Abdominal contour procedures: evaluating the options

Surgical science continues to increase the options available to an individual seeking an improved abdominal contour. Appropriately applied, abdominal-contouring procedures offer significant aesthetic improvements and result in a high level of patient satisfaction. Liposuction is one procedure in a continuum of techniques available for addressing abdominal contour, and it is the one with which patients are most familiar and most likely to request. Advising patients of the many available methods involves an understanding of the scope of each technique and an accurate assessment of individuals' anatomy and their expectations and perceptions of what a successful result represents. This article outlines the various surgical methods of abdominal contouring and fosters an understanding of how to select the appropriate procedure.