Cosmetic Surgery – The Tummy Tuck

Before getting a tummy tuck it is important to realize that it is not a replacement for diet and exercise. This cosmetic surgery is not recommended for people who intend to gain a lot of weight, lose a lot of wait or become pregnant.

Depending on how much flesh and fat is going to be removed a tummy tuck can be performed as either an outpatient or inpatient procedure. It can be done with a sedative and local anesthetic but most people refer to be under general anesthesia as it can be quite a bloody procedure. The surgery is initiated by making one long incision from one hipbone to another. A second cut is then made to remove the navel skin from the abdominal wall. The skin is then clipped; repositions and the abdominal muscles are pulled tighter and stitched together.  After the skin is stretched over the abdomen a new opening is cut out of the flesh for the belly button and it is stitched. After such surgery you will be wearing a lot of bandages and some people need a drainage tube beneath their body dressings.

It is important to have realistic expectations about this operation. This is a heavy-duty invasive surgical procedure that leaves a big scar on the body. If you don’t want the scar then you can opt to have an endoscopic abdominoplasty instead of the traditional type. During this type of tummy tuck, which is less invasive, a surgeon uses an endoscope with a camera in it to make small incisions along the waist and tighten the abdominal muscles. The drawback of this type of tummy tuck is that it does not address the problem of loose skin as the skin is not pulled up, stretched or tightened in any way.

Post-operative recovery can also be very uncomfortable. There can be swelling which can last a few weeks to a few months. There is also extreme pain in some cases that can last for more than a few days. There is usually no bruising but the area can become numb. Mild exercise like walking reduces inflammation and helps the body heal faster.

As is true of any cosmetic surgery, a tummy tuck can have complications. Among the risks are a hematoma, loss of the belly button, excessive scarring, excessive bleeding and infection. If you are smoker you might also have a harder time responding to this type of cosmetic surgery. It is also never given to individuals under the age of eighteen. A cosmetic surgeon that agrees to do this operation on an obese minor is probably a crook.