Almost everybody looks for bodily perfection these days and it is common to desire a flat and toned abdomen. When you diet and exercise to lose weight, you may be left with a stretched abdomen. With aging, massive weight loss or pregnancy, you may be left with loose and sagging skin on the tummy in addition to lax abdominal muscles as well. If you are also struggling with these concerns and no amount of exercising is helpful, it is time to consider a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty procedure. This is a surgical procedure which helps regain the shape of your abdomen so that it does not hang like stretched rubber anymore. Your surgeon can also remove any excessive fat and tighten your abdominal muscles.
Tightening your loose abdomen
Tummy tuck is a procedure that helps you stay shapely but it is not a weight loss surgery. The goal with this surgery is to lose stubborn fat, excessive skin and contour your tummy in a pleasing shape. Even those who follow a regular exercise routine and healthy diet are unable to tighten a loose belly without surgical intervention.
Reverse the effects of pregnancy
Pregnancy can negatively impact the abdomen of a woman by leaving behind excessive skin and fat, and in some cases, separated abdominal muscles. New mothers are left with a stretched abdomen and when the skin loses its elasticity, it leaves the skin over the belly overstretched. You need to wait a while to heal from childbirth before you undergo the tummy tuck procedure.
In addition to correcting the stretched skin, the tummy tuck can also hide your previous scars. You must let your surgeon know if you have had a surgery on your abdomen in the past. A small procedure like an appendix removal does not affect your results but a major surgery like a cesarean would mean that your surgeon will be have to be extra careful during your tummy tuck.
What is the procedure like?
Your tummy tuck is performed under general anesthesia and it takes about 1-2 hours on an average. If there is a large amount of skin and fat to be removed in addition to contouring of the thighs and hips as well, it may take 3-4 hours.
Your surgeon will make two incisions in order to expose your abdominal skin, fat, and muscles. The first incision is made around the hip bone and it reaches the pubic area. The second incision is used to release your belly button so that it can be reattached at a higher position. The skin is separated from the torso so that enough muscle is revealed; this is then tightened and stitched to give you a slimmer waistline.
How long will the results last?
Depending on how you take care of yourself, your results may last from a few months to several years. Any significant weight gain or a future pregnancy will alter the results you achieved with the tummy tuck. Once you follow a healthy lifestyle post your tummy tuck, you will be able to retain your stunning results for as long as 5 years. You must continue to visit your surgeon after the procedure so that your results can be evaluated and any complications or infections can be prevented.
To learn more about the tummy tuck procedure, contact our office today!
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