Abdominoplastic surgery or “tummy tuck”, also known as abdominoplasty, is a major cosmetic surgery procedure intended to help create a firmer, shapelier abdomen. The surgery involves eliminating excess fat and skin from both the upper and lower belly, both sides of the pelvic region and the pubic region to tighten the underlying muscle and connective tissue of the abdominal wall. Tummy tucks are often compared to the look and shape of a coked-up beer belly. Abdominal muscles are stretched, tightened and repositioned during a tummy tuck.
Before your Tummy Tuck Adelaide, you must be well prepared to lose weight, gain/lose weight, if necessary, adjust your medications and begin a quality lifestyle change. Before having any type of surgical procedure, always speak with your doctor about any medications, diseases or infections that you may be suffering from and be honest about the extent of your current weight loss, diet and exercise regimen. Your doctor may suggest that you first discontinue all medications and see if you achieve weight loss within the recommended time frame. If you do not, your doctor may perform an alternative procedure.
For most patients who have had a tummy tuck, the procedure is relatively easy and uncomplicated. During the procedure, the physician will place a hollow needle called a cannula through several small openings in your skin (called incisions). The cannula is then inserted and guided through the hollow needle into one of the navel areas of your thighs or abdomens. This procedure is performed for several hours and can be performed under either local or general anaesthetic, depending on your medical condition. Because this is a very significant surgery, it is best to be fully prepared before the procedure by doing a considerable amount of research on the subject, both online and in print, as well as discussing the procedure with your family and friends.
A small percentage of patients experience discomfort after receiving a Tummy Tuck Adelaide, but this is usually easily treated. Some swelling and soreness should subside within a few days as the body repairs the incisions. Your skin should look firmer and tighter after a week; in fact, most people report significant results within six months of treatment. Keep in mind that a tummy tuck will not change or improve the appearance of excess fat or stretch marks. Other plastic surgery procedures are available to address these issues, including liposuction.
Tummy tucks are also performed on patients with large amounts of abdominal fat and those who have lost a significant amount of weight. A mini tummy tuck will involve inserting only a short tube that fits through the belly button, allowing the surgeon to lift and reshape the abdomen. During the mini tummy tuck, excess tissue is trimmed away, and the patient is left with a flat abdomen. (The mini is not a true tummy tuck because only the superficial layer of fat below the skin is removed.) Mini tummy tucks are most often performed on those who have a smaller abdomen and want to reduce their waistline and those with excess skin left over from a prior surgical procedure.
A full tummy tuck will include a more complicated incision, and a significant amount of abdominal wall muscles will be involved in the procedure. A good candidate for this procedure must have a significant amount of lean muscle mass and a relatively intact lower torso. Otherwise, the scars from this surgery will be more prominent than before. In addition, excessive weight loss will drastically reduce the amount of muscle strength in your abdominal wall, which will make you more susceptible to injuries.
As with any surgery, tummy tucks can have complications. Infections are one of the most common problems following a surgical procedure but can also be caused by excessive blood loss or poor healing. Other complications can include a scar from an incision, excessive bleeding, or excessive scarring from a misshapen abdomen. All of these problems can lead to further surgical procedures if they are not addressed quickly enough. Scarring from a poor healing process can also prevent you from achieving your new figure if your body does not repair itself after the surgery.
A good pre-operative visit with a plastic surgeon will give you the information you need to prepare for your tummy tuck. It will include all of your body’s measurements, as well as information about your goals. The plastic surgeon will be able to tell you whether you are a good candidate for a tummy tuck based on your current state of health, as well as the amount of excess skin that needs to be removed. This excess skin will be either removed via liposuction or through a facelift. Liposuction is often the best option for those who have smaller areas of fat to remove, and facelifts are perfect for those who have excessively loose skin.