Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

Abdominoplasty, or Tummy Tuck, will help you achieve the body of your dreams when other methods are insufficient. However, it certainly doesn’t solve the obesity problem or replace liposuction. Many factors affect the appearance of your belly, such as pregnancy, hereditary predisposition, or sudden weight changes. All these can contribute to sagging skin, stretch marks, or the accumulation of excess fat pads in the area.

Often, even proper nutrition and exercise may not be enough. Despite all efforts, the abdomen may appear disproportionate to other body parts. In such cases, abdominoplasty is appropriate.

Consultation is always essential. If you want to have it done, the surgeon will determine the exact procedure according to the condition of your abdominal wall and will introduce you to all the details. In addition, the doctor will show you the progress of the tummy tuck surgery in a video. It would be best if you learned the facts and risks of the procedure.

Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that involves removing excess fat and loose skin from the abdomen and tightening the abdominal muscles. Partial or mini abdominoplasty removes loose skin and excess fat tissue only in the lower abdomen, below the navel.

A tummy tuck can make separately. However, it often performs with liposuction of the hips (side of the abdomen or back). This allows us to further correct body shapes. Since patients who choose this procedure are healthy, have no contraindications for this procedure, and muscle tone changes significantly during this period, women should not plan pregnancy shortly.

Surgeons perform the abdominoplasty under general anesthesia. Its length depends on the volume of tissues that need to remove. Usually, the whole procedure takes between 1 and 2 hours. The surgeon makes an incision just above the groin area where the scar remains and is generally hidden by underwear. The second incision is made around the navel to clear the surrounding tissues. The skin and fat layer are stripped from the abdominal wall and lifted, allowing the surgeon to access the muscle tissue. The muscles are tightened and fixed in a closed position, which will form the basis of the result of the operation- a flat stomach and a thin waist.

After the muscles stretch, a skin flap is held in place, and the surgeon removes the excess soft tissue. At the same time, the doctor prepares a new site for the navel. Under the incision, drainage tubes are placed in the abdominal cavity through which the collected fluids flow out. They usually remove after a few days.

During the rehabilitation period, the doctor recommends a unique compression garment that will provide comfort, reduce swelling and discomfort, and support the abdominal muscles after surgery.

Stitches and drainage tubes usually remove after about one to two weeks. Approximately 2-4 weeks of incapacity is required. You will be able to return to total physical activity in about two months.

As with any surgery, pain, swelling, and bruising may occur in the post-operative period, and these will go away after a few days. The resulting scar disappears over time and is almost invisible. Its appearance can be improved with massage, as well as using a laser.

What is Abdominoplasty?

Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, is a procedure in which the surgeon reduces the subcutaneous fat layer, removes excess skin, and strengthens the tightened muscles of the abdominal wall. Relaxation of the skin and muscles occurs when significant volumetric changes happen in a woman’s body in the abdomen, for example, after a significant weight change or after pregnancy. The result of such weight loss or the end of pregnancy is stretch marks, saggy skin, and tight abdominal muscles. This procedure is the ideal solution for these shortcomings.

As part of abdominoplasty, the abdomen is always surgically modified based on the consultation and advice of the attending physician. If only the skin in the lower abdomen is allowed, it is possible to treat only this part. The decision always depends on the patient’s condition and the doctor’s advice.

Today, tummy tuck, that is, abdominal aesthetic surgeries is attracting increasing attention worldwide. The trend is maintaining a beautiful and tight body for as long as possible. Many women struggle with lax muscles, sagging and excess skin in the abdomen, and stretch marks that leave many incredibly depressed. A permanent solution to this problem is a tummy tuck, effectively reducing the excess skin allowed on the stomach. But this procedure doesn’t solve weight loss or fat reduction but surgically removes excess skin from the body.

Who Should Have Abdominoplasty Procedure?

Abdominoplasty is a surgery that leads to effective flattening of the abdomen, removal of excess fat and skin, and strengthening of abdominal wall muscles. This method corrects the appearance of protruding saggy belly or sagging skin after pregnancy and childbirth or after weight loss. The procedure also solves the problem of separating the abdominal muscles, especially after multiple pregnancies. This procedure can be combined with liposuction (liposuction of the buttocks and upper abdomen) to achieve optimal results.

Abdominoplasty is suitable for both women and men. It indicates clients who are in good health due to the scope of the operation. Plastic surgery will significantly help patients with loose abdominal wall, loose abdominal skin, and abdominal muscle gap that is very difficult to influence with exercise, especially after multiple pregnancies. Women who plan to have children again advise to postpone abdominal surgery even if pregnancy and childbirth don’t prevent them after surgery.

