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Abdominoplasty
is a common
procedure to improve the abdominal area by removing loose skin
and unwanted fat. In addition, the abdominal musculature is
tightened to restore a more youthful contour and better
shape the waist. Abdominoplasty is most commonly employed
to restore the changes which follow pregnancy. Pregnancy, as well as obesity
followed by significant weight loss, can cause the abdominal
muscles to protrude and skin to develop internal tears which
results in stretch marks. Diet and exercise can reduce fat
collections but they cannot improve skin which has become
loose and excessive or abdominal muscles which are damaged and
split internally. For correction, skin and muscle changes must
be addressed. An abdominoplasty (or tummy tuck) can do all
of these things. A
new, more youthful navel can also be created with abdominoplasty.
While abdominoplasty requires a
longer healing time and more visible incisions than liposuction,
it can transform the figure in ways that liposuction cannot. This procedure can require a couple weeks off work and
at least 4 - 6 weeks before you can resume full levels of physical exertion
and exercise.
There
are different types of abdominoplasties and incisions which vary
with each individuals unique body. If the skin is fairly tight
and there is little or no fat excess, lower abdominal
muscle bulge alone can be corrected by a mini abdominoplasty. With a mini procedure, a 3 to six inch incision
is made low in the pubic area and the muscles are tightened
through this limited incision. No skin is removed. The few who
are a good candidate for these types of
tucks have skin which is tight and a navel which does not need improvement.
If someone has the traditional
"potbelly" and also loose skin below the navel but the
navel and upper abdomen are in good shape, an extended-mini
abdominoplasty will usually be the best choice. This requires a longer
incision than a mini tuck due to the removal of loose and
excessive skin from the lower abdomen. The lower abdominal muscles are
tightened but the navel is left alone as the skin is
pulled down and smoothed out.
If there is a need for correction in
the upper and lower abdomen, a full abdominoplasty will provide the best
result. A large portion of the lower abdominal skin and fat is
removed. This will allow the removal of the excess loose skin,
many of the stretch marks, most of the lower fat and
usually any lower abdominal scars, such as C-sections. The remaining upper abdominal
skin is pulled down snugly to the lower abdomen, and the belly
button (which is reshaped but not removed) is pulled out through
a tiny incision and sewn back to the newly tightened
skin in its normal position. |
