Tummy Tuck
Tummy Tuck Procedures
"Tummy tuck" is a more casual name for "abdominoplasty" the medical term for a procedure that is performed to make the tummy flatter, tighter and more youthful in appearance. This is accomplished by surgically addressing the three common problem areas of the abdomen: excess skin, excess fat and muscle laxity or separation.
There are a number of different tummy tuck procedures. You may have heard of or been confused by terms such as mini, modified or full tummy tuck. Although each of these procedures involves the surgical removal of skin and fat from the abdomen and in some cases the tightening of abdominal muscles, they differ in the manner and extent to which they address each of these areas. For instance with a full abdominoplasty all of the skin and underlying fat from just above the navel down to the pubic area is removed. A mini or modified abdominoplasty removes a smaller amount of skin and fat from the lower abdomen well below the navel. If one of your goals is to remove stretch marks on your lower abdomen and they extend all the way to your navel, a mini or modified abdominoplasty wonʼt accomplish this goal. Loose skin in the mid and upper abdomen requires a full abdominoplasty to get meaningful tightening but a small amount of skin overhanging a cesarian section scar can be improved with a mini or modified abdominoplasty. Similarly there are differences in the extent of muscle tightening, length and location of incisions as well as the areas and amount of liposuction that can be safely performed with each procedure. In general the more tissue that is removed the tighter the abdomen becomes and the better the overall result. Unfortunately with more extensive surgery the incisions are longer and the recovery is typically more difficult.
Choosing the appropriate procedure depends on your goals, your unique anatomic issues and the specific trade-offs, risks and recovery associated with each procedure that you are willing to accept. My role involves more then just performing the surgical procedure. It involves taking the time to listen to you and to understand your goals as well as to spend the time neccessary to educate you before any incisions are made.
Recovery after a Tummy Tuck
A full tummy tuck has a significant recovery period. For the first 3-5 days most of your time will be spent in bed or a recliner. Physical activity will be limited but I encourage patients to get up and move around a little during the early post operative period. This includes getting up and down to go to the bathroom, moving from the bed to a recliner and, as you are able, moving around the house. Early mobilization is important in preventing the formation of blood clots and in speeding up the recovery process. Due to a combination of lower abdominal tightness from the surgery and post operative swelling most patients will walk a little bent over for the first 7-10 days. By two weeks almost all patients are walking upright and are driving themselves. I suggest planning on taking 2 weeks off from work if you have a desk job, longer (4-6 weeks) if your job requires more strenuous activity. Exercise is limited to walking the first 2-3 weeks, this is gradually increased depending on how you are doing. I ask my patients to avoid any heavy weight lifting and abdominal exercises for 6 weeks.
Abdominal swelling is significant after surgery. This is particularly true in the lower abdomen. Some patients canʼt fit into the pants or shorts they were wearing before surgery even though a large amount of skin and fat was removed. The culprit is swelling. At about 2 weeks the swelling will start to improve but unfortunately it takes about 6-8 weeks for the majority of the swelling to resolve. Patients usually come back at this point saying their clothes are fitting much more loosely or they have gone down in waist or dress size. Some of the improvements from a tummy tuck will be obvious right away but because of the swelling the final result will take some time to become apparent.
Exercise and proper diet are still the best way to improve the appearance of your abdomen but there are some problems like loose overhanging skin, stretch marks or rectus muscle separation that will not improve with any amount of exercise. If these are issues that are of concern to you and you are considering a tummy tuck, I would love the opportunity to discuss this option with you.
Contact Dr. Slack about a Tummy Tuck
If you have questions about tummy tuck procedures or you're sure that you'd benefit from this procedure, schedule a private consultation with Dr. Slack to discuss your goals and concerns. He looks forward to speaking with you.