After the surgery, patients are encouraged to get up and walk around as soon as possible so that any swelling can be reduced. Most patients are able to go home after a few hours at the hospital, but some may require an overnight stay depending on their condition before surgery.
Once home, patients should wear compression garments for six weeks or longer depending on how much swelling they experience during recovery. These garments are worn day or night depending on how much swelling there is in order to help reduce swelling even further while also helping support your body weight so you don’t have too much pressure on your scar tissue during healing time
Read on to learn more on How A Tummy Tuck Is Done, How A Tummy Tuck Works and What Happens During Tummy Tuck Surgery?
How A Tummy Tuck Is Done
A tummy tuck — also known as abdominoplasty — is a cosmetic surgical procedure to improve the shape and appearance of the abdomen.
During a tummy tuck, excess skin and fat are removed from the abdomen. Connective tissue in the abdomen (fascia) usually is tightened with sutures as well. The remaining skin is then repositioned to create a more toned look.
You might choose to have a tummy tuck if you have excess fat or skin around the area of your bellybutton or a weak lower abdominal wall. A tummy tuck can also boost your body image.
Why it’s done
There are a number of reasons you might have excess fat, poor elasticity of the skin or weakened connective tissue in your abdomen. These include:
- Significant changes in weight
- Pregnancy
- Abdominal surgery, such as a C-section
- Aging
- Your natural body type
A tummy tuck can remove loose, excess skin and fat, and tighten weak fascia. A tummy tuck may also remove stretch marks and excess skin in the lower abdomen below the bellybutton. However, a tummy tuck won’t correct stretch marks outside of this area.
If you’ve previously had a C-section, your plastic surgeon might be able to incorporate your existing C-section scar into your tummy tuck scar.
A tummy tuck can also be done in combination with other body contouring cosmetic procedures, such as breast surgery. If you’ve had fat removed from your abdomen (liposuction), you may decide to have a tummy tuck because liposuction removes tissue just under the skin and fat but not any excess skin.
A tummy tuck isn’t for everyone. Your doctor might caution against a tummy tuck if you:
- Plan to lose a significant amount of weight
- Might consider pregnancy in the future
- Have a severe chronic condition, such as heart disease or diabetes
- Have a body mass index that’s greater than 30
- Smoke
- Have had a previous abdominal surgery that caused significant scar tissue
Risks
A tummy tuck poses various risks, including:
- Fluid accumulation beneath the skin (seroma). Drainage tubes left in place after surgery can help reduce the risk of excess fluid. Your doctor might also remove fluid after surgery using a needle and syringe.
- Poor wound healing. Sometimes areas along the incision line heal poorly or begin to separate. You might be given antibiotics during and after surgery to prevent an infection.
- Unexpected scarring. The incision scar from a tummy tuck is permanent, but it’s typically placed along the easily hidden bikini line. The length and visibility of the scar varies from person to person.
- Tissue damage. During a tummy tuck, fatty tissue deep within your skin in the abdominal area might get damaged or die. Smoking increases the risk of tissue damage. Depending on the size of the area, tissue might heal on its own or require a surgical touch-up procedure.
- Changes in skin sensation. During a tummy tuck, the repositioning of your abdominal tissues can affect the nerves in the abdominal area, and infrequently, in the upper thighs. You’ll likely feel some reduced sensation or numbness. This usually diminishes in the months after the procedure.
Like any other type of major surgery, a tummy tuck poses a risk of bleeding, infection and an adverse reaction to anesthesia.
How you prepare
You’ll talk to a plastic surgeon about a tummy tuck. During your first visit, your plastic surgeon will likely:
- Review your medical history. Be prepared to answer questions about current and past medical conditions. Talk about any medications you’re taking or have taken recently, as well as any surgeries you’ve had.Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any medications. If your desire for a tummy tuck is related to weight loss, your doctor will likely ask detailed questions about your weight gain and loss.
- Do a physical exam. To determine your treatment options, the doctor will examine your abdomen. The doctor might also take pictures of your abdomen for your medical record.
- Discuss your expectations. Explain why you want a tummy tuck, and what you’re hoping for in terms of appearance after the procedure. Make sure you understand the benefits and risks of the procedure, including scarring. Keep in mind that previous abdominal surgery might limit your results.
Before a tummy tuck you might also need to:
- Stop smoking. Smoking decreases blood flow in the skin and can slow the healing process. In addition, smoking increases the risk of tissue damage. If you smoke, your doctor will recommend that you stop smoking before surgery and during recovery.
- Avoid certain medications. You’ll likely need to avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements, which can increase bleeding.
- Maintain a stable weight. Ideally, you’ll maintain a stable weight for at least 12 months before having a tummy tuck. If you’re severely overweight, your doctor will recommend that you lose weight before the procedure. Significant weight loss after the procedure can diminish your results.
- Arrange for help during recovery. Make plans for someone to drive you home after you leave the hospital and stay with you for at least the first night of your recovery at home.
What you can expect
A tummy tuck is done in a hospital or an outpatient surgical facility. During a tummy tuck, you’ll be under general anesthesia — which makes you completely unconscious and unable to feel pain. In some cases, you might be given a pain-relieving medication and be moderately sedated (partially asleep).
Before the procedure
There are a number of different procedures for a tummy tuck, depending on your goals and the extent of change you would like to see. During the typical tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon makes incisions to remove most of the skin and fat between your bellybutton and pubic hair in a horizontal oval or elliptical shape. Connective tissue (fascia) that lies over the abdominal muscles is then tightened with permanent sutures.
The amount of excess skin removed and the type of procedure you have will determine the shape and length of the incision. The incision above the pubic hair will be stitched together and will leave a scar that falls along the natural crease within the bikini line.
