What Is Tummy Tuck?
What is tummy tuck? Why do men and women alike are willing to undergo this type of surgery every year? Statistics show that over 80,000 men and women have had a tummy tuck surgery done every year.
Tummy tuck is also known as abdominoplasty. Tummy tuck is a major cosmetic surgery procedure that involves removing excess fat and skin around the abdominal area. In most cases, tummy tuck is also done to restore weakened or separated stomach muscles to create a firmer, smoother tummy.
Who doesn’t want a flat and well-toned tummy? Though a firm and well-toned stomach can be achieved through exercise and weight control, not many people are successful with it. Even people who are not overweight may also suffer from loose and sagging stomach muscles due mainly to pregnancy, aging, heredity, prior surgery, and significant fluctuations in weight.
The patient can choose to undergo mini tummy tuck instead of a full tummy tuck surgery if she has only a limited amount of sagging skin. It is less invasive and is advisable for people who do not have a significantly protruding abdominal muscle wall. Those who have sagging stomach due to aging or slim people who want to sculpt their stomach into a more desirable shape are ideal candidates for mini tummy tuck.
How Much Does a Tummy Tuck Cost?
As with any elective surgery, cost is always a consideration. Prices for tummy tuck vary widely and depend on the surgeon’s expertise, the type of procedure used, and most often, the geographic office location. A full tummy tuck surgery ranges from $3,000 to $8,500 per operation while a mini tummy tuck costs around $2,650 to $6,000.
How Is It Done?
The success of the procedure depends largely on how honest the patient is regarding his or her general medical condition during the consultation. It is during this stage that the surgeon evaluate the amount of excess skin and fat on the abdomen to be removed. The surgeon also determine what caused the sagging stomach muscles.
The tummy tuck surgeon administers intravenous sedation or general anesthesia for your comfort before doing the actual surgery. Then the surgeon makes a horizontally-oriented incision in the area between the pubic hairline and navel. Excess fat, tissue and skin are suctioned out through the incision by way of liposuction. If necessary, a second incision around the navel is made to remove excess fat in the upper abdomen area.
Tummy Tuck Recovery
Specific instructions such as avoiding heavy lifting and any strenuous activities like driving are given to patient upon check-out. Sometimes a patient may be specifically instructed to wear elastic stocking to avoid blood clots during the recovery period. It is just normal to experience mild pain and discomfort, swelling and bruising after the first few days but there are some things such as heavy bleeding and severe pain that should be reported to the surgeon right away.
Other Helpful Information
- Women who may be considering getting pregnant in the future should postpone a tummy tuck procedure because giving birth will reverse the results.
- Smokers are advised to quit before considering tummy tuck procedure to avoid post-operation complications.
- Pear-shaped women will get an optimal contouring effect if liposuction is done along the hip area.
- Together with the tummy tuck surgeon, individuals should assess their body makeup to determine which type of tummy tuck is appropriate. If there is less skin and fat that needs to be removed around the abdomen area, a mini tummy tuck is the best option.