Minimally-invasive Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
Weight gain, here weight loss, and pregnancy have a significant impact on a woman’s abdomen. Infrequently, dieting and exercise can restore the abdominal wall to its flat shape after the skin and muscles have been stretched. Following weight loss men can also find it difficult to regaining their flat abdomen.
The tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is the procedure to remove excess skin and fat and to tighten the muscles in the abdominal wall. It can also eliminate loose or wrinkled skin and stretch marks. Both men and women can benefit from this extremely effective body contouring surgery to correct the effects that pregnancy, as well as weight gain and loss can have on the abdomen.
Over the past 10 years a new method of abdominoplasty called lipo-abdominoplasty** has emerged from Brazil. The lipo-abdominoplasty represents the safe and effective fusion of cosmetic abdominoplasty and abdominal liposuction.
The cornerstone of lipo-abdominoplasty is the use of tumescent liposuction under local anesthesia to loosen the skin and fat layers without the need to separate any blood vessels and utilizes a superficial excision of only the excess skin layers to achieve a tight, attractive abdomen. If the abdominal muscles need to be tightened, tightening is accomplished through small tunnel in the center of the abdomen that lacks significant blood vessels.
The advantages of this new lipo-abdominoplasty procedure in cosmetic surgery is greater safety due to the ability to perform awake abdominoplasty or abdominoplasty under local anesthesia in many patients thereby reducing the significant risks associated with general anesthesia and deep sedation. Likewise, minimal separation of the abdominal wall blood supply due to the safe integration of abdominal liposuction for maximum body contouring results in better cosmetic outcomes.
4Ever Young Aesthetics & Wellness cosmetic surgeons have adopted this revolutionary minimally invasive approach to tummy tuck that can be safely and effectively perform as an office procedure. The technique called lipo-abdominoplasty combines two procedures: liposuction of the abdomen and the tummy tuck. The procedure is performed in our operating room under 100% tumescent anesthesia. By eliminating the risks and complications of the use of general anesthesia or heavy sedation we offer improved patient safety and postoperative recovery over traditional abdominoplasty procedures.
Tummy Tuck patient selection: Ideal candidates meet most of the following criteria:
- Close to their ideal body weight (within 30%)
- Desire the removal of loose skin or fat that is diet and exercise resistant
- Weight has been stable for 6 months or more
- Has good skin tone and elasticity
- Emotionally stable
- Understands the risks of abdominoplasty surgery and scarring.
If you do not meet all of these criteria, but meet some of them, you may still be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. The traditional tummy tuck procedure is most suited for those who are close to their ideal body weight, but if you have a lot of fat in an isolated area, you may still be a good candidate.
If you intend to lose a lot of weight, wait until after your weight loss to schedule abdominoplasty surgery. If you plan on future pregnancies, you should wait to have surgery until you are done having children as pregnancy will stretch the abdomen again.
You are at increased risk for complications if you have diabetes, poor circulation, heart, lung, or liver disease, smoke, have a family history of blood clots, take certain medications, or if you are obese and probably should not have an abdominoplasty procedure.
Liposuction is ideal to contour the abdomen for those who have good skin tone and excess fat that is resistant to diet and exercise, but the tummy tuck is a better procedure for women and men who have loose abdominal skin following pregnancy and weight loss.
Tummy Tuck Recovery -What to Expect
- Anesthesia: Totally under local tumescent anesthesia, twilight anesthesia
- Length of Surgery: 1-3 hours
- Pain level: Moderate, 3-8 days of pain medication
- Numbness: 6 months or more
- Bandages: Removed in 2-5 days
- Drains: Removed between 2-10 days
- Stitches: Removed in 5-7 days
- Work: Return to desk job often 1 week
- Exercise: May be resumed in 4 weeks
- Final result: Evident after the scar heals 6-12 months
Call us today to schedule a consultation & get the RESULTS you desire!
YOUR procedure performed by YOUR physician!
**Lipo-abdominoplasty is referred to by several names: lipoabdominoplasty, abdominolipoplasty, the Avelar abdominoplasty, minimally-invasive abdominoplasty and mini-abdominoplasty are being some of the more common terms.