Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck as it is commonly known, is a major plastic surgery which eradicates excess fat and skin, restores weakened or separated muscles and tightens abdominal muscles. This procedure improves the appearance of stretch marks, particularly those situated below the naval.
Synonym
Abdominoplasty
About the Procedure
First, your surgeon will probably place you under general anesthetic so that you will be asleep during the surgery and feel nothing. In the case that you prefer local anesthetic, that is possible if you discuss the matter with your surgeon.
Your doctor will then make an incision shaped like a ‘V’ in the area between the pubic hair and naval. The sides of the V usually form angles along the pelvis up to the top of the hip bone, but a degree of correction may be needed. Your weakened abdominal muscles are repaired and sutured, and excess fat, skin and tissue are extracted. Sometimes, a second incision may be necessary to remove excess skin in the upper abdomen.
Finally, your doctor will close the incisions, using skin adhesives, sutures, tapes or clips.
Length
The surgery lasts about 2 to 5 hours.
Benefits
Your self-confidence will really get a boost with this treatment as it enhances your body contour by making sure your abdomen is both firmer and flatter. Your appearance will be of a more youthful vigour. You will also feel more comfortable when wearing clothes.
Who is an ideal candidate?
An ideal candidate would desire to boost her appearance and look younger. She would have excess fat or skin in the tummy due to either a past pregnancy and giving birth or simply obesity. She would be worried about the size of her tummy but have realistic expectations about the results of the procedure. She should also be a non-smoker.
Recovery
After surgery, your doctor may attach dressings or bandages to the incision marks and wrap you in an elastic bandage or special garment to lessen the swelling. This is to speed up the recovery process. Sometimes, fluid may gather under the skin, but this can be removed by using a small thin tube.
There ought to be quite a bit of swellling during the recovery period, but this is nothing too serious.
You will have to realize that with major surgery like tummy tuck, the recovery time is relatively long, and you will have to take rest for the first 2-3 weeks. During this period, only take very subtle exercise such as short walks. Your doctor may advise you to try and sleep on your back and avoid lifting, straining, bending and sitting for long periods of time.
Preparing your surgery
Before you undergo the surgery, there are a quite a few things your doctor may ask you to do such as:
• Have laboratory testing
• Have a medical evaluation
• Stop smoking tobacco
• Take some medications
• Change some of your present medications
• Avoid Aspirin and other certain drugs
He will also instruct you on the surgical procedure and the best method for recovery.
Anesthesia
Local or general anesthetic
Risks / Complications / Side effects
As with any kind of surgery like this, there are a lot of possible risks and side-effects. These include:
• Infection
• Bleeding
• Scarring
• Blood clots
• Nerve damage
• Swelling
• Pain
• Numbness
• Poor wound healing
• Skin discoloration
• Major wound separation
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
After your surgery
Some patients may not need an overnight hospital stay. But many patients spend one or two days in the hospital, depending on the extent of the procedure.