If you’ve lost a lot of weight, you’ll almost certainly need tummy tuck muscle repair. You may also require it if you have been unable to lose weight despite your best efforts. Examining your abdominal muscles will reveal whether or not you require tummy tuck muscle repair. If they are contracted and drawn in, you may require the operation. This is especially true if your lower back is also humped.
If this is the case for you, it may be time to consider a tummy tuck. This procedure can help improve your posture and make it easier to breathe when lying down or sitting up straight when standing isn’t possible right now (such as when watching television).
Read on to learn more about How Do You Know If You Need Muscle Repair With Tummy Tuck,, Signs Of A Bad Tummy Tuck and Tummy Tuck Revision For Loose Skin
How Do You Know If You Need Muscle Repair With Tummy Tuck
The goal of a tummy tuck is to improve the appearance of the midsection by removing excess skin and fat. During most tummy tuck procedures, abdominal muscles that have become stretched and weakened as a result of pregnancy or extreme weight loss are sutured and repaired. But how do you know if you need muscle repair with your tummy tuck from John Park MD Plastic Surgery? Here’s some more information about muscle repair and when it is needed.
ABDOMINAL MUSCLE SEPARATION 101
Abdominal muscle separation, also called a diastasis, is very common in patients who are considering tummy tucks. The abdominal wall is made of two bands of muscles that run parallel in the middle of the stomach. These are the muscles that give you that “six-pack” look. The band of muscles is connected via a thin sheet of tissue known as the fascia. During pregnancy or weight gain, the abdomen becomes bigger, in turn, stretching the abdominal muscles as well as the fascia creating a gap.
Following weight loss and childbirth, the stomach slowly returns to its pre-form, however, some muscle laxity can remain. This can cause a protruding belly or the dreaded belly pooch. When this occurs, there’s very little aside from surgery that can correct the abdomen. Diet and exercise are unable to tighten the weakened abdominal muscles naturally. During a tummy tuck, sutures are placed in the connective tissue pulling it tight and back into position.
IS MUSCLE REPAIR ALWAYS NECESSARY?
Although muscle repair usually produces better results with a tummy tuck by achieving a flat and toned abdomen, it is not always necessary. Not all weight loss patients suffer from muscle separation. Sometimes adding liposuction to remove the extra fat is enough to achieve optimal tummy tuck results. Women who have a caesarian do not always require muscle repair either due to the fact that when they were sewn shut during their C-section, the muscle separation was corrected at that time.
Signs Of A Bad Tummy Tuck
Abdominoplasty, often called a tummy tuck, is a cosmetic surgery procedure intended to tighten abdominal muscles and remove loose, excess skin. As a result, this procedure is frequently requested following childbirth as part of a ‘mommy makeover,’ or after significant weight loss, which can leave people with sagging, excess skin. In addition, some patients choose to undergo abdominoplasty to reduce skin laxity which is often a result of the natural aging process.
While a tummy tuck can be an excellent solution for individuals hoping to restore their waistline, unfortunately, in some instances, excess skin remains following the procedure. If you are troubled by the appearance of loose skin after your tummy tuck, the following solutions are recommended to help you achieve your desired results.
TONE UP
Although exercise cannot remove excess skin, it can reduce fat and tighten muscles, which may help you appear more toned following your tummy tuck procedure. It is crucial, however, to ensure that you allow your body sufficient time to heal before you introduce strenuous activities. In most cases, this means waiting at least 3 weeks before resuming cardio and six weeks prior to resuming your abdominal muscle exercise routine.
GIVE IT TIME
While it may be difficult, it is important to be patient following your tummy tuck. Abdominoplasty is a major surgical procedure and as such, your body needs sufficient time to heal. The final results of the procedure will not be visible for up to six months as a result of residual swelling. While immediately following the procedure skin may appear tight, gradually, as swelling subsides, it may loosen. Since swelling persists in the lower abdominal tissue for longer, however, it is necessary to wait for this swelling to subside before judging the results.
ENSURE YOUR EXPECTATIONS ARE REALISTIC
Patients who are troubled by the appearance of excess skin after undergoing a tummy tuck should first ensure that their expectations for the procedure were realistic. It is important to be aware that even the thinnest of individuals will have some excess skin, which is visible when bending over or sitting down. In fact, this skin is necessary in order to perform these actions. Thus, it is crucial to recognize that the goal of abdominoplasty is correction, not perfection.
