A tummy tuck, which is also called an abdominoplasty, is a surgery that removes fat and skin from the abdomen to make you look better. You could have this surgery if you don’t like how your stomach looks after you’ve lost weight.
Tummy tucks are often done to fix the effects of pregnancy or gaining and losing a lot of weight. Your surgeon will cut away extra skin and fat, tighten the muscles in your abdominal wall, and change the shape of your abdomen. A tummy tuck can also help relieve back pain by getting rid of the stretched-out skin that builds up over time. Your lower back, hips, and legs hurt less because the skin removal takes pressure off your spine.
Read on to learn more about How Does A Tummy Tuck Help Relieve Chronic Back Pain, Tummy Tuck Revision For Loose Skin and Signs Of A Bad Tummy Tuck
How Does A Tummy Tuck Help Relieve Chronic Back Pain
Thinking about getting a tummy tuck? If so, I’m sure you know that the procedure improves the appearance of the abdomen by removing excess skin that can often remain after pregnancy or other significant weight loss. But many tummy tuck patients at our Alpharetta, Roswell, and Woodstock, GA, practices aren’t aware of the unexpected benefits of abdominoplasty.
Some of these benefits have been known for years, such as the repair of certain abdominal muscles that can be separated by pregnancy. But other benefits have been the subject of recently published research that confirms anecdotal experiences of tummy tuck patients. Because abdominoplasty is already one of the most satisfying procedures (it earned a 96% “Worth It” rating on RealSelf), these unexpected benefits are indeed a bonus.
Let’s take a closer look at these benefits:
- Treat diastasis recti: Why is this important? For moms frustrated that they can’t get rid of the post-baby pooches even though they spend hours working out and doing crunches, repairing the condition responsible for those bellies is certainly a benefit of a tummy tuck. This condition can also be linked to post-pregnancy urinary incontinence, which I mention below. A tummy tuck can also be part of a comprehensive combination of procedures, called a mommy makeover, to address other post-pregnancy issues.
- Reduce back pain and improved posture: Weakened core muscles, which often occur after pregnancy or other major weight loss, cause back muscles to overcompensate and lead to lower back pain. Because tummy tuck surgery tightens the abdominal muscles and helps strengthen the core, it can also improve your posture and reduce back pain. A study published earlier this year in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® revealed the link between tummy tucks and decreased back pain.
- Reduce urinary incontinence: The same study mentioned above also showed that tummy tuck surgery helped women who suffer from a weak bladder caused by having children or aging. The “pee-when-you-sneeze” leaking that can occur often improves after a tummy tuck procedure.
- Correct ventral hernias: Abdominal hernias occur when there’s weakness in the muscle wall, causing intestinal organs to push through and create a bulge around the area of the belly button. It’s common to combine a tummy tuck with hernia repair, a safe and cost-effective surgery. Having both procedures done at the same time means patients only have to recover from one surgery. Some people worry that having a tummy tuck may make them more susceptible to hernias. Watch the video below for our answer to that concern.
- Help maintain weight loss: Patients who get tummy tucks after weight-loss surgery are more likely to maintain their new body contours if they have plastic surgery to remove excess skin. A tummy tuck and other body contouring procedures often can be combined, depending on the extent of surgery needed.
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.