After your tummy tuck procedure, there are a few practices you want to follow to ensure your best possible recovery. This guide will explain some of the best practices to care for your incisions, manage your pain and more.

Care For Your Incisions

During your abdominoplasty, one of the skilled Las Vegas plastic surgeons will make an incision that may reach all the way from one hip bone to the other. This just depends on the type of tummy tuck procedure you undergo. To properly care for that incision, you want to follow these suggestions:

• Wait to remove your dressings over your incisions for about 24 hours. Then, shower. After a shower, blot your incisions (still covered with the steri-strips) dry with a clean towel. If your plastic surgeon provides different instructions, follow those instead.
• Keep your incision covered with clean dressings for about one week after your procedure.
• Don’t remove your steri-strips. They protect your incisions from dirt and infection. Eventually, they will fall off on their own.
• As a general rule, avoid still water (like baths and pools) for about two weeks after your procedure.
• If you were given a compression garment, wear it all times unless you are showering. Your surgeon will let you know when it is safe to remove the garment for good.

Manage Pain

Following any plastic surgery procedure, patients often experience some sort of pain. Manage your pain after your abdominoplasty with these tips:

• For the first 48 hours, you are likely to experience the most pain. Take the pain medications prescribed by one of the Las Vegas plastic surgeons as instructed for the best results. It may be a good idea to take the medications with foods like crackers or soups to avoid feeling nauseous.
• Avoid over the counter pain medications for at least two weeks following your procedure to prevent excess drainage and bruising.
• The compression garment will relieve some of the pain because it offers support to the abdomen which has been weakened by surgery. Just remember not to make it too tight; you can accidentally reduce blood flow and inhibit healing.

Return To Activities

You will be limited in what activities you can participate in for some time after your plastic surgery Las Vegas procedure. These suggestions will give you a general idea of when it is safe to resume your normal daily behaviors. Of course, you want to follow the tips:

• Don’t lift, push or pull anything that weighs more than five pounds for about six weeks. You don’t want to apply too much pressure and stress to your incisions that could complicate their healing.
• Don’t drive until you are totally pain-free without the assistance of pain medications.
• Check with your doctor about the best time to return to work after your procedure.
• You can take assisted showers after 24 hours.
• Don’t sleep on your stomach until all the pain has gone away. Until then, sleep in an assisted position with two or three pillows behind your head and two under your knees. This will also make it easier for you to get up once you wake.

Now that you are prepared for life after your abdominoplasty, schedule a consultation with the professionals at Reynolds Plastic Surgery. For more information about these experienced Las Vegas plastic surgeons, contact 702.410.9800.

Tummy Tuck

If you have been considering a tummy tuck procedure, there is a good chance that you are wondering how the procedure works. With this guide, you can learn about the general step-by-step process of tummy tucks from one of the most knowledgeable Las Vegas plastic surgeons Dr. Brandon Reynolds.

*Just remember, this guide is here to give you a general understanding of how the abdominoplasty works. This is, by no means, the full extent of what can take place during your procedure. Every patient is different, therefore, every plastic surgeon must approach every procedure with a fresh mind.*

Step 1

First, you will be marked by your plastic surgeon to determine exactly where the incisions for your tummy tuck will be made. Of course, you want to make sure that you are okay with the placement of the incision because that is where your scar is going to be. If you are concerned about being able to cover the scar in your underwear or a low cut bathing suit, mention that to your plastic surgeon.

Step 2

Next you will be prepped for surgery by being washed with an antibacterial solution. This is done to reduce the risk of infection at the site of the incision from the surrounding areas. Your entire abdomen and likely your pubis will be washed just to be safe.

Step 3

Next, you will get your anesthesia. In most cases, you will have general anesthesia. In some cases, an IV sedation is possible. This is between you and your doctor so remember to discuss this with him or her as the date of your procedure gets closer.

Step 4

The incisions will be made depending on the type of tummy tuck you are receiving. A mini tummy tuck will have a shorter incision than a tummy tuck that is removing excess skin and fat from the sides of your abdomen. A full tummy tuck procedure will require an additional incision around the belly button. Don’t worry; however, the belly button is not detached from the abdomen wall.

Step 5

The skin and fat layer is lifted off of the abdominal muscles starting at the incision. This layer of skin and fat tissue is lifted all the way up to the xiphoid process.

Step 6

Next, the diastasis recti is fixed. It is essentially what keeps your tummy flat. So, it is fixed to that it creates something like an internal corset.

Step 7

Next the extra fat and skin are easily removed. Your surgical table is tilted upward so that you bend at the waist. This makes it so that there is more skin that can be removed. Your surgeon will pull the skin down toward your feet to and will carefully measure the amount of skin that will be removed. The goal is to make your tummy tighter without creating pulling or tension when the incision is closed.

Step 8

In most cases, drains are placed under the skin for any fluids that collect during healing. Sometime during the two weeks following your plastic surgery procedure, the drains will be removed without any extra surgeries.

Step 9

The incisions are closed with sutures starting at the deeper levels then working up.

Step 10

Finally, the incisions will be covered with some type of sterile strip to provide an extra barrier to infection,

If you want more information on the details of this plastic surgery Las Vegas procedure, schedule a consultation with one of the plastic surgeons Las Vegas residents can trust. The professionals at Reynolds Plastic Surgery can answer all your questions. For more information about the tummy tuck, call 702.410.9800.

Can I Lose Weight From A Tummy Tuck?

There are many different reasons to consider undergoing an abdominoplasty, also called a tummy tuck. The primary reason is to look and feel good in your own skin. When the skin around the abdominal region is sagging due to excess fat build up, it can be nearly impossible for anyone to feel comfortable inside or outside of their clothes.

While a tummy tuck is a great way to remove the extra fat and skin from the abdominal area, it is not a sufficient method for trying to lose weight. Typical candidates for an abdominoplasty, like post-pregnancy women, non-smokers and people within 25 pounds of their ideal weight, will want to consider all the facts before deciding to have this operation done.

Breaking Tummy Tuck Myths

The idea that a tummy tuck can help you lose a significant amount of weight is a myth. Even the most expertly performedabdominoplasty only firms and tightens the abdomen to a certain extent. This is because the procedure only helps to shed fat and skin from the stomach region. Since that doesn’t weigh much, it is up to you to maintain your new figure with proper diet and exercise.

Choosing to have a tummy tuck should be the last step in a weight loss regimen, not the first. A tummy tuck helps define existing contours by removing the extra few inches that no work out can eliminate. If you have an excess of skin in this area due to pregnancy, tummy tucks are a great option. But it is important to know that a tummy tuck is not a permanent solution when a lifestyle of diet and exercise are not present afterwards.

Tummy Tucks & Liposuction

There is a common misconception that having a tummy tuck means a liposuction treatment is necessary. This isn’t true. Since the purpose behind undergoing abdominoplasty is to create a sleek and slender, streamlined look, your surgeon may suggest the secondary procedure. The two treatments together have been known to shorten recovery time and can help you avoid the need for drainage.

Surgeons suggest waiting a varying period of time after having surgery, giving birth or significant weight loss before recommending having a tummy tuck. This is to allow your weight to stabilize. Once that time has passed, pursuing a tummy tuck procedure can be a viable option to become even more satisfied with the body you’ve earned through hard work and dedication.

If you are considering undergoing an abdominoplasty procedure or any other Las Vegas plastic surgery, Dr. Reynolds may be the right surgeon for you. He has wide array of expertise will make you feel comfortable in choosing the best procedure for you. To schedule a consultation with the best Dr. Reynolds, contact 702.410.9800.