Tummy Tuck: Facts about Abdominoplasty

Before choosing to undergo a tummy tuck, here are the main steps from the pre to post-surgery to help you decide if this is the right procedure for you.

1. Understand risks and complications
Abdominoplasty is a major surgical procedure, so be aware that although uncommon, there is the potential to develop serious complications. Mild risks include poor scarring, extended bruising or swelling, and asymmetrical results. More serious complications that can occur include bleeding, infection, nerve damage, skin necrosis, and blood clots. Not all risks can be avoided, but following doctor's orders both pre and post-op as well as maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle can help minimize these dangers.

2. Research and choose a qualified plastic surgeon
Choosing the right surgeon is one of the most important decisions you'll have to make before undergoing a tummy tuck. Make sure the surgeon is board-certified and specializes in abdominoplasty. Ask to see before and after photos during your consultation. Although you may feel instantly comfortable with the first surgeon you visit, it is wise to consult with a variety before settling on one.

3. Follow all pre-op instructions
A few months prior to your surgery, you will be given a sheet of instructions in order to ensure that the tummy tuck goes smoothly. Even before you prepare to consult with surgeons, you should be maintaining a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise regime. Abdominoplasty will not help you lose weight, but rather will help sculpt your body and tighten muscles that have loosened with age or disuse.

Quitting smoking can also drastically lower potential complications. A few months before you may have to stop taking certain medications and have some lab tests or a physical. Immediately before surgery, you will probably have to stop eating and drinking fluids at a certain time, wash your hair and body with a special soap, and dress as instructed for your arrival to the surgery center.

4. Get through the procedure
The tummy tuck itself involves a long horizontal incision made from hip bone to hip bone, generally below the bikini line for easier camouflage. Excess skin and fat is cut away while the muscle and remaining skin is sewn tightly back into place. Depending on the individual situation, further incisions may be necessary to achieve optimal results.

5. Recovery
You will need someone to drive you home after the surgery unless your surgeon finds it necessary for an overnight stay at the hospital. A friend or family member should also be available to assist you with your first few days of recovery as these may be particularly difficult.

Your surgeon will send you home with medication prescriptions and instructions on changing tummy tuck dressings and bandages as well as any other care that is necessary. Recovery times vary by individual, but the minimum expected time before work can be resumed is two to three weeks. You will be very sore and uncomfortable for the first few days as well as bruised.

6. Follow-up
You may have to return to the surgeon in a few weeks for stitch or drain tube removal as well as a check-up. Use this time to ask any lingering questions and report abnormalities or concerns, if any. In some cases, you may have a few follow-up visits, so consider the impact of location before choosing a surgeon.

7. Results
After swelling as subsided, you should begin to see a more well-defined, flattened midsection. You'll look slimmer and feel more confident about your new body.

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