The reason why surgeons charge more per hour for tummy tucks than other procedures is because they require more time and skill to perform correctly.
The length of time it takes to complete a tummy tuck surgery depends on the size of the area being operated on, as well as the complexity of the procedure. For a woman who has lost a significant amount of weight, it may take up to four hours for her plastic surgeon to perform an abdominoplasty. For a woman who has undergone pregnancy and gained back some or all her body fat, it may take six hours or longer for her plastic surgeon to perform an abdominoplasty.
Read on to learn more ABOUT How Long Does a Tummy Tuck Surgery Take, AND Tummy Tuck Wound Healing Problems How Long Does It Take For A Tummy Tuck Incision To Heal
How Long Does a Tummy Tuck Surgery Take
Whether you need a mini tummy tuck, a full tummy tuck or a body lift, the surgeon and hospital staff must be paid for their time. The longer it takes in the operating room, the more costly the procedure. Since insurance doesn’t cover tummy tuck surgery in many cases, there is a good chance you’ll have to pay out of pocket. Knowing how long the surgery takes gives you an idea of what to expect in terms of cost if you are deciding between two procedures.
Longer procedures are more complex. A surgery may be longer because you are getting liposuction or separated ab muscles repair in addition to loose skin removal. Some tummy tuck surgeries are major operations, but not all. A mini tummy tuck can be a 1-hour operation. A full tummy tuck or body lift is going to take several hours longer. And there are many different types of tummy tucks in between.
These variables mean the cost of a quick operation like a mini tummy tuck will be quite different from a 6-hour operation. It also depends on what’s been done during your tummy tuck. So if you have muscle separation, hernias or other things that need to be fixed, it will cost more and increase operating room time.
Why do some tummy tuck operations take so long?
The operation takes several hours to perform. The exact time in the operating room depends on the type of tummy tuck surgery you need. The extent of skin removal varies from person to person. Then, there are add-ons you can choose, such as liposuction. These factors all play a role in the total surgery time…and of course, cost.
All tummy tucks are not the same
Each tummy tuck takes a different length of time in the O.R.. It really depends on what is being done during your individual tummy tuck surgery. Doctor Bernard’s tummy tuck procedure is fully customized to you. You may wish to remove loose skin, excess fat, repair separated abdominal muscles, have a hernia repair, and more.
A tummy tuck may seem like a straightforward procedure. Your surgeon is cutting away excess skin on the abdomen. Liposuction is sometimes added to a tummy tuck. As mentioned, it may also involve separated ab muscle repair or a tummy tuck with hernia repair, depending on what the patient needs.
The extent of loose skin and fat removal varies by patient as well. You may just need a mini tummy tuck to remove loose skin on the lower abdomen. That is a fast procedure. Other patients may benefit more from a full tummy tuck, which removes upper and lower loose abdominal skin. This adds more time in the O.R.
Many patients see the best result with a Sculpt Tummy Tuck, which takes longer still. The Sculpt Tummy Tuck shapes your tummy with VASER lipo and also tightens muscles and skin. Then there are body lifts, extended tummy tucks and fleur-de-lis tummy tucks. We’ll talk about the total operation time for each below.
The tummy has definition
Another factor to consider is that the tummy is not a flat plane. If you look down at your belly or view photos of other people, you will see that there is abdominal definition. The abdominal wall is not just a flat sheet. It has contours. It has got definition, It has muscles, it’s got concavities. A shapely abdomen has sculpted sides. This is something Doctor Bernard keeps in mind during the tummy tuck so you get the best cosmetic result possible — versus just cutting skin off, and that’s it. Perfecting all these details takes time.
Moving the belly button
Most tummy tucks require navel repositioning. That means the belly button gets moved during surgery. If a lot of skin is removed, then the skin is pulled downward, the navel would look strange. It would be too low. Therefore, Doctor Bernard moves the belly button to a natural position on the tummy once the loose skin is removed. It’s all about giving the patient a natural-looking result.
Not all tummy tucks require navel repositioning. An exception is the mini tummy tuck. Mini abdominoplasty is great for removing the flap of skin that remains after a c-section birth, assuming that is the patient’s only concern. As a mini procedure, it only focuses on loose skin removal on the lower part of the abdomen, below the bellow button. A minimal amount of skin is removed. Thus, when the skin is pulled downward to close the incision, the belly button does not move much. For this reason, navel repositioning isn’t usually needed for a mini tummy tuck. That cuts down on operation time significantly
Tummy Tuck Wound Healing Problems
A tummy tuck is a procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen and improves the appearance of the abdominal muscles. It can also be used to remove excess skin on the thighs and buttocks.
