Age, pregnancy, or simple weight fluctuations can contribute to a loose, saggy abdominal area. Exercise and diet alone cannot eliminate stretch marks, loose skin, stubborn fat, or tighten the abdominal muscles. A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty at Aesthetic Surgery Center in Naples, FL, not only restores the stomach to a tighter, more youthful appearance but can also restore your confidence.
What is Tummy Tuck Surgery?
A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure that tightens the abdominal muscles and skin. The extra skin and fat accumulations are removed, resulting in a flatter stomach. It provides a more youthful appearance with better body contours.
The staff at the Aesthetic Surgery Center understands that patients come to us with various reasons for seeking tummy tuck surgery. This surgery is most appropriate for patients in good physical health who have reasonable expectations.
Types of Tummy Tucks
There are two main types of tummy tucks, based on how much skin and fat must be removed. Your surgeon will recommend the best option for you based on the condition of your abdominal area and your overall goals.
Traditional (Extended) Tummy Tuck
A traditional or extended tummy tuck addresses the entire abdominal area for comprehensive rejuvenation. It typically involves tightening or even reconstructing the abdominal wall, in addition to removing excess skin and fat. During this procedure, a new belly button must be created.
Mini Tummy Tuck
A mini tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that aims to tighten and remove extra skin and fat from the lower belly. The operation aims to make your abdomen look better following pregnancy, weight loss, age, or genetics. A mini tummy tuck surgery may be done alone or in conjunction with liposuction/body contouring to address any additional areas that need improvement.
Benefits of Abdominoplasty
For many people, a loose stomach that is baggy and lumpy can be stressful. Your clothes may not fit well, you find yourself crossing your arms in front of your tummy, and you might even hide in the background of photos. Excess fatty tissue and loose skin around the abdomen can make it difficult to participate in certain activities, keep up with your kids or friends, and perform basic chores.
Whether you’ve shed a few pounds or many, fighting that extra skin and fatty tissue on your body may feel like an uphill battle every day. Tummy tuck surgery can assist you in getting the comfort and confidence you’ve been seeking.
Candidates
Candidates for this surgery are usually in their 30s to 50s and have maintained a consistent body weight without gaining or losing more than 20 pounds over the past six months. They should also be in good health.
Although exercise and eating properly might help a person maintain their desired weight, it isn’t usually enough on its own. Diet and exercise may not always produce the expected results, especially when loose skin is involved. Tummy tuck surgery can help, but patients must also have reasonable expectations.
What to Expect During a Tummy Tuck Consultation
Our team will perform an exam, discuss your concerns, and design a unique treatment plan that will safely and effectively meet your abdominoplasty goals during your consultation.
Tummy tucks involve making a large scar on the abdomen, though this scar will fade and flatten somewhat over time. The surgeon will place incisions under your bikini line to conceal them with minimal clothing coverage.
A tummy tuck is performed under general anesthesia. Our team at Aesthetic Surgery Center will discuss the most appropriate type of anesthesia for you during your consultation.
Time in surgery takes 2 to 3 hours, depending on the type of tummy tuck performed. You can expect to return to work in about 10 days.
How to Prepare for Abdominoplasty
Preparation is key to getting the best results and a faster recovery after abdominoplasty. Follow all of your surgeon’s instructions closely.
If you smoke, quit now. Smoking in any amount increases the danger of developing complications. Smoking lowers the amount of oxygen in your cells and shrinks your blood vessels. This will slow down your body’s ability to heal.
Our team will need to know about the medicines, supplements, and vitamins you take. Your surgeon might request that you cease taking some of your medications before surgery.
To help build muscle and increase your body’s metabolic rate, get enough exercise before surgery. This helps to prevent weight gain during recovery while you rest and heal.
The Tummy Tuck Surgery
Full Tummy Tuck
This procedure contours the entire stomach area and usually includes liposculpture for shaping and sculpting the abdominal area. The full tummy tuck is recommended for patients with excess fat and skin in their lower abdomen and lower back (love handles). A full abdominoplasty procedure requires general anesthesia and takes less than two hours to complete.
