Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck is a cosmetic procedure used to flatten a patient’s abdomen by removing excess fat and skin. This procedure is recommended for people who have excess fat in the abdominal area accompanied by soft saggy skin tissue.
During an Abdominoplasty procedure, the surgeon will make an incision along the patient’s bikini line, which usually leaves a scar along the pubic hair line. The length of the scar will depend on the volume of excess fat and skin to be removed.
A Tummy Tuck procedure typically takes about three to four hours to complete and the hospitalization time lasts generally three nights for a better observation post surgery.
Our partner hospitals offer two types of Tummy Tuck surgeries
This type of procedure is recommended for patients who have excess fat and skin or stretch marks because of a major weight loss.
During this procedure, the surgeon will:
Mini Abdominoplasty is recommended for patients who have moderate excess skin and stretch marks.
During the Mini Abdominal Lipectomy, the surgeon will:
The Tummy Tuck procedure is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic plastic surgery. In general, the ideal candidate for this plastic surgery should meet certain criteria.
To be a good candidate, it is fairly important for a patient to have excess fat deposits and skin around their abdominal area. If the goal is simply to remove excess fat, the candidate may be advised to take liposuction instead.Having excess skin around the surgical site will allow the plastic surgeon to create an incision. If the skin is too tight, the stomach may be left with a “stretched” appearance following the procedure.
As with many plastic surgeries, only candidates whose general health is good can undergo tummy tuck procedures. For example, a person’s heart and lungs should be healthy enough to withstand getting sedated with local anesthesia or general anesthesia.
Abdominoplasty is an excellent surgery to treat certain medical conditions and give patients a firmer abdomen. But while a surgeon removes excess fat from the patient during the procedure, a tummy tuck does not help a patient lose weight.
As mentioned above, tummy tucks are not weight-loss procedures. This means a patient would likely have to exercise regularly to maintain the results of the procedure. Any subsequent weight gain may cause the skin to stretch out again. Significant fluctuations in weight can also result in more sagging or drooping skin.
In general, the patient must stay within 10 to 30 pounds of their new normal body weight.
To prepare for the Tummy Tuck surgery, the patient will have to:
Dedicated plastic surgeons will take care to answer every question that a patient may pose before and after performing any procedures. It is often advised for a patient to list the questions on a paper in advance of a tummy tuck consultation. Some key questions to ask their primary surgeon before any plastic surgery include:
Following the surgical procedure, the plastic surgeon would likely use a surgical dressing or elastic bandage to cover the patient’s abdominal incision and belly button. Small tubes may also be placed along the incision site to drain any excess fluid during the tummy tuck recovery.
As tummy tuck is considered major surgery, it is expected that some patients may feel moderate pain and swelling in their middle and lower abdomen for a few weeks. The plastic surgeon may prescribe pain medication to help the patient control the pain throughout the recovery process.
The patient should wear a full-length compression garment for the first month to help minimize swelling and speed up recovery time. In general, the compression garment should be worn for six weeks following abdominal surgery.
Other key points to remember following a complete tummy tuck surgery.
Tummy Tuck Recovery Tips
As with other surgeries, a patient’s recovery will depend on several factors. These include age, health, body weight, and the type of tummy tuck performed.In general, surgeons will leave tiny tubes or drains inside the incision site for a few days after the surgery. These drains will help prevent fluid accumulation inside the incision, which promotes proper healing.The patient would likely be asked to wear an abdominal binder for at least six weeks following the surgery. This prevents fluid buildup and supports the stomach muscles.
Risk and Potential Complications
Unlike other cosmetic plastic surgeries, tummy tuck surgery has a higher risk of major complications, especially for patients undergoing abdominoplasty in conjunction with another cosmetic surgical procedure, according to a conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Among the nearly 25,000 tummy tuck surgery patients included in the study, at least 4% developed major complications. The risks also rose to 10.4% when this medical treatment was combined with other procedures, such as liposuction and body contouring. Having said that, the plastic surgeons at TransgenderThailand’s partner hospitals take care to advise the patient of all possible risks associated with the surgery and how to reduce the risk of developing them post-surgery. Here are all the possible complications of a full tummy tuck.
*https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/pages/default.aspx
