Improve Body Contours with a Tummy Tuck

You’ve dieted. You’ve exercised. The scale says your weight is normal. However, your tummy still sags with loose skin. Especially women who have had two or more pregnancies may find this abdominal pouch unresponsive to conventional fitness methods. You may find yourself weighing the benefits of a tummy tuck, or as a surgeon would call it, abdominoplasty.

What is a Tummy Tuck?

So what is a tummy tuck? Is it the same thing as liposuction? Not really. A tummy tuck is considerably more elaborate and more of an actual surgery than the familiar liposuction. However, benefits of a tummy tuck may exceed those of the simpler procedure in many cases.

Who is a good candidate for a tummy tuck? As mentioned, women affected by the abdominal stretching of pregnancy are good candidate. Also good candidates are men who want to lose that little overhang on the belt. It is generally better for those who still have some elasticity left in their skin, although it can be done older people.

The surgery begins with an incision across the hip bone. The doctor then peels back the skin all the way up to the rib cage and pulls the abdominal muscles together. He or she fastens them in this high, more supportive position with sutures. He or she then stretches the skin back over the abdomen, cutting a new hole for the navel and stitching around it. After trimming off the excess skin, he or she closes the incision with sutures and dresses the wound.

A Shock to the System

A tummy tuck is not a nose job. It is abdominal surgery, a serious shock to your system. Stitches come out in two to three weeks. Recovery may take a few weeks more. Scars take between six months and a year to fade. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions about changing your dressing, taking pain medicine and antibiotics. If you should have a large amount of discharge or drainage, call the doctor right away. You may be able to get the benefits of a tummy tuck and less trauma to your body with a partial abdominoplasty.

The benefits of a tummy tuck are long lasting, provided you watch your diet and exercise regularly. A large weight gain could be dangerous to the surgical site and undo the advantages of the operation. In general, however, most patients are satisfied with the procedure and heal without complications.