Some help in the quest for amazing abdominal muscles

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Sometimes, women can spend endless hours in the gym and eat as healthy as can be, but still can't achieve a flat stomach. That's when they often turn to plastic surgery for help. 

Dr. Mark Schusterman, a Houston-based plastic surgeon in Houston, shared some advice for helping patients choose the right procedure. He explains that is one of the most common questions he gets.

"It really depends on how much loose skin they have," says Dr. Schusterman. "If they have a lot of loose skin, we recommend a tummy tuck. If they don't have a lot of loose skin, even if they've had children, sometimes we can do liposuction and give them a really nice result. If they go to a board-certified plastic surgeon for analysis and evaluation, usually they'll get the right answer. Some patients are borderline and it depends on the plastic surgeon. Lipo is more affordable with less downtime, and that's why it's so attractive to many patients, but if they go through the liposuction, and don't get the results they want, they're not going to be happy. With a tummy tuck, it's a longer recovery about three to four weeks, and we also do some tightening of the muscles to give them a flatter stomach, so it's a much nicer result in some cases, but it takes require more recovery."

Dr. Schusterman also says it's always important to find a surgeon with experience and make sure you see before and after photos of their patients. For more information, visit  http://www.alwaysyouthful.com/.