Women who desire to remodel their stomachs and tighten their stomach muscles after giving birth andeople who have lost a substantial amount of weight and wish to remove excess flabby skin from their midsection may want to consider a tummy tuck.
In the United States, about 140,000 stomach tucks are performed yearly, making it the sixth-most frequent cosmetic surgery. Here are six things that everyone who is thinking about getting this enhancement should know.
It is not weight loss surgery. The procedure is designed to help contour a patient’s abdomen by removing excess skin and small amounts of fat. During a tummy tuck surgery, the overstretched abdominal muscles are tightened with internal stitches to make the stomach flat again. The remaining skin is then rejoined together, creating a smooth, more toned appearance. Only about three to four pounds of fat are lost during a typical tummy tuck. Patients who are looking to lose a significant amount of weight should focus on nutrition, calories, and lifestyle changes rather than liposuction and tummy tuck.
Your plastic surgeon can advise you on the best solution for you.
- Repair and tightening of muscle laxity (also known as rectus diastasis), removal of extra lower abdomen skin, and typically some liposuction for the front of love handles are all part of a standard tummy tuck or full stomach tuck.
- Mini tummy tuck — only the lower abdomen skin is removed, with no higher abdomen skin lifted or muscle diastasis repaired.
- Extended stomach tuck — comparable to a conventional tummy tuck, but the incisions are extended to the side of the waistline for patients with excess or stretched skin there as well.
Many people can regain their pre-pregnancy weight and resume regular exercise. Their tummies, however, appear different than before they had children. The muscles in the abdominal wall stretch as the baby grows.
These patients discover that their anatomy has changed. The abdomen is designed to stretch to allow the baby to grow, but it does not always revert to its original shape. Even if two women are the same weight, there will generally be some tissue hanging over their belt or bikini line, as well as muscular straining that makes some patients feel a few months pregnant. We need to go in and repair those muscles to make the stomach look flat again.
As long as the client is healthy, there is no ideal weight for a belly tuck treatment. However, patients must be in a position where they do not intend to lose or gain more than 10% of their body weight. People with a BMI of more than 35 should proceed with caution when considering plastic surgery because the risk of problems increases.
If you weigh 160 pounds but wish to be 120 pounds, this is not the time for tummy tuck surgery. If you are content with your body weight but wish to get rid of excess skin and muscle, a stomach tuck can help you.
Some people believe that starving oneself before a belly tuck may help them lose a few pounds. This has a negative impact. Patients frequently drop weight shortly before the treatment, believing that doing so will result in a better outcome. Because their bodies are weak in proteins and crucial nutrients, the procedure can potentially make things worse.
Many people who undergo plastic surgery want to improve several parts of their bodies. A belly tuck can be performed alongside other cosmetic procedures. Patients who get a tummy tuck after significant weight loss, for example, frequently desire excess skin removed from other regions of their body, such as the arms or neck. In pregnant women, the operation is frequently paired with a breast lift, reduction, or augmentation.