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Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) Women and men with loose abdominal skin and fat located mainly in the stomach area can get great results from abdominoplasty. Sometimes these conditions are inherited. In other instances, losing weight may leave you with loose abdominal skin. Abdominoplasty also can tighten muscles that have been separated and weakened by pregnancy. Q. Is a Tummy Tuck Right for Me? A.If you have one or more of the following conditions: Q. How is This Surgery Performed? A.Normally, a horizontal incision is placed just within or above the pubic area. The length of the incision, depends on the amount of skin to be excised. The shape of this incision will vary depending on the structure of your abdomen and the style of bathing suit or undergarments that you like. Your plastic surgeon will try to keep the incision within your bathing suit lines, but this may not always be possible.Sometimes there is excessive skin above the navel. In that case, the surgeon may make a second incision around the navel so that the extra skin above it can be pulled down. The excess abdominal skin is then removed. The position of the navel remains unchanged. Stretch marks can be somewhat improved though do not expect to eliminate them entirely. Q. What to Expect After the Surgery A.The day after, you should get up and take short walks to promote blood circulation. You probably will not be able to stand up straight for awhile. Also avoid sitting for long periods of time for several days. No bending and lifting are allowed until you heal completely. Any surgical drains will probably be removed after about a week. You might have to wear a support garment for a couple of weeks and the stitches will be taken out in stages over this time period. It will probably take several months before all of the swelling goes down and you can see the final results. It will take several weeks before you can resume your normal activities. |