Unfortunately, the shape of the abdomen can change and affect the outcome of the surgery. If you are under a year postpartum and still breastfeeding, we recommend postponing the surgery and giving your body time to recover after delivery. Despite the loss of skin elasticity with a tummy tuck, surgeons can significantly improve the appearance of the entire abdomen, even in older patients. Check out the ideal candidates for abdominoplasty:

• Having a stable weight for several months
• At least one year after pregnancy
• Not smoking (at least 6 weeks before surgery)
• Being physically healthy
• Scars healed from another operation on the abdomen

What are the Risks of the Abdominoplasty Process?

Abdominoplasty risks may occur during the actual operation, during general anesthesia, or in the postoperative period. These can divide into general complications and local complications. The most common complications you will see are the complications that we call available and can see in any surgical procedure. Check out the risks of abdominoplasty:

• Bleeding: If significant bleeding occurs in the postoperative period, it is necessary to perform a surgical revision and to stop the bleeding surgically. The surgical modification does not affect the final effect of the surgery. However, it can prolong the recovery time.
• Seroma: This is the accumulation of fluid in the subcutaneous area. The solution is to indicate that to prevent this complication; it is necessary to follow the post-operative regimen and wear a compression belt.
• Surgical wound infection: The occurrence of an infection in the surgical wound requires more frequent dressing of the surgical wound and administration of antibiotics.
• Necrosis: Insufficient blood supply to the surgical wound manifesto by the gradual death of a portion of the skin. This complication will also require more frequent dressings and removal of dead tissue, and re-suturing.
• Formation of conspicuous scars: It can occur in any operation. Their origin can also determine by the patient’s propensity to improve. An as-yet undiagnosed allergy to the suture material or disinfectants may also occur.
• Pulmonary embolism or venous thrombosis: These are among the general complications. Pulmonary embolism is a severe complication that may have permanent consequences in cardiac load or be life-threatening.

What Will You Encounter During an Abdominoplasty Consultation?

In the abdominoplasty consultation, you should get all the necessary information from the plastic surgeon, get answers to all your questions, and thus prepare for the procedure at the maximum level. Also, choose a high-quality workplace with good facilities, and show an interest in how post-operative care provide. Check out the questions to ask when consulting a doctor:

• Will abdominoplasty solve my problems?
• Do I still need to lose weight?
• Are the results of abdominoplasty sufficient for me? Will I be happy with it?
• Am I a suitable candidate?
• Have I seen enough of the before and after tummy tuck photos?
• Where will the trace be, and will it be visible?
• How much does abdominoplasty cost?
• Is the price final, and what does it include?
• What kind of anesthesia awaits me?
• Is it necessary to solve the separation of the abdominal muscles by suturing?
• What will I need to do after the surgery to get the best abdominoplasty result?
• How long does recovery take?
• How are possible post-procedure complications handled?
• How to care for scars after Tummy Tuck?
• What does recovery involve?
• What are my options if I am not satisfied with the result and effect of the surgery?
• How to prepare for surgery?

Discuss your expectations during your meeting with your plastic surgeon. Together you will understand whether surgery is a suitable solution for you, and the specialist will recommend an appropriate method and procedure. The doctor will evaluate the skin’s elasticity, the condition of the abdominal muscles, and the size and location of excess skin and fat. It will suggest an operational solution and inform you about the possibilities of the proposed procedure. Alternatively, they will discuss your current weight and weight loss plans with you, possibly recommending a diet plan.

How Should You Prepare for Abdominoplasty Procedure?

You will receive complete instructions from the doctor to prepare for surgery, including information about eating and drinking, smoking, and whether or not to take specific vitamins and medications. Before the operation, the surgeon will perform an examination. You will agree with the doctor about the scope and form of the pre-operative assessment, and you will give the relevant documents. In this process, those containing acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin, Mironal, etc.) may increase bleeding during and after abdominal surgery. For this reason, we recommend that it not be taken before surgery.

The procedure is an operation performed with muscle relaxation under general anesthesia. Eating at least 6 hours before the abdominal aesthetic surgery is forbidden. In general, we recommend that you have surgery while you are well. If you have had an acute illness (virus, cold, herpes, etc.) within 3 weeks before the procedure, we don’t recommend you to have the process. Report any disease or health change to your doctor.

