There is two types of belly fat:
Subcutaneous fat: Subcutaneous fat is located beneath the skin and can be easily felt or seen. This is the type of fat that contributes to the appearance of a "belly apron" or "love handles" and can be grasped or pinched.
Visceral fat: This is the fat that is located deep within the abdominal cavity, surrounding the internal organs.
When there is more subcutaneous fat in the stomach area than visceral fat, the abdomen tends to feel soft and pliable. If visceral fat is more, the skin is tight and fat cannot be pinch with fingers. There may be various amount of these types of fat, or the condition may be accompanied by excess skin tissue.
Who is the most suitable for surgery?
Tummy tuck and liposuction surgery focuses on removing excess skin and fat from the abdominal area, specifically subcutaneous fat, which is the fat located just beneath the skin. While this surgeries can create a flatter appearance of the abdomen, it cannot remove visceral fat. Therefore, only patients with visceral fat are not suitable for surgery. The most suitable candidates are the patients who have lost all their weight and only have sagging skin and regional subcutaneous fat.
Is it possible for a patient who has a larger amount of visceral belly fat to undergo plastic surgery?
The most effective method to eliminate visceral fat is by adhering to a nutritious diet and engaging in regular physical exercise. In certain cases, bariatric surgery may also be considered as an option.
You have major visceral fat but accompanied by subcutaneous fat and excess skin , you still have a chance to have this surgery . We remove your excess skin for functional reasons that make it difficult for you to walk or wear a dress. Unfortunately, in terms of appearance, our results are limited. Although there is some thinning after muscle plication, it is not possible to obtain a straight silhouette.
The before and after pictures displayed above the outcomes of a tummy tuck surgery on a patient who primarily had visceral fat in another clinic. The surgical procedure successfully decreased the amount of excess skin on her abdomen, but the waist size remained unchanged and from the side profile, it is seen that flat stomach is not achieved.
Here is example of my patient who has skin excess and visceral fat together. You can see there is visceral fat still make some bulging after tummy tuck.