Tummy Tuck

Tummy Tuck or abdominoplasty is a major surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. It also can repair an umbilical or abdominal hernia. The fat and skin that are removed do not return.

The trade-off is a repositioned navel and some scars. The Tummy Tuck will not remove stretch marks unless they are in the lower abdominal skin, which is cut at surgery. The surgery will tighten your abdomen and will give you a flatter, or even a flat, abdomen.

This operation is permanent to a great extent. The right time for this operation is after the cause of your stomach stretching is gone: when you have had your babies, lost your weight and had your abdominal surgery. It is a major operation, which is done in a hospital operating room on an inpatient basis. You will need to stay in the hospital one night after the surgery.

Best candidates for Tummy Tuck:

1. Have large fat deposits or loose abdominal skin that does not respond to diet or exercise.
2. Have had multiple pregnancies with resulting stretched abdominal muscles and skin
3. Loss of skin elasticity (older patients).

This operation is done with general anesthesia, so one will sleep through the operation. A tummy tuck may take between three to four hours, depending on the extent of work required.

Before the operation, in the hospital room, the surgeon will mark the incision lines on your abdomen. The incision will be from hipbone to hipbone, just above the pubic area. A second incision is made to free the navel from surrounding tissue. The skin is separated from the abdominal wall all the way up to the ribs and a large skin flap is lifted to reveal the vertical muscles in the abdomen. These muscles are tightened by pulling them close together and stitching them into their new position. This provides a firmer abdominal wall and narrows the waistline into an attractive shape. The skin flap is then stretched down and the extra skin is removed. A new hole is cut for your navel, which is then stitched in place into a natural position. A temporary tube may be inserted to drain excess fluid from the surgical site.

There will be some swelling and firmness and you're likely to feel some pain and discomfort which can be controlled by medication for the first few days. You will be kept in your hospital bed on bed rest for one day after surgery. You can move around, but you will hurt, so you won't move much. Because this operation tightens your abdominal muscles, you will feel tight and may walk slightly stooped for two weeks. You can quickly reduce the surgical swelling and keep it down by wearing a waistbinder (girdle) or elastic body stocking (adjustable abdominoplasty garment) for six weeks. You may return to work between three and five weeks after a tummy tuck. Exercise will help enhance healing.

SIDE EFFECTS:

1. It leaves swelling in your abdomen for up to six months.
2. The skin in your abdomen will be completely numb for six weeks or longer, with the feeling returning over a period of six to twelve months.
3. About six weeks after surgery the tightness from the muscle stitching is finally gone.

Post operative complications such as infection and blood clots are rare, but they can occur. Infection can be treated with drainage and antibiotics, but will prolong your hospital stay. You can minimize the risk of blood clots by moving around as soon after the surgery as possible.

Smoking increases the risk of complications and delays healing. Poor healing, which results in conspicuous scars may necessitate a scar revision. If you are a pack-a day smoker or more, you should decide now to stop smoking for the week before and the week after surgery.

Tummy Tuck can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence. If you're realistic in your expectations and prepared for the consequences of a permanent scar and a lengthy recovery period, abdominoplasty may be just the answer for you.

Before	After

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