What Can I Expect from Tummy Tuck Surgery?

Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by admin2 in Surgical Procedures

As Cosmetic surgery procedures go, tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty) is fairly major. It flattens the abdomen by getting rid of excess fat and skin and by tightening muscles of the abdominal wall. There are only a very few surgeons who will do tummy tuck surgery without general anesthesia, though theoretically it can be done under local anesthetic and sedation. The procedure lasts anywhere from two to five hours.

The incision for a tummy tuck goes across the abdomen, from one hip bone to the other, and sometimes a second incision is made around the navel to free it from abdominal tissue if there is loose skin above the navel. Abdominal skin is separated from the abdominal wall up to the ribcage. This exposes the rectus muscles – the abdominal muscles that run vertically. Pregnancy usually stretches these muscles apart, but the tummy tuck surgery repositions them and stitches them into a new position. This has the effect of making the waistline smaller. After the work on the muscles is done, extra skin is stretched and removed. The skin that is left is draped over the newly tightened abdomen and stitched into place. It is only then that the belly button is brought out in its new location and sutured into place.

Initial recovery from a tummy tuck takes one to three weeks. Patients should plan to have up to three weeks off work before returning to a normal schedule. During the first few days after the surgery, your abdomen will be swollen and painful, and your doctor may prescribe you pain medication. Often patients are prescribed a few days’ worth of narcotic painkillers, and then non-narcotic pain relievers are used afterwards.
Your surgeon will tell you when you may begin exercising again. Usually it will be around four weeks after surgery. Exercise is good for the healing process if you start with light exercise and don’t overdo it. After six to eight weeks, you should be able to resume all your normal activities.
Just like with any surgery, tummy tuck surgery involves risks. There are risks associated with use of general anesthesia, and there is a possibility of the following complications:

• aspiration pneumonia
• bleeding under skin flap
• blood clot in lungs
• collection of blood beneath the skin
• collection of fluid underneath the skin
• infection
• insufficient healing
• tissue loss

The best way to prevent these complications is to follow your surgeon’s pre-op and post-op instructions closely. Risks are higher in people who have general medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, or poor circulation.
There are many variations on the traditional tummy tuck, and your surgeon should personalize the procedure to your general needs. If you have good muscle tone and your only problem is loose skin, surgeons can do a tummy tuck that only involves the skin but does not cut and reposition the muscles. A procedure that is sometimes called a mini tummy tuck involves a small bikini line incision, tightening of the muscle under the navel, and removal of excess skin. If your skin is not loose but you want to get rid of excess fat, doctors can sometimes use liposuction instead of performing a full tummy tuck.