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Some useful information about abdominoplasty plastic surgery
A tummy tuck surgery (also known as abdominoplasty plastic surgery) is a major cosmetic plastic surgery that flattens the abdomen by removing extra fat and skin, and tightening muscles in the abdominal wall and as you probably understand it must be made by a professional abdominoplasty surgeon.
A tummy tuck is a hugely popular procedure: In 2007, 148,000 tummy tuck procedures were performed in the United States alone, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Tummy tucks were one of the top five cosmetic surgery procedures performed that year.
The abdominoplasty plastic surgery is not meant as a means of weight-loss. Rather, it helps reduce the appearance of loose, fat, and flabby skin around the abdomen by tightening stomach muscles and strengthening the abdominal walls.
Good candidates for this type of surgery include men and women who are in relatively good shape but are bothered by a large fat deposit or loose abdominal skin that does not respond well to diet or exercise.
Abdominoplasty can be performed as either an inpatient or outpatient procedure, and can be done with local anesthetic and a sedative, though usually a general anesthesia is preferred.
Candidates should be at least 18 and have a fairly stable weight.
A tummy tuck is not a cheap procedure: The national average surgeon fee is around $5,000, but will range between $6,000 and $10,000 when anesthesia and facility fees are included.
Before deciding on a tummy tuck, be sure to discuss treatment options with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Plastic surgeons need to be certified by the country’s Board of Plastic Surgery. Such board certification ensures that your chosen surgeon has had extensive training and is up to date on new technology and techniques.
Once you have chosen a surgeon and scheduled your procedure, your doctor will give you a list of pre-operative instructions, which are likely to include lab testing and a cardiac work-up, in cases involving history of heart disease.
In the two weeks leading up to your tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon will probably ask you to stop taking certain medications such as aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and blood thinners, all of which can increase bleeding risk.
The tummy tuck surgery takes about two to five hours and can take less time - depends on your abdominoplasty surgeon.
A tummy tuck usually begins with a long incision across the abdomen, from hip bone to hip bone. The incision is shaped like a smile, with a flat bottom. The flat part of the smile occurs at the bottom point of the abdomen. The sides of the smile form a curve along the pelvis up to the hip bone. A second incision is made around the belly button in order to free it from the abdominal tissue. Afterwards, the patient’s skin is separated from the abdominal wall exposing the vertical abdominal muscles. These muscles are then stitched into a new position, reducing the waistline. After the muscles have been repositioned and tightened, and excess skin is removed.
Tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure, hence, you can expect a considerable recovery time. Most people require one to three weeks before returning to work. With regard to the duration of overnight stay, some patients may not even need an overnight hospital stay, while others require up to two days. The abdomen will be swollen and sore for the first few days, and you will have to take pain killers, as prescribed by your surgeon.
It is a good idea to exercise after surgery, but only after enough healing time has passed. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions on how and when to exercise. As a general guideline, tummy tuck patients can start light to moderate activity after four weeks. After six to eight weeks, most people can resume all exercise and activity.
The abdominal scars issue is worrying many patients who are considering undergoing the tummy tuck procedure. The abdominal scars will appear to worsen during the first three to six months and it may take nine months before they flatten and lighten in color. You should know that the scars never completely disappear, but are easily hid by proper clothing. There are also creams and ointments that can be used after you’ve completely healed, to help with the scars. Make sure to ask your abdominoplasty surgeon about them.
As with any major surgery, the possibility of infection and an adverse reaction to the anesthetic are present. Other complications include the following:
* Skin death
* Hematoma
* Belly button death
* Excessive scaring
* Excessive bleeding
* Ruptured stitches
But a full blown procedure, as described above, is not always needed. The good news is that today’s tummy tucks can be personalized. For example, if the problem is just loosing skin, the plastic surgeons can perform a “skin only” tummy tuck, which gets rid of excess skin. For women, if you have a small roll of loose skin and some muscle bulge from having children, you can have a smaller incision along your bikini line, have the muscle tightened, and remove the extra skin. This operation is known as a mini tummy tuck.
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