What You Can Expect From a Tummy Tuck

A protruding stomach or sagging tummy skin may effectively prevent you from wearing your best bikini or the latest bare tummy fashion. For some people, a tummy tuck is a logical answer to the problem. You should first know though what you should expect from a tummy tuck.

What It Is

A tummy tuck is medically known as abdominoplasty. It is a major operation that can remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen and tighten stomach muscles. People who choose to undergo this procedure are usually discontented with the shapes of their stomachs that may have changed shape due to pregnancy, weight loss, age and genetic predisposition.

During Consultation

A surgeon will not immediately let you undergo a tummy tuck without first evaluating your overall condition. Factors that can affect or determine the need for a tummy tuck include physical and emotional health, fat deposits, skin type and overall condition.

If your doctor sees fit, he may first recommend that you try exercise and diet. Only when such a natural procedure fails will he look into the possibility of surgery. Sometimes though your doctor may recommend that you undergo some other procedure other than a tummy tuck. Depending on your condition, your doctor may just recommend a mini tummy tuck instead of a full one or liposuction.

Before you undergo a tummy tuck your doctor should explain the whole procedure, what to expect during and after surgery and what recovery will be like. You should also receive instructions about refraining from smoking for some time before surgery and what medications and food to avoid.

Who Can Have It

The candidates for a tummy tuck procedure should already be in generally excellent health and only have some fats or lose skin in the abdomen that cannot be removed naturally. Candidates should also clearly understand that a tummy tuck may not give perfect results and that they may have to carefully maintain proper diet, exercise and lifestyle even months after surgery.

It is advised that women who are planning to get pregnant should not undergo abdominoplasty first. The expansion of the stomach during pregnancy might result in the disconnection of stitched abdominal muscles

The Procedure

A complete tummy tuck may require a long horizontal incision in an area that can easily be hidden by clothing. The skin will then be lifted up to allow the surgeon to stitch muscles. The skin will then be pulled down and the excess skin removed before stitches are done. Partial abdominoplasty will require a smaller incision.

Complications and Recovery

As with all other surgical procedures, you are open to infection and poor scar and body healing during and after surgery. The greatest disadvantage however will be the presence of a long and permanent scar.

Recovery will also take a few weeks or even months. Some may have to take up to a month off work to allow the pain and swelling to diminish. The permanent scar itself however may not fade until after more than a year.