Tummy Tuck Before and After

by Dr. Mark Henderson

A tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, has become a common cosmetic surgery procedure in recent years. In fact, tummy tuck operations rank among the top 5 most popular forms of cosmetic surgery for women.

Should you have a tummy tuck? The truth is that the decision to have an abdominoplasty should not be taken lightly. A tummy tuck is a major type of surgery and tummy tuck recovery can be painful and may take a long time.

The first thing you should take into consideration is the state of your health overall. Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions or illnesses that might complicate the surgery and recovery period?

The quality and elasticity of your skin is also an important consideration. Having skin that can easily stretch and return to its former shape will lead to better tummy tuck before and after results. Your skin has to be able to shape itself to your new tummy.

You should also be emotionally stable, because recovering from a tummy tuck can be a long process requiring lots of patience. The inevitable ups and downs of recovery from abdominoplasty can lead to depression in some individuals.

Types of Tummy Tuck:

• A mini tummy tuck, also known as a partial or modified abdominoplasty, is a procedure designed for individuals who need skin and fat removed but do not need the surgeon to make a new belly button. A mini abdominoplasty results in less scarring than a full abdominoplasty, because it doesn’t usually require muscle tightening.

• A dermolipectomy is a procedure designed for patients who have a lot of extra skin and abdominal fat and need to change the location of their belly button. Men or women who have achieved dramatic weight loss and now have a lot of excess skin are the best candidates for this procedure.

• Panniculectomy is a surgical technique that removes excess fat and skin on the belly, but does not change the position of the belly button. Panniculectomy tummy tuck surgery also does not tighten the abdominal muscles.

• A reverse abdominoplasty removes excess fat and skin above the belly button area. This procedure can be performed in conjunction with a breast reduction or a breast lift.

• A full abdominoplasty is the most invasive of all tummy tuck operations. It is intended only for those individuals who have very loose abdominal muscles and large amounts of excess skin to be removed. The abdominal muscles are tightened and then sutured together, and a new belly button is also created.

Tummy Tuck Scarring

Be aware that tummy tuck surgery will leave scars. The amount of scarring after a tummy tuck depends on how much excess skin is removed, the elasticity of your skin overall and the skill of your tummy tuck surgeon.

If you are worried about scarring after a tummy tuck, you should talk to your surgeon about the types of incisions and their placement during your initial abdominoplasty consultation. Look at tummy tuck before and after photos in order to understand more clearly how much scarring can occur before making the decision to have a tummy tuck performed.