An Abdominoplasty (also called a tummy tuck) is a commonly performed procedure that can help you to look more fit and trim by removing excess fat and skin from your middle and lower abdomen and tightening the muscles of the abdominal wall in order to flatten and tighten your stomach. A tummy tuck is not a substitute for weight loss. This procedure is appropriate for eliminating large fat deposits and tightening loose abdominal skin that won’t respond to dieting or exercise, and which most typically is a result prior obesity or aging.
Tummy tuck (Abdominoplasty) is not a surgical treatment for being overweight. Overweight individuals who intend to lose weight should postpone all forms of body contouring surgery until they have reached a stable weight. This is often performed 12-18 months after gastric-bypass surgery. Patients that are close to or at their ideal weight will experience the best results.
A tummy tuck does not correct stretch marks, however they may be removed or somewhat improved if they are primarily located on the areas of the excess skin that will be excised.
Abdominoplasty can be combined with other forms of body-contouring surgery, including suction-assisted lipectomy (liposuction), breast augmentation/lift or performed at the same time with other elective surgeries.
How is an Abdominoplasty performed?
There are a variety of different techniques for abdominoplasty. Abdominoplasty is an outpatient surgical procedure. One incision is made around the belly button and another incision is made below the belt-line. The entire abdominal wall is tightened with sutures and the excess skin and fat are removed. The shape and length of the incision will be determined by the degree of correction necessary. There is often some liposuction performed in the hip/flank areas as part of the procedure.
This procedure takes approximately 3-5 hours depending on the complexity of the case.
What to expect during the recovery period:
- Bruising and swelling are normal and to be expected. This will subside within 1- 2 weeks after surgery
- Discomfort and tenderness are normal and easily controlled with medication
- Numbness to the area of the abdomen is normal and may last as long as 6 months to 1 year
- If drains are used they will remain for 3-7 days after surgery.
- A light compression garment should be worn for a few weeks after the surgery
- Return to light activity within 1 day post surgery
- Most patients return to work in 1 to 2 weeks after surgery
- Full physical activity may resume within 4 to 6 weeks after surgery
- Incision lines will continue to heal and refine for 1-year post surgery
Dr. Pielet is a gifted Chicago aesthetic plastic surgery specialist who offers a variety of plastic surgery and noninvasive rejuvenation procedures for men and women. In addition to tummy tuck, he offers other body contouring procedures for patients seeking arm lift (brachioplasty), thigh lift or liposuction surgery in Chicago. Dr. Rodger Wade Pielet has treated many male Chicago tummy tuck patients with excellent results. Also, visit the gallery page to learn more about the results for Chicago area abdominoplasty patients.
