Despite the popularity of noninvasive plastic surgeries, interest in invasive plastic surgery is still on the rise. This is partly because most of these noninvasive procedures don’t achieve the same level of results as a traditional plastic surgery does. One example of an effective plastic surgery procedure is a tummy tuck. It is also known as abdominoplasty and is still popular in this age of body contouring treatments. If you’re undergoing the procedure, only consult experienced tummy tuck doctors to get the results you desire.
Tummy Tuck Objectives
A tummy tuck tackles two main issues; the separation between the abdominal muscles and the removal of excess skin. It also takes care of excess fat as an indirect consequence of the procedure. A tummy tuck targets excess skin and stretch marks, which come about as a result of pregnancy and significant weight loss. In fact, many people consider this procedure to be the only sure way to remove loose, sagging skin. In addition to that, there is a muscle issue. There’s normally a little separation, about half an inch, between the two sides of the rectus muscle (six-pack). This separation increases as one ages, and due to other factors such as lifestyle, and pregnancy. Once these muscles separate, the only way to bring them closer is through surgery. A tummy tuck procedure pulls the muscle edges closer, in the process pulling the belly in.
The Procedure
During the procedure, the surgeon will make an incision that stretches across your bikini line, through which he or she will be able to remove the excess skin and tighten the abdominal muscles. The surgeon will restore tightness by lifting the skin from the underlying muscles and stitching those muscles together.
After tightening the muscles, the surgeon will proceed to remove the excess skin and tightens the remaining part. If you undergo a full tummy tuck, the skin above the belly button is pulled down to cover both the lower and upper parts of the abdomen. The surgeon will then make a new hole from which the belly button will emerge.
Types of Tummy Tuck Procedures
The results of the process depend on the type of tummy tuck you go in for. There are two types of tummy tuck procedures; a mini and full tummy tuck. The difference between the two procedures shows in the length of the incision, and therefore the amount of skin that will be removed. A full tummy tuck runs from the stomach to the hips, while a mini tummy tuck spans the inner thighs, and the surgeon only stitches up the rectus muscles.
Before finishing, the surgeon removes any excess fat as they would in a liposuction procedure, and places drain in your abdomen to drain any extra fluids that have accumulated. This will allow the skin to stretch and stick to the muscles. After a week, the surgeon will remove the drains.
Recovery
Abdominoplasty is considered major surgery, and the patient will be under anesthesia throughout the whole process, which takes about two and a half to four hours. Technically, tummy tucks are outpatient procedures, thus you can go home after the procedure. However, you will have to take more than a week to recoup, but you can engage in activities such as light walking. If all goes well, you’ll be able to return back to normal activities after about five weeks.