A Glimpse Into Abdominoplasty
The procedure itself aims to tighten the stomach muscles and create a sleeker and more defined abdomen.
The Tummy Tuck Rundown Before starting the procedure, the surgeon marks the territory that the incision sites will be administered.
Common areas to mark are from hipbone to hipbone across the lower abdomen, and around the belly button.
Afterwards, the patient will be hooked to an IV and monitors to observe things like heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
The patient is then generally given a sedative so that he or she is sleeping during the procedure and does not experience pain.
The surgeon sterilizes the treatment zone by scrubbing the abdomen and torso area with a special antiseptic soap.
Two solutions are then injected called lidocaine and epinephrine, which are used for anesthetic and vasoconstrictor purposes.
For the incision, the surgeon follows the lines of the incision marks to remove fat pockets that are creating extra bulk and fatty tissue build up.
After the fat pockets are removed, the skin is stretched down past the incision line to create a taut and sleeker abdomen.
Finally, the incisions are carefully closed with tissue glue, sutures, staples, or steri-strips, and then bandages and dressings will be applied in the last stages of surgery.
Risks and Side Effects of Getting a Tummy Tuck Tummy tuck risks may include temporary discomfort, swelling, or bruising, but the specific recovery period can vary depending on the patient.
Most patients return to work within 2-4 weeks after the operation, and are able to resume exercise and more strenuous activities at about 8 weeks following the procedure.
Am I a Candidate for Tummy Tuck Surgery? To determine whether you are a candidate for tummy tuck surgery, it is important to access your health, and establish that you are in good overall health conditions.
Also, you'll want to be mindful of the skin and fat around the abdominal area.
Is there an abundance of extra skin that has accumulated around the abdomen, or does the abdomen just appear to be less fit then you'd like it to be? People with excess sagging skin or a protruding stomach are generally good candidates for the surgery, however patients that are slightly overweight or do not have much excess sagging skin or fatty tissue around the abdomen to work with, may consider a weight loss program to be more effective.
Other people choose to look into a tummy tuck after a baby where a woman's skin and muscles often becomes stretched out due to pregnancy.