Avoid excessive sun exposure before the system, especially in the abdominal area. You don’t need to diet before the operation. We recommend a lighter diet before the procedure fasting (complete cessation of food and drink) before the procedure according to the doctor’s advice.

You should expect to undergo major surgery. By preparing your bed at home, you can sleep in a semi-sitting position with support from your knees and have everything you need; you will have an uninterrupted and peaceful environment for post-operative recovery and rest.

What are the Most Effective Abdominoplasty Methods?

Check out the most popular and effective abdominoplasty methods:

Mini Abdominoplasty

Mini abdominoplasty indicates patients with localized skin and fat excess in the subcutaneous tissue of the lower abdomen. The advantage is a shorter incision and possibly the possibility of simultaneous correction of the post-cesarean scar in the lower abdomen. The mini abdominoplasty takes about an hour to perform. However, it isn’t suitable for patients with severe skin excess. The cut is elliptical, about 5-10 cm long. It locates in the pubic hairline, and the resulting scar hides in the underwear area.

During this operation, the operator can resolve the relaxation of the lower abdominal muscle but not the separation of the rectus abdominis muscle in the umbilical region. After the procedure, we recommend that you sleep on your back or in a semi-sitting position with support from your knees.

Reverse Abdominoplasty

There is also a method called reverse abdominoplasty. It is most commonly used in patients with fat accumulation in the upper abdomen. This method removes the loose skin in the upper abdomen from the navel to the sternum.

In this operation, the incision makes from the inframammary fold in an area where the scar will be less noticeable.

Belly Aesthetics

It is a plastic treatment of the navel. The surgery is easy, the surgeon can do it under local anesthesia, and the scar is only inside the belly button.

In this operation, the surgeon doesn’t move the belly; it changes its shape. Most patients request a bulging belly lift. Surgeons can also treat a possible umbilical hernia.

Modified Abdominoplasty

In terms of difficulty, it is a procedure that falls between complete surgery and a mini tummy tuck. The incision is shorter, so it doesn’t reach the hip bone area but only gets the back of the bone, which is 10-15 cm less than an entire operation.

The operator may use sutures to strengthen the loose wall up to the umbilicus. Sleeping in a semi-sitting position for the first night after surgery is essential. This surgery is suitable for patients with abdominal wall laxity in the navel area and fat drooping in the lower abdomen.

Endoscopic Abdominoplasty

This method is designed to resolve diastasis without excess skin and prominent protrusion. Using an endoscope represents a fundamental shift in certain types of abdominoplasty. For certain types of abdominoplasty, i.e., to correct a loose abdominal wall, the outcome of operations with the aid of endoscopy is completely incomparable with the traditional procedure that would otherwise be associated with a sizeable transverse scar.

How is Abdominoplasty Procedure Performed?

According to the agreement you will make with the doctor, you will go to the clinic on an empty stomach on the day of surgery or the day before according to the agreement. Don’t forget to take all the necessary inspections and documents with you. An anesthesiologist will come to talk to you and review your medical condition. The operator will draw the surgical incision site, the part of the skin to remove, and the location of the navel on your body and will likely discuss your questions with you again. The surgeon will give you drugs to help you relax and relieve stress. You will receive compression stockings and underwear with which you will undergo surgery. However, check out the abdominoplasty steps:

• Anesthesia

This operation performs under general anesthesia. A full tummy tuck usually takes 2 hours or more, depending on the extent of the procedure. For a more extensive skin resection plan, you should consider returning the navel to its natural position on the abdomen.

• Incision

First, the surgeon frees your navel by making a circular incision around the navel. The surgeon then makes a long incision in a pre-drawn line from one scoop of the pelvic bone to the other, just above the pubic hair. The specialist separates the skin from the abdominal wall, pulls it, and lifts it. This will expose the rectus abdominis muscles. These then pull together, strengthen, and stitch into their new positions. This process maintains the abdominal wall and narrows the waist circumference.

• Final

The specialist then removes the remaining skin by pulling it downwards. For your new belly button, the specialist makes a hole where the specialist fixes the belly button with stitches. The specialist closes the surgical wound in several layers, usually with absorbable sutures. The surgeon places suction drains under the skin. Thus, the abdominal wall is relieved with a compression bandage.

What to Consider After Abdominoplasty Procedure?

