Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
Q. Is Abdominaplasty right for me?
Ans : Abdominoplasty is best suited for women and men who have loose abdominal skin or significant amount of abdominal fat that will not respond to diet and exercise. You may be a good candidate for abdominoplasty -
If you have
- Excess or loose, Sagging Abdominal Skin
- An Abdomen that protrudes and is out of proportion to the rest of your body.
- Abdominal Muscles that have weakened by pregnancy or aging
- Excess fat that is concentrated beneath the abdominal skin
- Abdominal wall defect or ventral hernia
Q. How is abdominoplasty performed?
Ans : A long horizontal cut made in the lower abdomen within panty line. The skin is lifted up from the abdomen, excess fat removed along with excess skin. The belly button is not detached from the muscles. The resulting scar will be within the panty line. Liposuction can also be clubbed with abdominoplasty.
Q. What are the complications of abdominoplasty?
- Excess or loose, Sagging Abdominal Skin
- An Abdomen that protrudes and is out of proportion to the rest of your body.
- Abdominal Muscles that have weakened by pregnancy or aging
- Excess fat that is concentrated beneath the abdominal skin
- Abdominal wall defect or ventral hernia
Like in any surgery risk depends on your general health. If you are healthy and nearly normal in weight the risks are minimal. On the other hand, risks are higher in case of patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
Q. How do I feel after surgery?
Ans : The day after surgery, you will be encouraged to get out of bed for short periods of time. After several days, you will be able to move about more comfortably. Straining, bending and lifting must be avoided, however, since these activities might cause increased swelling or even bleeding.
Any surgical drains will be removed a day or two after surgery, at which time your dressings may also be changed or removed. You will be instructed to wear a support abdominal binder for a few weeks. Generally, stitches are self absorbable. If staples are used they are removed in a week.
You may notice that you feel less sensation all over the abdomen. This usually is temporary. It may, however be months or even more than a year before sensation returns to normal. Incisions will initially be red or pink in colour. They will remain this way for many months following surgery.
The abdomen will not look very flat initially because of the swelling but in 6-8 weeks the results will appear.
Recovery time is shorter if muscle tightening is not done and it is often possible to return to light work after a week or two, depending on your job. In many instances, you can resume most of your normal activities, including some form of mild exercise, after several weeks. You may continue to experience some mild, periodic discomfort during this time, but such feelings are normal. Severe pain should be reported to your doctor.
When muscle tightening is done the pain and stiffness may be there for 2 weeks which will need pain killer tablets. You will be able to join light work in 2 weeks.
Any sexual activity should be avoided for a minimum of one week, and your plastic surgeon may advise you to wait longer. After that, care must be taken to be extremely gentle with your tummy for at least the next six weeks.
Q. What are compression garments after abdominoplasty?
Ans : The compression garments are very important immediately after surgery. They give firm and elastic support to the abdominal flap and underlying muscles and minimize fluid accumulation. Most of the patients feel more comfortable with compression garments during post surgical period.
Q. What are the results of abdominoplasty?
Ans : The results are permanent. Unless you gain or lose a significant amount of weight or become pregnant, results stay. You can even improve upon the results by toning the muscles with abdominal exercises.
Q. How do I look after surgery?
Ans : You can expect a significantly flatter abdomen ,reduced pant size and tighter skin. The scar will be hidden even in a bikini, except the scar around the belly button.
Q. Can I become pregnant after abdominoplasty?
Ans : If you are planning pregnancy in future, muscle tightening part will be avoided and only skin and fat removal will be done. Then there will not be any problem.