Abdominoplasty

What is a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty?

Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck removes excess fat and skin, and in most cases restores weakened or separated muscles creating an abdominal profile that is smoother and firmer.
A flat and well-toned abdomen is something many of us strive for through exercise and weight control. Sometimes these methods cannot achieve our goals. Even individuals of otherwise normal body weight and proportion can develop an abdomen that protrudes or is loose and sagging. The most common causes of this include:

• Pregnancy
• Aging
• Significant fluctuations in weight
• Heredity

Overview of Abdominoplasty(Tummy Tuck)

Abdominoplasty procedures vary in scope. They are frequently divided into categories based on the severity of the procedure. A complete abdominoplasty can take three to five hours. A partial abdominoplasty, or mini-tuck, normally can be finished in an hour or two.

The procedure for a complete, or full, abdominoplasty typically starts with an incision made from hip to hip just above the pubic area. Then, another incision is made to free the navel from the surrounding skin. The skin is then detached from the abdominal wall to reveal the muscles and fascia to be tightened. The muscle fascia wall is tightened with sutures to approximate the muscles edges. After that, the surgeon removes the excess skin and fat. The belly button stalk is then brought out through a new hole and sutured into place, and sometimes, liposuction is often combined to refine improve the abdominal sides. Typically the patient will have dressing and sometimes a compression garment applied and any excess fluid from the site drained.

A partial, or mini, abdominoplasty involves smaller incisions. The skin and fat of the lower abdomen are detached in a more limited fashion from the muscle fascia. The skin is stretched down and excess skin removed. The belly button stalk may be divided from the muscle below and the belly button moved lower on the abdominal wall. A portion of the abdominal muscle fascia wall is then tightened, and liposuction is often used to complete the contour definition. After all that, the flap is stitched back into place.

An abdominoplasty may be an effective way to improve the appearance of your abdomen, but bear in mind that it is a substantial surgical procedure and such procedures invariably involve an element of risk.

• Bad reaction to anesthesia
• Blood clots in the legs
• Blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Slow healing
• Respiratory complications
• Heart complications

Thousands of Tummy Tucks are performed successfully each year. When done by qualified and experienced surgeon who is trained in body contouring plastic surgery, the results are generally quite positive. However, there are always risks associated with any surgery including specific complications associated with this procedure.

With the advancement of techniques and medical technologies in the plastic surgery industry, these risks are becoming increasingly rare. By doing your homework to find a qualified plastic surgeon, the right facility and following your surgeons instructions you minimize risks and complications. Another good way to minimize risks after surgery is to only resume physical activity per your doctors instructions.

As with any surgical procedure, there are certain risks involved. In general, the risk of tummy tuck surgery complications is higher in people that are less healthy, smokers and diabetics.

In other words, the healthier you are, the less risk is involved. Surgeons do everything they can to minimize risk, but it is important for you to be aware of possible complications before consenting to abdominoplasty.

The most commonly occurring risk of tummy tuck surgery is that the result is not exactly how you expected. Tummy tuck surgery is not perfect and it is important to have realistic expectations. Infection, collections of blood (haematoma) or fluid (seroma) under the skin can occur during an abdominoplasty. Overall these occur in less than 5% of patients and can be treated. The surgical wound may separate, especially if the patient attempts to engage in vigorous activity too soon after surgery
People recover from surgery at different rates. Also, the rate at which you recover and can return to work will depend on whether there were complications or extenuating circumstances during your procedure. Most patients do very well after abdominoplasty and can return to work reasonably three weeks after the procedure.

Returning to Work Depends on Your Particular Job