Before and After Tummy Tuck

The medical term for tummy tuck is abdominoplasty.  After weight loss or pregnancy, many people are left with excess fat and skin of the abdomen as well as weakened muscles of the abdominal wall.  If only a small pouch of extra fat exists in the lower abdomen or flanks and the area has good skin tone, liposuction is a good choice for correction.  

If  fat, skin, and muscle all need to be corrected, Tummy Tuck would give the best result.  This procedure involves lifting the loose abdominal skin, tightening the muscles, and removing the excess skin and fat.  This creates a flat belly and a tighter waistline.   

While Tummy Tuck can yield very dramatic changes, it requires leaving a scar around the belly button and another one horizontally above the pubic hair.  A patient considering this procedure should consult with an experienced cosmetic surgeon to determine whether their problem is best corrected by:

• Liposuction
  - Leaving only small puncture wounds

• Mini Tummy Tuck
  - Leaving only a line above the pubis

• Full Tummy Tuck
  - Leaving both a line around the pubis and belly button

 

 

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Tummy Tuck is done on an outpatient basis and take from one to two hours. Recovery to most activity is about a week. Strenuous abdominal exercise is usually resumed in 3-4 weeks.  

Several products are available that may aid in reduction of visible scarring.  These include Cica Care silicone gel sheeting, Kelocote silicone cream, and my preference which is ScarGuard (WWW.ScarGuard.com) .  ScarGuard combines several of these modalities and is easier to use.

Whichever one you choose, I believe that scarring is, in fact, improved by using these types of products.

If you are having surgery I recommend that you review the information at WWW.ScarGuard.com and talk to your surgeon about how to achieve the best result possible. Old scars can often be treated and improved as well!