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Tummy Tuck

Introduction

Tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is performed to eliminate excess skin and fat from the abdomen. The abdominal muscles are tightened also. This procedure is well suited for those individuals in whom the fat and excess skin persist in the abdominal area despite exercise and diet modification.

Indication

A tummy tuck is indicated when even with exercise and diet modification, the fat as well as excess skin are not affected. Other individuals desiring tummy tucks are mothers following multiple pregnancies with laxity of the lower abdominal muscles (pooching), and following gastric surgery for morbid obesity (panniculectomy). During your consultation, options such as liposuction will be discussed with you. In some instances, if fat deposit is localized with good skin elasticity, a liposuction may be performed. Often, liposuction of other areas can be performed with abdominoplasty.

Technique

A tummy tuck is performed under general anesthesia and the length of procedure depends on the extent of the surgery. The incision is usually marked prior to surgery and during surgery the excess fat and skin are excised, and the skin and bellybutton region closed. Drains are usually placed and brought out through the incisions. The amount of dissection and excision depends on location and amount of excess fat and skin. There are three types of procedures:

Abdominoplasty:

Performed under general anesthesia and takes three to four hours. The incision is made, and dissection performed, abdominal muscles tightened, and skin is closed. This is indicated with both fat and excess skin distributed through the entire abdomen.

Mini-Abdominoplasty:

Performed under general anesthesia and takes two to three hours. Patients usually go home either the same day or may stay for twenty three hours. Similar to regular except that the dissection is limited to lower abdominal region. This is best indicated for patients with lower abdominal pooching which will not go away. This complaint is even voiced by thin women with muscle laxity combined with limited lower abdominal pooching.

Panniculectomy:

This procedure is performed following weight loss in patients with gastric stapling procedure for morbid obesity. The patients stay in the hospital for a day following the procedure, and the procedure is performed under general anesthesia. Excess skin is excised, and this procedure can be combined with a belt lipectomy. In belt lipectomy, a circumferential incision around the trunk is used to remove the excess skin.

Following the Procedure

The patient returns home either the same or the following day. Pain is controlled with oral medications. An abdominal binder is worn at all times. The drains are removed during the first week. Activity is gradually advanced over two weeks with return to work in two to three weeks. Return to full exercise is usually within a few weeks. The incision fades over time.

Riverside PSC is located in the Johns Creek / Duluth area, easily accesible from highways 120 and 141.

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