Dr. Kirby's Blog

How can I get rid of my tummy pooch?

Published January 23, 2024 by Emily J. Kirby MD

Woman smiles in mirror after procedures to reduce tummy pooch

Are you struggling with a stubborn tummy pooch that won’t budge? You’re not alone. Even with good nutrition and an active lifestyle, unwanted curves can often hang on for dear life! The good news is that we have effective solutions to firm up the abdominal area for men and women.

Below, female Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Emily J. Kirby explains 4 procedures that can help.

Tummy tuck: The comprehensive solution

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is ideal for targeting a tummy pooch for those with stretched or widened abdominal muscles, moderate excess fat and loose skin in the abdominal area, often after pregnancy or significant weight gain/loss. A tummy tuck removes the stubborn tissue and excess skin, and restores stretched abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) to their correct anatomic position.

What happens during a tummy tuck?

Based on your needs, Dr. Kirby customizes the appropriate tummy tuck technique, such as a mini tummy tuck, standard tummy tuck, or an extended tummy tuck, with or without liposuction. During a tummy tuck, Dr. Kirby makes an incision along the lower abdomen and removes excess skin and tissue, and tightens the abdominal muscles. An incision around the belly button is necessary for the full and extended tummy tucks, but not necessarily for the mini. The remaining skin is redraped for a smoother, tighter abdominal profile. Tummy tuck recovery typically takes about 6 weeks before resuming full activity.

Is a tummy tuck right for me?

This procedure achieves the most dramatic results for patients needing skin removal and muscle tightening to fully address a tummy pooch.

“Absolutely love Dr. Kirby and ALL of her amazing staff! The office is beautiful! From my consultation to my surgery and all follow up appts it has been a wonderful experience! I highly recommend Dr. Kirby!”
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Liposuction: Targeted fat reduction

Liposuction is also an effective option, particularly if you’re dealing with smaller, localized fat deposits and have good skin elasticity, without many stretch marks.

What happens during liposuction?

Dr. Kirby makes tiny incisions in the target area to carefully suction away the unwanted fat and create a smoother, more contoured abdomen. The skin shrinks a bit with the liposuction. Recovery from liposuction is quicker than a tummy tuck, with most patients resuming work and normal activities within days to weeks.

Is liposuction right for me?

Liposuction focuses solely on fat removal, making it a good choice for targeting a tummy pooch if you are close to your goal weight and have good muscle and skin tone.

However, fat removal alone may leave behind loose skin in treated areas for patients with stretch marks, lax skin and less muscle tone, especially when removing considerable amounts of fat.

CoolSculpting: Non-invasive targeted fat removal

For those seeking a non-surgical option to help get rid of unwanted fat pockets, CoolSculpting is our treatment of choice. This FDA-cleared treatment uses controlled cooling to freeze and eliminate fat cells without surgery or downtime.

What happens during CoolSculpting?

One of our highly trained CoolSculpting professionals places the CoolSculpting applicator(s) on the treatment area, which freezes and activates a natural cell-breakdown process, eliminating fat cells while leaving surrounding tissues unharmed. The body naturally processes and eliminates the destroyed fat cells over several weeks for gradual fat reduction and mild skin tightening in the treated areas. Most patients desire a series of treatments to achieve their goal of non-surgical fat removal.

Is CoolSculpting right for me?

CoolSculpting works best if you are at or near your ideal weight, but want to address small-to-moderate fat deposits without surgery. Keep in mind that final CoolSculpting results take up to 3 months to show (longer if you need additional treatments). However, many patients prefer to trade the recovery and aftercare of surgery for a series of treatments that require no downtime.

Morpheus8: Minimally invasive skin tightening

Morpheus8 RF microneedling combines microneedling with radiofrequency (RF) energy to promote collagen remodeling and to heat deep layers of skin, which reduces the appearance of stretch marks, tightens loose skin, and reduces some fat cells after a series of treatments. Morpheus8 results are gradual and natural-looking, with improvements continuing to show over several months as the body produces new collagen.

What happens during a Morpheus8 treatment?

With our guidance, you will choose the level of anesthesia you are most comfortable with—prescription-strength topical numbing ointment, mild oral sedation, mild inhaled sedation, or a combination. During the Morpheus8 treatment, our aesthetic specialist passes a needle-tipped device over your skin to create tiny micro-openings while simultaneously delivering radiofrequency energy, which gently heats underlying layers of skin. In this way, Morpheus8 combines microneedling with an energy-based treatment of the tissues.

Is Morpheus8 right for me?

Morpheus8 is an excellent choice for those who are not candidates for more invasive procedures such as a tummy tuck and who have mild skin laxity, stretch marks, and modest curves they want to contour with minimal downtime.

Let us help you decide the right approach for a firmer silhouette

Each body contouring option offers unique benefits, and the right choice varies based on your anatomy and aesthetic goals. Fort Worth Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Emily Kirby would be happy to recommend the ideal procedure for you and create a personalized treatment plan to eliminate a tummy pooch. To schedule your consultation with Dr. Kirby, please call Kirby Plastic Surgery at (817) 292-4200 or contact us online to receive a call back from our patient care coordinator. We are here to help you look and feel your best!