An incision is created below the underwear line that extends between the hips in the pelvic area. All of the incisions are carefully placed to minimize them within the skin’s natural folds.
The full tummy tuck is an outpatient procedure that tightens loose abdominal muscles, which may be lax and stretched after childbirth or weight loss. A new belly button is created, and stretch marks below the current belly button will be removed as much as possible.
Mini Tummy Tuck
The mini tummy tuck is performed as an outpatient procedure using general anesthesia. It is an option for patients who feel that liposuction alone will give them a much smoother and flatter stomach while the incision allows the surgeon to remove excess skin and fat from the lower area of the stomach. The mini tummy tuck incision and recovery are somewhat shorter than is required for the full tummy tuck procedure.
Recovery
During the first week after surgery, you are likely to find that you experience some pain and stiffness. However, most patients find that these side effects become less problematic during the second week of recovery.
Abdominoplasty patients wear a binder or support garment for about three weeks after the procedure. This will help to control swelling as the body heals. You may resume many normal activities after a couple of days, but you should stay away from any strenuous activity and refrain from sitting or standing for long periods until at least two weeks after your surgery.
You should also avoid lifting heavy items as this could cause pain and put pressure on the healing areas. Most patients return to work within two weeks after surgery, though those who do physical labor at work may need to wait longer before they can go back.
The abdominal area will be swollen and it will take time for the tissues to settle down. Our team at Aesthetic Surgery Center encourages patients to walk every day during the first week after surgery to ease swelling and prevent blood clots. Swelling will usually disappear by the end of the third or early fourth week but bruising may take slightly longer to resolve.
By five weeks after your surgery, driving should be possible although you should not drive if you feel drowsy or dizzy as this could pose a danger. Your surgeon will let you know when you can start exercising again.
Tummy Tuck Surgery Cost in Naples, FL
The tummy tuck surgery cost can vary from patient to patient. One factor that greatly affects the price of your surgery is whether or not you require general anesthesia. If so, this will add to your bill.
During your consultation with the surgeon, they’ll go over factors that may affect the cost, such as:
- How much tissue will be removed
- Whether muscle tissues need to be tightened
- Whether your belly button should shift
- Length of the incision required to achieve your objectives
The surgeon will provide a cost proposal for the tummy tuck following your in-person consultation. Financing options are available.
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- Nina Malavia
Tummy Tuck FAQs
Yes, you can have a tummy tuck after pregnancy. It is quite common, actually! But it is recommended to wait at least 6 months post-delivery because your uterus takes about 6 months to return to its pre-pregnancy state and must reduce in size. During this period, you also need to stabilize your weight.
A mini tummy tuck is a less invasive procedure than a full tummy tuck. It aims to remove excess fat rather than tighten the stomach muscles and skin. For many patients, it will be preferable to avoid scarring at all costs.
Some techniques are applied during the operation to limit visible scars on the body after surgery. This includes leaving two or four ‘drain’ holes below the skin for large volumes of fluid to drain out. However, even with these precautions, scarring can still be a risk.
Coverage depends on the individual policy and on what type of tummy tuck is required. Insurance companies are quick to try and avoid paying for such procedures to keep their profits up, but there has been a success with people getting at least some of their costs covered by insurance companies when the stomach muscles have been stretched.
Schedule your Consultation Today
Contact the Aesthetic Surgery Center to book an appointment with one of our plastic surgeons if you’ve been dealing with excess fat and skin affecting your abdomen. Our staff feels that educating patients is key to creating successful, natural-looking results. Call (239) 420-8503 to make a tummy tuck consultation appointment at the Aesthetic Surgery Center in Naples, FL, located at 1175 Creekside Parkway #100.
Related Procedures: Mini Tummy Tuck (Mini-Abdominoplasty), Brachioplasty (Arm Lift), Thigh Lift, Mommy Makeover, Liposuction, Body Contouring After Weight Loss, Labiaplasty, Brazilian Butt Lift