A tummy tuck, medically known as an abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure to remove excess fat and skin from the abdomen which may have occurred due to excessive weight gain, weight loss, aging, and pregnancy, among various other reasons.
There are two types of tummy tucks: complete tummy tuck or partial tummy tuck also referred to as a mini tummy tuck. The complete tummy tuck procedure is done by opening the abdomen from right hip to the left hip just above the pubic area. The fat and excess skin is then cut off, the muscles are tightened, and the navel is carefully repositioned. This is a lengthy surgery that is conducted under general anesthesia and can take up to five hours to complete.On the other hand, a partial tummy tuck, although has many similarities to the complete one, is performed on people who only have fat beneath their belly buttons. So, in their cases, the fat and skin is removed, but the navels are not repositioned. This procedure takes only about two hours to complete.
When it comes to the issue of recovery times, then it goes without saying that the partial form has a shorter recovery time compared to the complete one. Since tummy tuck is such a major surgery, the recovery time is quite long. It takes on average at least six months before you can truly see the effects of it.
The first week after the surgery is usually the hardest. You will most likely require help from your family members to go about doing many day to day tasks as you will need a lot of bed rest. The pain and tenderness will remain for the first few weeks, so it is best to avoid anything that causes strain such as heavy lifting or physical exercise.
Also, depending on the extent of your surgery, you will also be fitted with drainage tubes to drain excess fluid from where the incision was made. Those tubes can be removed anywhere after three days to two weeks based on the amount of fluid which needs to be drained.
In order to ascertain whether you are a suitable candidate for a tummy tuck, there are a number of factors you have to take into consideration.
If you feel tummy tuck is something that might help you, feel free to book your consultation today with Madison Avenue Plastic Surgery. We hope to hear from you soon.