What is Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)?
Due to excess weight gain and loss, hormone irregularities and fat gaining after pregnancies result in sagging and cracking skin in women’s bodies and also loosening in the abdominal muscles are inevitable problems. In such cases, abdominoplasty, that is, an abdominal stretching operation can be applied.
We can define this method, which is especially preferred in or which is largely used for the problems of skin sagging and muscle loosening in the abdominal region, which does not improve despite the recommended exercise or diet programs.
It is recommended that overweight people who decide to have abdominoplasty should reach the ideal their ideal weight by losing some weight before the procedure. Because, people with excess weight have more thickness in the skin of their abdomen, and the height-weight index will be lower after the operation than the normal people. For this reason, a proper diet and exercise planning is made first. Patients who achieved the expected weight loss become ready for the procedure that will provide a more positive result.
How is Abdominoplasty performed?
When the ligaments between the muscles on the front walls of the abdomen are thinned and torn, separations occur in that area. With the pushing of the internal organs, the abdominal region becomes saggy and dislocated. Thanks to the abdominoplasty, the abdominal muscles are tightened, the anterior wall of the abdomen is narrowed, the tissues and fat that grow at that point are removed. With the same operation, the belly button, which appears sagging towards the bottom, is also repositioned. Even if not all the cracks in the abdomen are removed after the abdominal stretching operation, most of them will recover at a satisfactory level.
Depending on the amount of deformation occurring in the abdominal region, partial or total abdominoplasty options is applied. When the fat in the abdomen and sagging are evident and the separation in the muscles is at an advanced level, total abdominoplasty is performed. In cases where the deformation dimension ends in the area under the navel, partial abdominoplasty is chosen. In cases which require replacement of the navel, tiny scars may occur around the area and remain at the underwear border.
In general, liposuction is added to the abdominoplasty operation, thus a more aesthetic appearance is achieved.
How long does the surgery last?
The duration of the abdominoplasty operation is approximately two to three hours. Although the procedure varies depending on the condition of the region where the surgery will be performed, the person hospitalized is discharged within a day or two.
Is there a complication risk after the procedure?
After abdominoplasty, especially in people who smoke regularly, diabetes patients, those with additional systemic diseases and those who have wound healing problems, the recovery area may be slow or delayed.
What Should Be Considered After The Operation?
During the operation, drains are placed in the abdominal area in order to prevent the accumulation of fluid called blood or seroma to be removed after a few days. A painkiller is used to suppress the pain that will be felt in the first days. The level of pain decreases day by day and the person feels better.
Especially for the first two days, in order to prevent tension in the suture line, the patient is recommended to walk forward with a slight inclination and to sleep by placing a high pillow on the back of his head.
If the patient does not do a physical job, he/she can return to his/her profession within an average of fifteen days. Still, it would be good for his/her health to use the corset for about forty days as a precaution. Also, it is preferable not to do heavy exercises in the two to three months after surgery.
It takes between six and twelve months, on average, that the edema at the operation place is completely healed and the abdomen reaches the desired shape. It is important that the person who undergo an abdominoplasty is attentive to his weight and does not gain excess weight.
Those who are overweight and think of losing weight should postpone this process to the period after they get rid of their excess weight, and those who think about getting pregnant should postpone this period after birth.
