Looking for a way to get rid of those stubborn last 5-10 pounds? Or maybe you’re ready to start your transformation, but you want to make sure you’re doing it all at once. If so, there’s no better option than a tummy tuck and liposuction at the same time!
The procedure is simple: we remove the fat from your abdomen and then use it to fill any areas that need plumping up. This means that not only do you have a flat stomach, but you also have a nicer behind and thighs (if desired).
Read on to learn more about C Section And Tummy Tuck At Same Time C Section And Tummy Tuck At Same Time
C Section And Tummy Tuck At Same Time
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is one of the top five cosmetic surgical procedures in the United States for women ages 30 to 39.
For mothers who are scheduled to have a baby via cesarean delivery, it may seem like combining the birth with a tummy tuck would be ideal. Instead of two separate surgeries, you’d only have one round of anesthetic, one operating room, and one period of recovery. This combination is informally known as a “C-tuck” and it sounds ideal, right?
Well, not exactly. Most doctors would tell you that rolling both surgeries into one isn’t wise. But that doesn’t mean a tummy tuck after you’ve had time to fully recover from a cesarean delivery is out of the question.
Here’s what you should know about getting a tummy tuck after a cesarean delivery, including the best time to consider it.
What’s a tummy tuck?
It sounds deceptively minimal, but a tummy tuck is actually major surgery. The cosmetic procedure involves cutting and sculpting of muscle, tissue, and skin.
Excess fat and skin is removed. The goal is to restore weakened or separated abdominal muscles. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a protruding abdomen, or one that is loose or saggy, can be a result of:
- heredity
- a previous surgery
- aging
- pregnancy
- major changes in weight
Learning more about what’s involved during and after a tummy tuck (and keeping in mind that it will piggyback your cesarean delivery) is a good way to highlight why combining procedures can be problematic.
What to expect during a tummy tuck
Before a tummy tuck, you’re given intravenous sedation, or a general aesthetic. A horizontal incision is then made between your bellybutton and the pubic hairline. The precise shape and length of this incision will vary from patient to patient, and it’s related to the amount of excess skin.
Once the incision has been made, the abdominal skin is lifted so that repairs can be made to the muscles below. If there is excess skin in the upper abdomen, a second incision may be necessary.
Next, the abdominal skin is pulled down, trimmed, and sutured together. Your surgeon will create a new opening for your bellybutton, push it through to the surface, and suture that into place. Incisions are closed, and bandages are applied.
You may also have a compression or elastic wrap that’s designed to reduce swelling and provide support to your abdomen during the healing process. In some cases, drainage tubes are also placed beneath the skin to drain blood or fluid.
A full tummy tuck can take anywhere from one to two hours, or longer.
Recovering from a tummy tuck
Recovering from a tummy tuck usually involves medications to facilitate healing and to reduce the possibility of infection. You’ll also be instructed in how to care for the surgical site and drains if you have them.
There will be required follow-up appointments with your doctor. You’ll also be instructed to minimize any lifting and rest as much as possible.
Problems with combining a tummy tuck and cesarean delivery
1. Disappointing results
The goal of a tummy tuck is to help you look your best. To make that happen, you should be in good physical condition before surgery. After carrying a baby for nine months, both your abdominal skin and your uterus have been impressively stretched. That makes it difficult for a surgeon to accurately determine how much tightening needs to be done. This can lead to disappointing results after you’ve healed.
2. Difficult recovery
Recovering from a tummy tuck or a cesarean delivery is difficult. Recovering from both surgeries at the same time, on top of caring for a newborn baby, is complicated and exhausting. You’ll be very restricted physically, making things difficult.
3. Surgeon logistics
There’s also the matter of finding a plastic surgeon who will agree to perform your tummy tuck immediately after your cesarean delivery. Keep in mind that anything can happen during labor and delivery, and you may find that your carefully scheduled plans don’t work out.
4. Complications
Both procedures have risks, and combining them can increase the potential for complications. A woman may be at an increased risk of blood clots and fluid retention. There’s also a greater chance of infection when the uterus is undergoing surgery, as well as the abdominal wall.
What’s the best time for a tummy tuck after a C-section?
If a tummy tuck is something you’re considering after a cesarean delivery, speak with a certified plastic surgeon. For the best results, you should be back to your original weight and be in good physical condition.
