A flat and well-toned abdomen is something that many of us strive to achieve with exercise, diet and a healthy lifestyle. However, despite our best efforts and intentions, these methods cannot always achieve our goals due to the effects of aging, genetics, pregnancy, injury and/or weight fluctuations. Even individuals of otherwise normal body weight and proportion can develop an abdomen that protrudes or is loose and sagging. This is a situation that cannot be corrected without surgical intervention. At Blaine Plastic Surgery, we offer abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck, to address laxity in the abdomen area to achieve a flat, well-toned stomach.
How Does a Tummy Tuck Work?
A traditional tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that is routinely performed at Blaine Plastic Surgery under general anesthesia, administered by a board certified anesthesiologist. The incisions required by a tummy tuck are horizontal, extending hip-to-hip that rests below the patient’s bikini line. There is a secondary incision that ultimately falls inside of the patient’s belly button, or umbilicus. For a traditional tummy tuck, both of these incisions are required in order to pull down and remove any excess skin and to allow for the tightening of a patient’s abdominal wall muscles. The abdominal skin is lifted so that the underlying weakened abdominal muscles can be repaired (using permanent sutures), and then all excess skin and tissue are removed, resulting in a tight, firm abdomen.
Variations of the Tummy Tuck
Every abdominoplasty can be slightly different, depending on the patient. Some patients only need a small tuck of skin or tissue, while others need fat removed or larger amounts of skin excised. We offer variations of the tummy tuck that are customized to each patient, including:
An abdominoplasty is most commonly performed as an outpatient procedure, but depending upon a patient’s medical and prior surgical history, it is possible that your surgery might be performed in the hospital setting. Regardless of location, it may be suggested that you enlist one of our homecare nurses to stay with you the first night after your surgery to ensure that you are in great clinical hands during this immediate postoperative period.
Discomfort, bruising and swelling are to be expected immediately following your tummy tuck, and medications will be prescribed to you in order to help manage any discomfort that you might feel. The results will be immediately apparent but will be more noticeable as the swelling dissipates over the following weeks and months.
If you are interested in exploring abdominoplasty to reshape your stomach area, contact us at Blaine Plastic Surgery. We will schedule a consultation with Dr. Christine Blaine to discuss the options available and which tummy tuck procedure would best achieve the results you desire.
