Abdominoplasty or most commonly known as “tummy tuck” is an invasive plastic surgery that removes excess skin and fat from the midsection and surgically tightens the abdominal muscles. This is an in-patient hospital procedure which takes from 2 to 6 hours under general anesthesia. Patient stays in the hospital from 5 to 7 days.
The surgical approach of the tummy tuck operation involves a wide curvilinear incision from the left side to the right side, mobilization of the skin from the pubic region up to the ribs, and placing of drains. There are two options for a tummy tuck. It can be done partially or fully depending on what you have discussed with your surgeon.
For the complete abdominoplasty, your abdomen will be cut from hipbone to hipbone in this procedure, the option for those patients who require the most correction. The incision will be made low, at about the same level as your pubic hair.
Your surgeon will then manipulate and contour the skin, tissue and muscle as needed. Your belly button will have a new opening if you undergo this procedure, because it’s necessary to free your navel from surrounding tissue. Drainage tubes may be placed under your skin and these will be removed in a few days as your surgeon sees fit. On the other hand, mini-abdominoplasties are often performed on patients whose fat deposits are located below the navel and require shorter incisions. During this procedure, your belly button most likely will not be moved. Your skin will be separated between the line of incision and your belly button. This type of surgery may also be performed with an endoscope (small camera on the end of a tube). The procedure may only take up to two hours, again, depending on your own personal situation and the complexity of your needs.
Abdominal skin contracts remarkably after liposuction. If there is loose skin still remaining after 6 months, this can be easily removed as an outpatient surgery procedure under local anesthesia only. Abdominal liposuction entails less risk than a tummy-tuck and may be done as an outpatient procedure. The patient is able to walk around immediately after the procedure.
Like any other surgeries, abdominoplasty, in itself, has its own complications and possible side effects. Remember, this surgery affects a very crucial part of your body. Though they’re rare, complications can include infection, bleeding under the skin flap or blood clots. You may carry an increased risk of complications if you have poor circulation, diabetes or heart, lung or liver disease. You may also experience insufficient healing, which can cause more significant scarring or loss of skin. If you do heal poorly, you may require a second surgery. The scars from a tummy tuck are fairly prominent and though they may fade slightly, they will never completely disappear. Your surgeon may recommend certain creams or ointments to use after you’ve completely healed to help with the scars.