CONSIDER REVISION
Once you have healed from your tummy tuck, if you are unhappy with any remaining excess skin, it may be necessary to undergo revision surgery, provided that you have realistic expectations for the procedure. In some cases, a small amount of loose skin remains above the incision line; this can easily be removed during revision abdominoplasty and it may be best to return to your surgeon, provided that you still have trust in their ability.
If more extensive revision is required, however, and you are not comfortable with your primary surgeon, you may wish to consult with another board-certified surgeon in order to ensure that you achieve your desired results.
Tummy Tuck Revision For Loose Skin
Unfortunately, it is easy to find pictures of bad tummy tuck scars and dog ears on the internet. It is also possible to find ugly belly button scars after a tummy tuck that could not be covered up by tattoos or belly button rings. Seeing the pictures of tummy tucks gone wrong and reading patient tummy tuck reviews and testimonials it makes women who are not happy with their tummy tuck results be extra careful when searching for plastic surgeons who specialize in tummy tuck revision surgery. Women should not only review many tummy tuck before and after pictures, but also find tummy tuck revision photos and reviews from the tummy tuck specialist who they are consulting with.
Although good aesthetic results are planned, there is no guarantee or warranty expressed or implied that these results may be obtained by any plastic surgeon. A person might be disappointed with the results of their tummy tuck, abdominoplasty, body lift, thigh lift or other cosmetic surgery, due to asymmetry, highly visible surgical scar or their location, unacceptable visible deformities, bunching and rippling. The skin near or at the incisions may heal poorly, wounds may disrupt, and sensation can be altered in the areas of surgery or adjacent to it.
TUMMY TUCK REVISION
Tummy tuck scars can sometimes be revised or at least relocated to a less visible location. It is not uncommon for Dr. Younai to see patients who have had their tummy tuck incision placed too high, just under their belly button. These women are often unable to hide these scars under a bikini.
This scar can often be lowered to where it can be hidden under a bikini. Another common complaint is the appearance and the size of belly buttons or the umbilicus after an abdominoplasty. The belly button scar and shape can be optimized with minor revision surgery.
Unwanted bulging and protrusion of the abdomen after a tummy tuck can be caused by several things. First, it is not common for some women to gain weight after a tummy tuck which can cause accumulation of fat in certain areas of the abdomen and flanks.
Second, tightening of the abdominal wall muscles can become undone with either heavy lifting, or weight gain. There are even times when the plastic surgeon might not have performed a complete tightening of the abdominal Rectus Muscles along its entire length. This can also be revised similar to repair of a ventral hernia or incisional hernia.
Smoking or use of Nicotine products can be detrimental to the results of a tummy tuck. Nicotine causes sever chocking of the small and delicate blood vessels that supply blood to the umbilicus and the other areas of the abdominal skin. Therefore, smoking can cause death of the umbilicus or the abdominal wall skin. If this happens, Dr. Younai can possibly revise your abdominoplasty and repair or reconstruct these wounds.
Having said this, it may not be possible to fully correct, revise, or improve upon the result of your tummy tuck. During your consultation, Dr. Younai will review your treatment options for revision tummy tuck procedures, including pros and cons of each procedure, potential risks and complications, recovery course, pre and post operative instructions, and esthetic outcomes. There are also many before-and-after pictures and high resolution images of abdominoplasty available in our photo gallery.
THE PROCEDURE
Tummy tuck scar revision is done with the goal to lower the tummy tuck scar into a position where it can be hidden under a bikini, as well as to make the abdominoplasty scar thin and faint. To fix tummy tuck dog ears a plastic surgeon has to combine scar revision surgery and liposuction of the flanks. Belly button scar revision is performed in order to make the umbilicus smaller and inverted.
At times the entire tummy tuck surgery has to be redone or revised in order to repair stretched abdominal muscles, to remove stretch marks, and to revise the entire tummy tuck scar. This makes tummy tuck revision recovery as long as, or even longer than the original tummy tuck recovery. You can find tummy tuck recovery tips on this tummy tuck specialty website that will help to speed up your recovery time.
COST
Tummy tuck revision surgery cost varies depending on the cost of scar revision, liposuction costs, or even the cost of full tummy tuck revision. The advent of plastic surgery financing can lessen the pain of paying for a tummy tuck revision!
RECOVERY
In order to help get a successful tummy tuck result you should familiarize yourself with tummy tuck post operative instructions and absolutely refrain from smoking or using Nicotine products since they damage abdominal skin circulation and can result in the death of the umbilicus or reopening of your incisions, which is called wound dehiscence.