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Tummy Tuck[Abdominoplasty]
A tummy tuck is a procedure that removes excess fat and skin from the middle and lower abdomen. The procedure also tightens the muscles of the abdominal wall that have become lose resulting from pregnancies, weight loss, or weight gain. A tummy tuck can dramatically reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen, giving the patient a flatter stomach and a smaller waist.
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About the Procedure
The best candidates for a tummy tuck are men and women who are in good shape, but that have large fat deposits or loose skin in the stomach area which doesn’t respond to diet or exercise. This procedure is particularly helpful to women who have had multiple pregnancies and whose abdominal muscles have been stretches beyond the point where they can return to normal.
The most common approach to a tummy tuck involves an incision along the abdomen, a little above the pubic area. In a full tummy tuck, the surgeon also makes an incision around the belly button to free it from the surrounding skin in the area. The skin is then separated from the abdominal wall. Loose tissue from the left and right of the abdomen are pulled together and then sutured. The procedure tightens the muscles and provides a stronger abdominal wall.
Excessive skin from the area is then removed and a new opening for the belly button is made. After closing the incisions, a dressing is placed over the area.
A PainPump® is then inserted into the area of the abdomen. This device delivers a continuous flow of anesthetic to the operative site. With the use of the PainPump® for a few days, soreness and discomfort is greatly reduced.
A support garment should be worn for 6 weeks after the surgery.
Patients will notice immediately after a tummy tuck their flatter, firmer stomach. The scars will fade over time.
Some patients find they don’t need a total tummy tuck and choose to have a partial or mini tummy tuck. During a mini tummy tuck the skin is separated only between the incision and the navel. The skin flap is stretched down, excess skin removed, and the flap stitched back into place.
Liposuction is sometimes used in conjunction with a tummy tuck to remove fat deposits on the hips, thereby producing a better result.
Recuperation from a tummy tuck varies among patients, however, the normal down time is two weeks.
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