Abdominolipoplasty: a system of classification and treatment for combined abdominoplasty and suction-assisted lipectomy

Criteria for diagnosing abdominal contouring candidates and a new classification system for procedures are presented. The surgical techniques for each of four patient categories of abdominolipoplasty are reviewed: type I--suction-assisted lipectomy alone, type II--mini-abdominoplasty, type III--modified abdominoplasty, and type IV--abdominoplasty with suction-assisted lipectomy. With the combination of suction-assisted lipectomy and abdominoplasty, the majority of patients can actually be treated with a limited abdominoplasty procedure or suction lipectomy. Complications noted in a series of 75 consecutive patients operated on by one surgeon are presented. The blood supply that is relevant to a combination of suction lipectomy with abdominoplasty is outlined. Specific guidelines for these combined procedures are recommended in order to safely combine full abdominoplasties with suction-assisted lipectomies.