What is a tummy tuck?
By far the most powerful surgery available to improve the abdomen is a tummy tuck. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, removes extra skin from the abdomen and tightens the muscles in the abdominal area. Liposuction can be performed with every tummy tuck as well, to remove excess fat so the skin doesn’t have to stretch over that.
A tummy tuck is not the same as liposuction, although you may choose to get liposuction
along with a tummy tuck. This is a major surgery, so be sure to consult your regular doctor before having this procedure done. You may or may not be a candidate but it is important to find out beforehand.
Who Are the Best Candidates For a Tummy Tuck?
Any man or woman who is good health could be eligible for a tummy tuck. Women who have had several pregnancies may find that they can no longer tighten their abdominal muscles and reduce excess skin with exercise. A tummy tuck may be useful in this situation. It is also an option for women or men who were once obese and may still have loose skin or excess fat deposits around the belly.
Who Should Not Consider a Tummy Tuck?
If you are planning to become pregnant at any point, you should postpone a tummy tuck until you’re through having children. During the tummy tuck surgery, your muscles are tightened. Pregnancy stretches the skin and can separate those muscles which can not only be painful but very dangerous.
If you are planning to lose a lot of weight, then a tummy tuck is not for you. This procedure should be a last resort after you have gone through every other option and it should definitely not be used as an alternative to weight loss.
Also consider this: there is a chance of scarring after a tummy tuck. You will want to talk about this possibility with your doctor before surgery. Removing excess skin can leave a scar.
How to Prepare for Tummy Tuck Surgery
Before undergoing surgery, your first step is to choose and meet with a surgeon for a consultation. At that consultation, you should talk about your goals and options.
If you are a smoker, your doctor may ask that you quit smoking at least two weeks before the surgery and two weeks after. Just cutting down on smoking is not enough. You must stop completely. Why? Smoking makes complications during surgery more likely and it will slow healing process after surgery.
Decide what kind of procedure you want:
- Complete abdominoplasty. In this procedure, the surgeon will cut your abdomen from hipbone to hipbone. He will the contour muscle, tissue, and skin as needed. The surgery will involve moving your belly button. You may also need drainage tubes for a few days following the surgery.
- Partial or mini abdominoplasty. If your fat deposit is located below the navel, you can have a mini-abdominoplasty done. During this procedure, the surgeon will mostly likely not need to move your belly button. This is also a much shorter procedure.
Is a tummy tuck right for you? Call us today at 702.410.9800 to set up a consultation!