Abdominoplasty

The best candidates for operation are nonsmokers. If you smoke, you will have to stop for a certain period as determined by your doctor. It is not enough to just cut down on smoking. You must stop completely for at least two weeks prior to surgery and for two weeks after. Smoking can increase the risk of complications and delay healing. Make sure you eat well-balanced, complete meals and do not try to diet excessively before the surgery. If you take certain medications, your surgeon may instruct you to finish taking these for a certain period before and after the surgery.

There are several different abdominoplasty techniques. The most common procedure is performed under general anaesthesia. In the full abdominoplasty procedure, an incision is made across the lower abdomen, just above the pubic area that extends laterally along the bikini-line. Another incision is made around the belly button to free the surrounding skin, and then all of the skin is separated from the abdominal wall. Then the loose muscles are pulled from the left and the right sides and sutured together. Excess skin is removed, and a new opening is made for the belly button at the right position.

When selecting a surgeon to perform a tummy tuck procedure, it is important that the patient thoroughly investigate his or her credentials, including education, proven results, and the frequency with which he or she performs abdominoplasty. Your doctor may select general anesthesia, so you'll sleep through the operation. Other surgeons use local anesthesia, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy. You'll be awake but relaxed, and your abdominal region will be insensitive to pain. The procedure takes 1-3 hours, depending on the extent of work required. Partial abdominoplasty may take an 1 hour or 2.

The surgeon will make a long incision from hipbone to hipbone, just above the pubic area. A second incision is made to free the navel from surrounding tissue. Next, the surgeon separates the skin from the abdominal wall all the way up to your ribs and lifts a large skin flap to reveal the vertical muscles in your abdomen. These muscles are tightened by pulling them close together and stitching them into their new position. 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. Finally, the incisions will be stitched, dressings will be applied, and a temporary tube may be inserted to drain excess fluid from the surgical site. In partial abdominoplasty, the skin is separated only between the incision line and the navel. This skin flap is stretched down, the excess is removed, and the flap is stitched back into place.  

For the first few days, your abdomen will probably be swollen and you will feel some pain and discomfort which can be controlled by medication. You will feel that your abdominal wall is being stretched when you stand up and walk. Some people return to work after two weeks, while others take three or four weeks to rest and recuperate. It may take several weeks to feel completely back to normal. Some people return to work after two weeks, while others take four weeks to recuperate. Your scars may appear to worsen during the first few months, but this is normal. It may take up to a year before your scars flatten out and lighten in color.

As with any surgery, there are risks. This surgery affects a very crucial part of your body. Complications can include infection, bleeding under the skin flap, or blood clots. You may carry an increased risk of complications if you have poor circulation, diabetes, heart, lung, or liver disease, or if you are a smoker. You may experience insufficient healing, which can cause more significant scarring or loss of skin. If you do heal poorly, you may require a second surgery. As we mentioned before, the scars from a tummy tuck are fairly prominent, and though they may fade slightly, they will never completely disappear. Your surgeon may recommend certain creams or ointments to use after you've completely healed to help with the scars.