Tummy Tucks

By Ayman R. Hakki, MD

Luxxery

. https://www.luxxery.com/

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Tummy Tucks

“Why cant I get rid of my gut? Ive had four surgeries and a baby since then no amount of exercising or dieting seems to do it.”
That was the question a local anchorwoman was asked by a frustrated viewer. The anchorwoman, being an investigative reporter, started to gather information in response to her viewers question. Her investigation began in the office of an exercise physiologist in Baltimore and ended in our office in Waldorf.
“Dr. Hakki,” she asked me, with the cameras rolling, “the exercise physiologist I spoke to yesterday said that some conditions respond only to surgery, which conditions are those?” My response was that two come to my mind the obscurely named diastasis recti where the muscles of the belly split, and the other more commonly known paniculus or stretch marked apron. Both conditions can be corrected by a tummy tuck, technically known as an abdominoplasty.
The American Society of Plastic Surgery has this to say about the tummy tucks
Is an abdominoplasty right for me?
Abdominoplasty is best suited to women and men who are in relatively good shape, but have loose abdominal skin and/or significant abdominal fat that wont respond to dieting or exercise.
You may be a good candidate for abdominoplasty if you have one or more of the following conditions
excess or loose, sagging abdominal skin
an abdomen that protrudes and is out of proportion to the rest of the body
abdominal muscles that have been weakened by pregnancy or aging
excess fat that is concentrated beneath the abdominal skin
If you plan to become pregnant or to lose a significant amount of weight, you should discuss these plans with your surgeon. Scars from previous abdominal surgeries may limit the results of an abdominoplasty. However, in some cases, an existing scar can be used for the new incision, as is often the case for women with cesarean section scars.
What should I expect
from the consultation?
A personal consultation is the first step for every patient considering abdominoplasty. During this meeting, your surgeon will assess your physical and emotional health and discuss your specific cosmetic goals for the surgery.
You should arrive at the consultation prepared to provide complete information about
previous surgical procedures
past and present medical conditions
medications you are taking, including herbal remedies or nutritional supplements.
When examining your abdomen,
your plastic surgeon will evaluate
the quality of your abdominal skin
the location of any existing scars
the amount and location of any excess fat
the status of the underlying muscles
Your plastic surgeon may suggest other treatments to better meet your appearance goals. For example, some patients may benefit from liposuction alone or a more limited type of abdominoplasty.
How is abdominoplasty
performed?
Generally, a horizontal incision is placed just within or above the pubic area. The length of the incision, which extends outward toward the hip bones, depends largely on the amount of skin to be removed. In other words, the more loose skin that needs to be removed, the longer the incision will be. For women, plastic surgeons keep the incision within swimsuit lines, when it is possible. Working through this incision, your surgeon may tighten the underlying muscles by pulling them together and stitching them in place. Any excess skin from the lower abdomen is trimmed away. Skin that contains stretch marks may be removed as well; however, it may not be possible to remove them all.
In patients with larger amounts of loose skin, a second incision may be made around the navel. This way, the excess skin above the navel is separated from the deeper tissues so it can be pulled downward and removed. Although the navels position remains unchanged, its appearance may be slightly altered.
Who can answer questions
regarding tummy-tucks?
The best way to get complete answers to specific questions that relate to your individual needs is to have a personal consultation with a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.