Your plastic surgeon will also reposition the skin around your bellybutton. Your bellybutton will be brought out through a small incision and sutured in its normal position.
During the procedure you might be given an antibiotic to prevent infection.
The procedure typically takes about two to three hours.
After the procedure
After a tummy tuck, your abdominal incision and bellybutton will likely be covered with surgical dressing. Small tubes might be placed along the incision site to drain any excess blood or fluid.
Members of your health care team will help you walk as early as the first day after a tummy tuck to help prevent the formation of blood clots.
You’ll likely be given pain medication. It’s normal to have swelling in the surgical area.
Drains might be left in place for several days after surgery. Your doctor or another member of your health care team will show you how to empty and care for your drains. You might need to continue taking an antibiotic as long as the drains are in place.
Your surgeon might also prescribe a blood-thinning medication for a short time after your tummy tuck.
You’ll wear a supportive abdominal garment (abdominal binder) for about six weeks after your tummy tuck. This helps prevent fluid buildup and provides abdominal support while you heal. Your doctor will explain how to care for your scar.
For the first six weeks after a tummy tuck, you’ll need to be careful when moving around. You’ll also need to avoid positions that strain your incision line — such as quickly bending at the waist — to prevent the reopening of the wound.
You’ll need to schedule regular follow-up visits. Ask your doctor how often you need to be seen.
Results
By removing excess skin and fat and strengthening your abdominal wall, a tummy tuck can give your abdomen a more toned and slimmer appearance.
Tummy tuck results are usually long lasting if you maintain a stable weight.
How A Tummy Tuck Works
During a tummy tuck, the surgeon makes a horizontal incision across your lower abdomen. The skin, fat and tissue are removed from the middle of your abdomen, and the remaining skin is tightened.
The procedure can be done under general anesthesia or under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation. During a tummy tuck, the surgeon makes a horizontal incision across your lower abdomen. The skin, fat and tissue are removed from the middle of your abdomen, and the remaining skin is tightened.
The procedure can be done under general anesthesia or under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation.
A tummy tuck is a plastic surgery procedure designed to reduce excess skin and fat in the abdominal area. It can also help eliminate stretch marks, tighten loose or sagging skin, and flatten the abdomen.
The procedure is typically performed under general anesthesia, though local anesthesia can be used for patients who are not good candidates for general anesthesia. The operation takes anywhere from two to four hours depending on the extent of your surgery.
During a tummy tuck, an incision is made at the bottom of the rib cage and another along the bikini line (if necessary). Some surgeons may use liposuction prior to making an incision to ensure that all fat deposits have been removed from the area being treated. Excess skin is then removed from around your abdomen, waistline and backside so that your muscles are tightened and excess fat is removed from underneath your skin.
To prevent your new shape from sagging down again once you’ve healed, plastic surgeons will typically sew muscle tissue back together over bone or use special stitches called “interrupted” sutures that are designed to stretch with your body as it heals.
Tummy tuck surgery is a popular procedure that removes excess skin and fat from your abdominal area and tightens the muscles of your abdomen, making your waistline smaller and skin tighter. The results are often dramatic, but it’s important to know what to expect during recovery before you undergo this procedure.
What Happens During Tummy Tuck Surgery?
The surgeon will make an incision around your belly button and lower back, then remove fat and skin through this opening. The surgeon will also tighten muscles in the middle of your abdomen by removing excess tissue underneath them. Finally, the surgeon will use stitches or surgical mesh to support the new shape of your abdomen after surgery.
After surgery, you’ll be taken to a recovery room so your vital signs can be monitored closely for several hours until you’re stable enough to go home with someone who can help you care for yourself at home until you can get around on your own again. You may need help getting dressed for at least two weeks after surgery because it takes time for swelling in the incision area to go down completely before it can be exposed to friction caused by clothing rubbing against it too much (called shearing)
A tummy tuck, also known as a “abdominoplasty,” is a surgical procedure performed to remove excess fat and skin from the abdominal area. It is usually done to improve the appearance of a protruding abdomen and sagging skin that may result from significant weight loss or pregnancy.
In addition to removing excess fat and skin, a tummy tuck can also tighten up muscles in the abdominal wall and repair stretched or separated connective tissue (fascia). The procedure results in an improved shape of the belly button as well as better muscle tone and contour in that area.
Most patients who have this surgery are unhappy with their appearance for cosmetic reasons. They may have lost a significant amount of weight but still feel self-conscious about their abdomen because it hangs over their pants or looks like they have an “outie” belly button when they wear fitted clothes, such as bathing suits.
Tummy Tuck Surgery Procedure
The surgery takes approximately two hours to complete under general anesthesia at our office or ambulatory surgery center (ASC) facility. Your surgeon will make incisions around your navel area then remove fat deposits through liposuction and excess skin via a combination of methods including:
Excision: A surgical
A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that reshapes and tightens the abdomen, flattening and toning loose or sagging skin. The surgery can also remove excess fat from the midsection.
During the procedure, an incision is made along the lower abdomen and the fat and skin are removed. The muscles are tightened, which helps to reduce sagging skin. The excess skin is trimmed away and the remaining tissue is stitched together.
A tummy tuck can improve your body image and self-esteem. It can also help you feel more comfortable with wearing certain types of clothing.
Aftercare for a Tummy Tuck
You’ll have some bruising following your surgery, which will start to fade within a few days. Your doctor may prescribe medication to prevent excessive bleeding during surgery as well as antibiotics to prevent infection in your incision line. You’ll also have drains in place during recovery that need to be emptied several times a day to keep them free from blood or fluid buildup. Your doctor will monitor these periodically during recovery to ensure they’re working properly.
You’ll also need to keep your incisions clean by washing with antibacterial soap every day until your stitches dissolve (usually about two weeks after surgery).