This article should be able to: 1. Describe the safe techniques recommended
for patients undergoing a lipoabdominoplasty. 2. Demonstrate safe planning
techniques for marking a patient for a lipoabdominoplasty. 3. Summarize the
various techniques for performing liposuction and rectus plication. 4. State the current understanding techniques. 5. Determine the appropriate placement and shape of the ideal umbilicus.
Lipoabdominoplasty surgery is one of the core procedure in mommy makeover surgery performed by plastic surgeons. As with most plastic surgery, it is part art and part science. In this article, I try to summarize the science behind this procedure, and point to the generally accepted artistic aspects that are currently still under debate. As this procedure has one of the highest morbidity and mortality rates in the specialty, I have also reviewed safe practices.