Plan a tummy tuck only if you aren’t planning on becoming pregnant again. Otherwise, you may go through the cost and aggravation of the surgery and recovery only to find your abdomen stretched out again.
Keep in mind that the procedure involves anesthetic and medications. These can be a problem if you’re breast-feeding. Talk to your doctor about what you should and shouldn’t be taking.
Next steps
There may be benefits to getting a tummy tuck after having a baby. You may be a candidate if you’re physically healthy and your weight has stabilized. But it’s important to allow your body time to heal from both your pregnancy and your cesarean delivery.
You won’t want to miss out on enjoying that early bonding time with your new baby with the added stress of recovery from a tummy tuck.
What is the best time to explore whether a tummy tuck is a good decision for you? After you’re done having children.
Tummy Tuck After C-section Before And After
Cesarean sections, commonly called C-sections, currently make up 21% of all US births. C-sections are performed for many reasons and are responsible for saving the lives of countless mothers and babies, but they require recovery time and, since they involve the same area of the body, women often wonder how long it will be before it is safe to have tummy tuck surgery to restore their pre-pregnancy body.
In this post, we discuss how long you should wait to have a tummy tuck after your C-section, and why.
The main reason women undergo tummy tuck surgery following their C-section, however, is to regain their sense of identity and confidence. Pregnancy takes a serious toll on a woman’s body and mind, and restoring her to her former (or enhanced) figure can help her feel more like herself again.
What are the benefits of getting a tummy tuck after a C-section?
Because of the incisions made to deliver a baby during a C-section, mothers are left with a large scar running either horizontally or vertically across their lower stomach after giving birth. To address this scar and other physical post-pregnancy changes, many women choose to have tummy tuck surgery, also called abdominoplasty. Following a C-section, tummy tuck surgery can:
- Lessen the C-section scar and scar tissue
- Flatten the tummy by tightening underlying muscles and removing excess fat
- Remove any excess skin and the “skin shelf” that sits above the scar
- Re-create or even enhance the pre-pregnancy figure
- Get rid of abdominal stretch marks
- Change your belly button from an ”outie” to an “innie” or otherwise improve its appearance
- Repair diastasis recti
- Contour the waist
The main reason women undergo tummy tuck surgery following their C-section, however, is to regain their sense of identity and confidence. Pregnancy takes a serious toll on a woman’s body and mind, and restoring her to her former (or enhanced) figure can help her feel more like herself again.
Why do I need to wait to have a C-section after giving birth?
For you and your baby, it’s best to wait at least six to 12 months after giving birth to have your tummy tuck. We know this can be difficult if you want to address your C-section scar, loose skin, and extra weight right away, but many moms appreciate waiting for these reasons:
- Your body is healing and going through changes: You’ll need time to heal after pregnancy. Giving birth is physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing! After pregnancy, your body is coping with many postpartum transitions, such as hormonal rebalancing and breast size changes.
- Bonding is important: The first few months following childbirth are critical for mother-child bonding, and waiting for at least six months after giving birth to have your tummy tuck allows you to enjoy this time with your newborn, uninterrupted by an additional surgical recovery.
- You need time to plan: Initial recovery from a tummy tuck takes about two weeks, and you’ll want to make sure that you have time to organize, prepare, and line up the help you’ll need during that period so you can focus on healing.
- You won’t be able to lift your child during recovery: This is not the time to be lifting your child and caring for him or her on your own. If you’re tempted to do so too soon after your tummy tuck, you might accidentally strain your incisions, delay your healing process, or otherwise compromise your results.
For more suggestions on recovering from plastic surgery, we invite you to read our Mommy Makeover post.
Can I combine my tummy tuck with my C-section?
Most doctors strongly advise against combining a tummy tuck with a C-section, as your uterus is still undergoing dramatic size changes in the weeks after childbirth. Additionally, a different anesthesia type is usually used during a C-section versus a tummy tuck (this is because a C-section plan must consider childbirth safety while tummy tuck anesthesia is purely about your comfort). Lastly, your plastic surgeon will be able to recommend a more ideal tummy tuck plan when they can see how much your abdomen has “bounced back” (or not) after carrying your child. All that said, getting a tummy tuck after a C-section is perfectly safe—you just need to give yourself some time.
Will I need drains after my tummy tuck?