It is essential to pay attention to some situations after the surgery and will ensure that you get the best result. Check out the things to consider after abdominoplasty:

• You may feel sluggish after the effect of the anesthesia wears off. You need to rest as much as possible for the first few days.
• Since there is an increased risk of embolism in abdominal surgery, adequate fluid, lower extremity bandages, and gradual mobilization (get out of bed), depending on your facilities and general condition, are required to prevent thromboembolism. The minimum hospital stay after the procedure is 2 days, and drains are placed on the patient.
• Your stomach may hurt when you breathe or cough. We recommend a diet, that is, a lighter diet and plenty of fluids.
• After the operation, take a tummy tuck with a compression belt and, if necessary, take painkillers is essential. In this process, lifting heavy and caring for children and households isn’t appropriate.
• The question of returning to work is very individual. Some people return to work after two weeks, but this is only possible in a physically accessible working situation. A unique compression garment should be worn for at least 4 to 6 weeks.

What is the Recovery Process After Abdominoplasty?

Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that involves removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen and tightening the muscles in the abdominal wall. The recovery process after the procedure will vary depending on the person and the size of the system to be performed. However, some general guidelines can help you understand what to expect during recovery. Check out the recovery process after abdominoplasty:

• You will need to rest and relax for the first few days after the procedure. You will likely experience some pain and discomfort, which can be relieved with pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. Following your surgeon’s instructions about taking your medicines and caring for your incision site is essential to ensure proper healing.
• Your surgeon will also provide a compression garment around your abdominal area. This garment helps support your abs and reduce swelling as you heal. You will need to wear the attire for several weeks after the procedure.
• Although you should avoid strenuous activities for at least four to six weeks, you will likely be able to return to work and other normal activities within a week or two. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions about when you can resume your normal activities and exercise routine.
• It is essential to follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully to ensure proper healing and optimal results during the healing process. You should also avoid exposing your incision to the sun for at least six months after the procedure, as this can increase the risk of scarring.
• Generally, recovery after a tummy tuck can take several weeks. However, most people can return to their normal activities within a few weeks and begin to see the final results of their surgery within a few months. If you have any concerns or questions about your recovery, discuss them with your surgeon.

How Long After Abdominoplasty Will You See the Final Result?

You can evaluate accurate abdominoplasty results only a few months after proper healing. Recovery time is different for each individual. The results of full or mini tummy tuck operations are usually very effective. In most cases, the result is permanent. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that there will be no increase in fat accumulation in the abdomen after tummy tuck surgery.

If you are planning a re-pregnancy after surgery, you should consider the possibility that the skin and muscles will loosen again. Likewise, the skin’s natural aging and relaxation process with age cannot be affected. Furthermore, there will be changes when the weight increases.

How Much Does Abdominoplasty Cost?

Abdominoplasty cost can vary depending on several factors. The price can vary depending on the extent of the surgery, determined by the amount and location of the surgeon’s excess skin and fat and the time of muscle repair required. Surgeon fees can vary based on education, experience, and location. Surgeons in larger cities or with more specialized training may charge higher fees.

The type of anesthesia is also effective on costs. Also, the price of the procedure may be affected by the facility where the process carries out. Procedures performed in a hospital can be more expensive than those performed in a specialized surgical facility.

You must discuss the cost of a tummy tuck with your surgeon and inquire about possible additional fees such as pre-and post-operative care, medications, and follow-up visits.

In Which Countries is the Cheapest Abdominoplasty Procedure Performed?

Because of the cost savings you can achieve, it isn’t uncommon for people to travel to other countries to undergo cosmetic procedures, including tummy tuck. The cost of the abdominoplasty procedurecan vary significantly depending on the country in which it performs.

In general, the cost of tummy tuck tends to be lower in countries with a lower cost of living, as wages by surgeons and other medical professionals tend to be lower. However, it is crucial to remember that traveling to another country for the procedure may have different costs, such as airfare, accommodation, and ground transportation. These additional costs may increase. It is, therefore, important to carefully consider the total cost of the procedure before making a decision.

We recommend choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon who has experience in this procedure. You should also ensure that the facility where the process will take place is accredited and meets safety and quality care standards.

Suppose you are considering traveling to another country for this procedure. In that case, it is essential to carefully weigh the potential cost savings against the risks and uncertainties of traveling for a surgical procedure. It’s a good idea to discuss your options with a qualified plastic surgeon in your home country to understand better the costs and benefits of having the procedure abroad. Here are the costs of abdominoplasty by country:

Attention: For Information Purposes Only

Please note that the content of this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always consult a specialist surgeon for personal guidance.

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