A recent study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery—Global Open, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, reports that a combined technique of liposuction and abdominoplasty provides excellent outcomes and low rates of complications for patients seeking abdominal-fat reduction. The study included a large number of patients who, over the course of five years, underwent a consistent technique performed by a single surgeon and compared the results of the combined procedure with separate liposuction and abdominoplasty techniques. “Lipoabdominoplasty may be performed safely, so that patients may benefit from both modalities,” says Eric Swanson, M.D., a plastic surgeon in private practice in Leawood, KS. According to the study, using ultrasound techniques for shorter periods of time and eliminating the traditional use of electrodissection during surgery decreases the risk of seromas, pockets of clear fluid that can develop post-surgery, and maximizes the results.