While it is standard for patients to require surgical drains following a tummy tuck, Dr. Claytor offers a drainless, or “no drain,” tummy tuck. When performed properly by a board-certified plastic surgeon, a drainless tummy tuck allows patients to recover faster and with fewer complications.
Here’s how it works: Dr. Claytor is able to maintain your Scarpa’s fascia (deep connective tissue within your abdominal wall) during surgery, which acts as a natural drainage system for your lymphatic system. This means you won’t have to deal with the hassle of emptying fluids from your drains post-surgery, and because your blood supply is improved and tissue damage is reduced, you’ll heal much faster than a traditional tummy tuck.
Is a drainless tummy tuck safe?
Traditional tummy tucks remove the lymphatic drainage from the abdomen, necessitating the use of drains. Dr. Claytor’s approach to maintaining your Scarpa’s fascia and lymphatic system is much safer and more natural. His advanced drainless tummy tuck technique has a post-surgical fluid collection rate less than that of patients who use drains, therefore his patients have a much lower rate of developing seromas. Dr. Claytor has been performing drainless tummy tucks with exceptional results for over 10 years in our AAAASF-accredited surgical suite.
I’m ready to schedule my tummy tuck—what are my next steps?
Congratulations on your delivery! Now that you are officially recovered from your C-section, you can begin to schedule your tummy tuck procedure. Here’s what you’ll want to do:
- Make sure you’re at a stable weight and are in overall good physical condition. This will ensure you have optimal results from your tummy tuck and will help prevent any potential complications.
- Make sure you aren’t planning on becoming pregnant again. If you do get pregnant after your tummy tuck, you can still safely bear a child, but it will compromise your results. While a secondary tummy tuck can be an option, most women prefer to wait until their family is complete.
Above all else, be sure to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon. He or she can let you know if you are a good candidate for surgery.
C tuck results
The “c-tuck” is the latest buzzword to make the rounds in the plastic surgery world, and it’s understandable. The trend, which combines a tummy tuck with a c-section, claims to offer a convenient way to bounce back after a baby without undergoing a separate surgery. Unfortunately, our Austin team of cosmetic body contouring surgery specialists doesn’t recommend this approach, and there are a few major reasons.
Let’s take a look at what the c-tuck trend is all about.
What is a c-tuck?
A c-tuck is a modified version of a tummy tuck performed at the end of a c-section operation. It’s intended to conveniently offer the benefits of a tummy tuck, primarily abdominal skin tightening, without requiring a separate surgery.
A c-tuck may be performed by a plastic surgeon who is brought in for the procedure. However, some obstetricians offer to create the effect themselves by removing excess skin or improving the appearance of a past c-section scar as they finish the delivery process.
Why is the c-tuck a bad idea?
Sure, coming out of a c-section with a flatter abdomen and avoiding a separate procedure seems great. Unfortunately, it’s usually not the best idea. Here’s why:
Your results won’t be what you’re looking for.
By the end of your pregnancy, your skin and muscles are significantly stretched. This makes it difficult to assess how much tightening needs to be done or can be done. After post-delivery swelling goes down and your body recovers from the pregnancy, you’ll probably still have residual loose skin. You won’t get to enjoy the results you would have achieved with a tummy tuck performed at the right time and under the right circumstances.
Your risk of complications is higher.
You’re not an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck immediately after delivery because your uterus is swollen and your body is undergoing many hormonal changes. This increases your risk for blood clots, infections, and other issues. With a separately scheduled tummy tuck, however, your body will be better prepared, and your surgeon will be able to work in the best possible conditions, keeping your risk for complications as low as possible.
Your recovery will be especially rough.
Recovering from both a c-section and a major body contouring procedure is complicated and physically demanding. Add a newborn baby into the mix, and it’s easy to see why this recovery situation is not ideal. You’re better off letting your body recuperate from the birth so it’s ready to handle tummy tuck recovery with as much strength and resilience as possible.
How soon can you get a tummy tuck after a c-section?
A tummy tuck following a c-section certainly isn’t out of the question, but it should be done at the right time for your benefit. It’s best to wait until your weight has stabilized in a healthy range and you have finished breastfeeding.
It’s also wise to make sure your family is complete before you choose a tummy tuck. Future pregnancies can stretch your skin and muscles back out, altering your results.
To see examples of the results you can expect from a tummy tuck at Synergy Plastic Surgery, please visit our before-and-after photo gallery.