A tummy tuck can improve your body contour after pregnancy, weight loss, or aging. The procedure can also help with stretch marks, hernias, and other problems with the abdominal wall.
If you have a full-term pregnancy, your abdomen will stretch and then shrink back to its original size over time. If you have had multiple pregnancies or if you’re older than 35, your abdominal muscles may not return to their original shape on their own or any time soon.
A tummy tuck removes loose skin and excess fat from around your middle and tightens the muscles underneath. It can help repair stretched out scars from previous surgeries, such as C-sections or hysterectomies. A tummy tuck is usually combined with liposuction in areas like the lower back, hips or thighs if excess fat is present there as well
There are several reasons why you may be having problems with your tummy tuck wound healing. First, it is very important for you to understand that any surgery and especially a tummy tuck is going to be painful and uncomfortable. You will experience swelling and bruising that will take several weeks to months before they begin to resolve.
The pain that you are experiencing may be due to a number of factors. One possibility is that your incision has opened up or has gotten infected, which would require further evaluation by your surgeon. Another possibility is that the scar tissue has formed too early and too tight and this may require another surgical procedure called scar revision (plication) to help improve the appearance of your scar.
I hope this helps!
How Long Does It Take For A Tummy Tuck Incision To Heal
The length of time it takes for a tummy tuck incision to heal depends on the type of procedure you had and how well you take care of yourself after surgery.
If you’re having a mini-abdominoplasty or umbilical hernia repair, your incisions will be much smaller than those associated with traditional tummy tuck procedures. In these cases, your surgeon may use dissolvable sutures to close your incisions. These dissolve over time and don’t require removal by your doctor.
The longer it takes for an incision to heal depends on where the wound is located on your body and whether it’s closed with stitches or staples. If a wound is closed with stitches, it can take between four weeks and three months for a scar to fade completely. If the wound is closed with staples, the scar may take up to six months to disappear completely.
After a tummy tuck, the incision will be closed with stitches. The stitches will dissolve on their own, but it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions for caring for yourself after surgery.
The first few days are the most crucial in terms of wound healing. If you’re having trouble breathing or moving around, let your doctor know immediately.
When you wake up from surgery, you may notice some swelling around your incision area. This is normal and should go away in a few weeks as you heal.
You’ll experience pain at different points throughout your recovery. It may feel like cramping or pulling sensation — especially when you cough or sneeze — but this is normal and temporary. Also, it’s common to develop bruising along the incision line where the skin was cut open during surgery.
As far as how long it takes for an incision to heal after a tummy tuck procedure: This depends on the type of procedure performed and how well you take care of yourself after surgery. In general, though, expect it to take about six weeks before your scar looks its best
A tummy tuck incision heals in five to seven days. The incision is usually closed with stitches that dissolve on their own.
Some patients may have an elastic bandage placed over the incision to keep it clean and dry while it heals. The bandage is removed before leaving the hospital and replaced every other day with gauze until it no longer sticks to the wound when removed.
The sutures used in tummy tucks are absorbable, which means that they gradually dissolve as your body absorbs them over time. When all of the stitches have dissolved, there will be no evidence of an incision on your abdomen.
If you have a tummy tuck, the scar will be either vertical or horizontal. With a vertical incision, the scar is located at the top of your abdomen and goes down vertically to the pubic area. With a horizontal incision, it extends from one side of your belly button to the other.
Tummy tuck scars are usually red for about two weeks after surgery and will gradually fade over time.
The length of time it takes for your surgical incision to heal depends on how deep it is and whether you had any drains in place during your operation. If you had drains and they were removed early in the healing process, you may find that your scar is still red and swollen even though it has been more than six months since your surgery. This can last up to a year but will eventually fade away completely (though there is no way to speed up this process).
If you had no drains after surgery, your scar should be almost completely healed by now (it may still look red but shouldn’t feel tender).
The Tummy Tuck incision heals very quickly, as long as you follow your doctor’s post-op instructions. I tell my patients to massage the incision gently twice a day for 10 minutes each time.
There will be some swelling at first but that should subside within 2 weeks. After that any remaining swelling is due to fluid accumulation in the tissues below the skin (called seroma). This can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks to resolve on its own.
The stitches dissolve and fall out on their own in about 2 weeks, so you don’t have to worry about them anymore.
The scar will continue to improve over time, becoming less red and raised until it becomes practically invisible after 1 year or so.