Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty, more commonly known as “tummy tuck,” actually can be several different procedures all designed to tighten the abdominal wall and remove excess skin or fat or both from the front of the abdomen.  Depending on your anatomy, fat only can be removed with minimal scarring by using liposuction.  If fat and excess skin need to be removed then both liposuction and surgical excision of tissue will be done.  If the muscles of the abdomen are loose or weak from previous surgery or pregnancy then the muscles will also be tightened at the time of the procedure.  Thus different procedures with different scars will occur depending on what needs to be done.

Surgery is very helpful for both men and women to improve contour and tighten the muscles of the abdomen.  Patients are best treated when they have reached their optimal weight—not their ideal weight but the weight that you feel is your best size after as much diet and exercise that you are able or willing to do.  Abdominoplasty is not weight loss.  Usually there are scars after surgery—depending on whether skin must be removed or just liposuction alone.  The scar can extend from hipbone to hipbone just above the pubic area.   This scar will widen over time due to tension pulling on it.  There also can be a circular scar around the belly button.

The major risks are not common but include bleeding, infection, loss of skin above the pubic area, blood clots in the veins of the legs, and prolonged drainage of tissue fluid after surgery.  These are all rare.  If you smoke, surgery will not be safe to do until you are totally free of cigarettes and nicotine products for at least 3 to 4 months.

Again, the type of surgery varies greatly depending on your concerns and anatomy.   Dr. Topol will use a variety of procedures to tailor the surgery to your areas of concern.  Interestingly, the size of the scar in the lower abdomen/pubic area is not the source of pain.  Pain mostly relates to tightening the muscles of the front of the abdomen.  Surgery is thus done in the Operating Room under anesthesia.  Patients can be done as outpatients or stay overnight depending on the scope of surgery and the patient’s needs.  After surgery, you will be placed in a special garment to help support the skin and muscles of the abdomen.  Usually one or two drain tubes will be placed to remove any tissue fluid that may accumulate after surgery.  They will be removed in 3 to 7 days normally.  Recovery can take a few weeks especially if the muscles need to be tightened.

Abdominoplasty is an excellent procedure to address your concerns about your abdomen.  It is equally successful in men and women.  The final result depends a great deal on the status of your tissue prior to surgery as well as your weight.  If you have questions or wish to schedule a consultation with Dr. Topol, give our office a call or send us an e-mail.