Abdominoplasty tummy tuck
Who are candidates for cosmetic surgery?
I ask that the patients are done having children. There is no sense in having elective surgery if the results will not
last because the abdomen will change with child birth.
i ask that the patients are or close to their optimal body weight. If you continue to lose weight after surgery the
skin will loosen.
Patients should be in good health as they will be undergoing surgery
Smoking will increase chance of delayed wound healing as well as other medical conditions such as diabetes.
All my patients need to have pre-surgical testing
Procedure
A horizontal incision is made in the lower abdomen. I try to make this incision low so that it is hidden with
undergarments. The length of the scar is dependent on how much skin needs to be removed.
The skin is dissected along the anterior abdominal fascia up to the umbilicus also known as the belly button.
Another incision will be made around the umbilicus to free it up and allow further dissection up to the xiphoid in
the middle and rib cages on either side. Aggressive dissection needs to be performed to allow the skin to be
mobilized in a downward fashion.
At this time I assess the muscles. Usually the muscles will be separated if there has been weight gain. I use
sutures to pull the muscles together again. This maneuver will give a flatter appearance to the abdomen
The patient is sat up at this time to ensure that as much excess skin is removed as possible.
Once the tissue is removed sutures are placed to close the wounds. A new incision is made to allow the belly
button to pop out in its old position. i make this in a shape of a v so that there is superior hooding which is more
aesthetically appealing. I also try to get the scar to stay with in the belly button. If the scar is placed on the outside
of the belly button it is generally more noticeable.
I place drains so that the extra fluid under the flap is removed. The drains will stay in until the drainage recorded
daily is less then 30cc/24 hours.
I do place an abdominal binder but it has to worn loosely as a tight binder could decrease blood supply and delay
wound healing.
Post operative care
After the surgery I ask the patients to ambulate to help prevent blood clots.
Deep breaths and the use of an incentive spirometry are important to help improve deep breathing and decrease
the chance of pneumonia.
I encourage the patients to keep hydrated after he surgery as it will help with recovery.
Recovery is about two weeks depending on what the activities are.
No working out or heavy lifting for at least 6 weeks after surgery..
Who are candidates for cosmetic surgery?
I ask that the patients are done having children. There is no sense in having elective surgery if the results will not
last because the abdomen will change with child birth.
i ask that the patients are or close to their optimal body weight. If you continue to lose weight after surgery the
skin will loosen.
Patients should be in good health as they will be undergoing surgery
Smoking will increase chance of delayed wound healing as well as other medical conditions such as diabetes.
All my patients need to have pre-surgical testing
Procedure
A horizontal incision is made in the lower abdomen. I try to make this incision low so that it is hidden with
undergarments. The length of the scar is dependent on how much skin needs to be removed.
The skin is dissected along the anterior abdominal fascia up to the umbilicus also known as the belly button.
Another incision will be made around the umbilicus to free it up and allow further dissection up to the xiphoid in
the middle and rib cages on either side. Aggressive dissection needs to be performed to allow the skin to be
mobilized in a downward fashion.
At this time I assess the muscles. Usually the muscles will be separated if there has been weight gain. I use
sutures to pull the muscles together again. This maneuver will give a flatter appearance to the abdomen
The patient is sat up at this time to ensure that as much excess skin is removed as possible.
Once the tissue is removed sutures are placed to close the wounds. A new incision is made to allow the belly
button to pop out in its old position. i make this in a shape of a v so that there is superior hooding which is more
aesthetically appealing. I also try to get the scar to stay with in the belly button. If the scar is placed on the outside
of the belly button it is generally more noticeable.
I place drains so that the extra fluid under the flap is removed. The drains will stay in until the drainage recorded
daily is less then 30cc/24 hours.
I do place an abdominal binder but it has to worn loosely as a tight binder could decrease blood supply and delay
wound healing.
Post operative care
After the surgery I ask the patients to ambulate to help prevent blood clots.
Deep breaths and the use of an incentive spirometry are important to help improve deep breathing and decrease
the chance of pneumonia.
I encourage the patients to keep hydrated after he surgery as it will help with recovery.
Recovery is about two weeks depending on what the activities are.
No working out or heavy lifting for at least 6 weeks after surgery..
BEFORE
AFTER