Abdominoplasty: The Tummy Tuck

When it comes to the stomach and the abdomen, no one wants a jiggly, out-of-sorts tummy. And unlike other areas of the body, you can't make cosmetic changes when your skin starts drooping or sagging due to age. In order for you to get that toned look that so many people desire, you need surgery that transforms your muscles and tightens your skin by removing excess fat from the upper abdomen and lower abdominal area. Those who undergo this procedure sometimes refer to it as a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty in order to distinguish between it and other forms of body work such as liposuction.

There are two prominent parts to the abdominoplasty procedure. One is the removal of excess fat around the abdomen. The other is tightening of loose skin around your tummy by removing excess skin and tightening the underlying muscle tissue. The procedure is designed to produce a flat, tight, and attractive abdominal contour that complements your overall shape.

In order for an abdominoplasty to be successful, it must have tight skin with a narrow crease (line) separating the lower abdomen from the upper part of your body. It also should have firm but not overly muscular pectoral (chest) and hip muscles. The surgery is also designed to make your abdominal muscles look better than they are. This is done by removing excess fat and tightening the underlying tissue. The amount of fat that is removed during an abdominoplasty varies from one patient to another.

It's important that you have a thorough discussion with your surgeon about what you're hoping to achieve from the tummy tuck. You should know exactly what to expect, so don't be afraid to ask questions such as "What can I expect at the end of my recovery?" or "Will there be scars?" There are several procedures possible for an abdominoplasty, each with different risks and benefits. You should know what those are before deciding to proceed with your surgery. In addition, you should be able to find a surgeon who is willing to provide you with the personal attention needed for such an intensive procedure.

The abdominoplasty procedure is generally performed as an outpatient surgery in a hospital setting under general anesthesia, although some surgeons will perform it on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia and intravenous sedation.

The surgery itself takes between two and four hours depending upon the extent of work needed. It's possible that you'll have to return for additional procedures after your initial surgery if there are complications or if the aesthetic goals of the operation aren't met during that first visit. Generally, however, a second operation isn't necessary.

The abdominoplasty procedure requires an incision designed to remove skin, fat, and excess tissue from the abdominal area. The surgery is performed in a curvilinear fashion. This means that the incision isn't straight across your abdomen, but instead it makes small turns at various points to help ensure that all of the areas affected are addressed properly.

An advantage of using a curvilinear approach is that it makes for a smoother scar than one would have if, for example, only straight incisions were used. In addition the use of multiple small scars can make it easier to disguise them in the future with makeup or plastic surgery if desired.

The major area of the body that is affected by the abdominoplasty procedure is the lower abdomen. The upper abdomen and rib cage are also affected to some degree, although in most cases these areas aren't included in the surgery. When you think of a tummy tuck, you're thinking of this band of skin and fat that sits just below your navel.

In many cases an abdominoplasty will involve surgical removal of excess fat as well as tightening (lifting) of skin and muscle tissue overlying it. You'll be given local anesthesia for this procedure, which is injected into your incision site using a needle. This will minimize any discomfort during the surgery.

There is a significant amount of fat in the area of your tummy tuck—up to 25% of it weighs around nine pounds and has a consistency similar to marshmallow. Before the abdominal tightening surgery, this fat is carefully cut away from overlying muscle tissue. Once this surplus fat has been removed, your surgeon will make additional incisions using surgical scissors or an electric scalpel to tighten loose skin and underlying muscle tissue. You'll be asked to hold very still during this procedure as anesthesia is injected into your skin by means of a small needle that is inserted into the incision site.

The incisions for a tummy tuck are made in a very specific pattern. These incisions run from one side of your waistline and divide the front and back sides of the tummy tuck band from each other. Once the cut is made, your skin is tightly pulled up into folds similar to those on an accordion. This helps to even out any irregularities and produce an attractive shape for your abdomen. Your surgeon will then make additional incisions that are folded over the first cut's incision lines to provide a smooth surface for grafting or covering the original cuts with scar tissue.

Once you've had your tummy tuck, you should expect some swelling and discomfort as well as bruising. These results are common following any abdominal surgery and are a normal part of the body's healing process. After your abdomen has healed, you'll have scars in the area of your tummy tuck. The size and appearance of these scars will vary from patient to patient depending upon the amount of fat removed during your abdominoplasty, how much skin was tightened, and what level of muscle tightening was done. Some patients choose to disguise their scars with cosmetic products or use plastic surgery techniques such as implants to alter their scarring.

Tummy tucks are usually performed on women because they allow for greater control over the degree of tightness required for a given result. An abdominoplasty can be performed on both men and women. The difference is that a tummy tuck for a man is designed to give him a more masculine form, while the female version is tailored to make your figure more feminine.

Surgery on the abdomen is one of the most complex types of plastic surgery. There are many factors that can affect how well your abdominoplasty will perform or how long it will last. Some of these factors are:

Age - Surgery on older patients shows increased rates of complications and recurrence

Height - If you are short, chances are good your surgeon can make you up to five inches taller.

Conclusion

In conclusion the abdominoplasty is an operation that corrects the asymmetry of the body and with this procedure it brings a more proportional and aesthetically pleasing appearance. It allows patients to avoid postoperative issues like severe pain, inadequate aesthetic improvement after operations performed on the stomach area, problems related to post-operative scarring that cause unsightly bulging of the abdomen wall, or difficulties in daily activities such as sitting.

Although this operation is not used extensively in plastic surgery practice it is mostly due to its high technical difficulty. However, there are cases when we can perform this surgery on both men and women.