Tummy Tuck
About the Tummy Tuck Procedure
The Tummy Tuck procedure, also known as abdominoplasty, is intended for women and men who have loose abdominal skin, and/or a significant amount of abdominal fat that is not improved by dieting or exercise. You may be a good candidate for abdominoplasty if you have one or more of the following conditions:
- Excess or lose sagging abdominal skin. An abdomen that protrudes or is out of proportion to the rest of the body.
- Abdominal muscles that have loosened through pregnancy or aging. Excess fat that is localized beneath the abdominal skin
If an individual plan to become pregnant or lose a significant amount of weight, this should be discussed prior to deciding on this procedure. Scars from previous abdominal surgeries that are below the belly button are typically removed during the procedure. This includes most cesarean section scars. Scars above the belly button may at times, be limit the results of the abdominoplasty.
Diathesis is a vertical separation of the muscles of the abdomen (rectus abdominus). This is usually corrected during the abdominoplasty.
Umbilical hernias can also be present and can be repaired during the abdominoplasty. However, that may result in the loss of the belly button. Dr. Yousif has recently published his technique for umbilical reconstruction which looks both natural and limits visible scars
Before
After
What to Expect
The Natural Tummy: Muscle Tightening (Horizontal tightening of the muscles)
The standard tightening of the tummy muscles is done in a vertical direction. These are the rectus muscles or those muscles that give the “six pack abs”. This form of tightening tends to hide the rectus muscles and give the tummy and unnatural board like look. The youthful, attractive tummy still shows the shape of the underlying muscles and it is important to keep the shape of those muscles visible and place them back into their normal position. Dr. Yousif, in 2001 published a new way to tighten the rectus muscles that allows the beautiful shape of the tummy to remain visible. This is called horizontal plication(tightening) and tightens the rectus muscle regaining its youthful shape.
The Scars
The standard teaching for the placement of scars is 6 centimeters or 3 inches above the pubic bone. Dr. Yousif believes that this is much too high and is significantly above most of the bathing suits of the current day and fashion. Dr. Yousif maintains the scars at or slightly above the pubis. This allows the most scars to be easily hidden beneath most undergarments or bathing suits.
Surgery Facility
The abdominoplasty and its variations are most comfortably performed under general anesthesia in a surgery center or hospital setting. Occasionally, a mini-abdominoplasty can be performed under intravenous sedation with a local anesthetic, however, the tightening of the muscle layer may be uncomfortable.
Recovery
Recover is a variable for each individual. Drains are usually in place for 4-5 days and recovery takes 4-6 weeks. The most important thing is to walk 4-6 times every day after surgery to prevent clots within the veins of the legs.