas.
Is stomach lipo painful?
It's sore for the first week, like a strong bruise or a hard workout. Painkillers and the garment help.