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Am I a Good
Candidate for a Tummy Tuck Procedure?
If you complain about one or more of the following, you might
be an ideal candidate:
*Sagging or excessive abdominal skin
*A swollen stomach that protrudes from the rest of your body
*Weak or separated abdominal muscles
*Fatty deposits concentrated in the abdominal area
Making an
Informed Decision
During
the first examination your plastic surgeon will ask you questions about
your expectations. Your abdomen will be examined both while you are
standing and lying down. The elasticity and looseness of the skin on
your abdomen will be evaluated. Your plastic surgeon will examine the
extent of the fatty deposits around your abdomen and the condition of
your stomach muscles. Your doctor will also ask questions about your
medical history, general health fitness, allergies and treatments or
surgery that you have had up until that time. .
Surgery
Abdominoplasty surgery requires a
horizontal incision immediately above the pubic hair where a caesarean
is performed. The length of the incision varies depending on how loose
the skin is and how much skin is to be removed. We draw the lines with
you before the surgery in accordance with your bikini lines and hide the
stitches below the bikini or panty line that you determine. Separation
of the abdominal muscles are corrected with internal stitches to
strengthen the muscular structure of the abdominal wall. Excess skin is
stretched downwards and removed. The belly button is moved to its
correct position on the tightened skin. At the end of the operation the
incision is closed with invisible and aesthetic stitches. Immediately
after the operation a special corset is put on the patients. The patient
is occasionally asked to stay two nights in the hospital. You
may return to work after 4-5 days of rest and may resume sports
activities in 3 weeks. We use a new technique known as "liposuction
and lateral tension abdominoplasty" ;, which is different from the
classic tummy tuck operation. With this new technique, tightening is
done in the hip, groin, inner thigh and waist regions, as well as
removing all of the fatty tissue in the abdominal area with a single
procedure. If there is no sagging in the abdominal area, just excess
fatty tissue, then liposuction may be enough to correct the problem. In
rare cases where there is a separation in the muscles of the abdominal
wall, surgery can be performed with an endoscope.
Post-Surgery
When performed by an experienced surgeon
it is very rare to have bleeding, infections, delayed healing or
asymmetric results. Minor corrections can be easily performed any time.
There may be a fluid build-up under the skin of the stomach in the days
following the surgery.
However,
this can be rectified by emptying the fluid with a needle once or more
if necessary. Tissue loss on along the incision is a complication that
is observed, especially in patients that smoke. Before the operation, it
is very important to cut down on smoking, avoid the use of aspirin and
do respiratory exercises. We recommend that you have a friend or
relative who can take you home after the surgery and help you around the
house for 4-5 days. You will be asked to stand up and walk the days
after the surgery. Scars will fade over time becoming practically
invisible. We apply special creams and tape to the area where the
incision was closed for several months following the surgery. These
applications help scars fade and ensure better healing.
If you have any
questions, please do not hesitate to contact us E-MAIL
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