When it comes to aesthetics, the abdomen and flanks are two areas that men and women tend to struggle with the most. It’s not easy to tone your stomach muscles, and stubborn, diet and exercise-resistant fat accumulate in these areas. If you’re unhappy with loose, sagging skin in your abdomen, a tummy tuck can help. To find out more, call Plastic Surgery Specialists of South Florida in Hollywood, FL to speak with a medical professional about your options.
What Is a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck, otherwise known as abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure that flattens your abdomen by removing loose skin, excess fat, and tightening the muscles and connective tissue in your abdominal wall. It’s also capable of removing stretch marks from your lower abdomen.
The procedure is popular among those who are dissatisfied with their appearance post-pregnancy as well as those who have experienced significant weight loss. The procedure is an option for both men and women who are dissatisfied with the contours of their bodies created by excessive loose abdominal skin and fat.
What Are Your Surgical Options?
It’s rare for two patients to share the exact same concerns, body type, and cosmetic goals. With that in mind, there are several options for tummy tuck procedures that cater to different bodies and needs. Your surgeon will make a recommendation regarding which type of procedure will best serve to help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
Mini Tummy Tuck
If your concerns are centered around loose skin, stretch marks, and a slightly distended abdomen, you may benefit from this procedure. It involves your surgeon making a single incision above your pubic mound and then tightening the loose muscles. Loose skin will then be removed and the incision will be closed, resulting in the smooth, flat abdomen you’ve been wanting.
Full Abdominoplasty
If the issues you’re experiencing with your body extend further than your lower abdomen, a full abdominoplasty may be your best option. This procedure addresses the full length of your abdominal wall and is capable of yielding the most comprehensive results.
Your surgeon will create a horizontal incision above your pubic mount through which your abdominal muscles will be tightened. A second incision is sometimes made around your navel, too, which allows your surgeon to address excess skin above the belly button. Once your abdominal wall muscles are tightened, excess skin will be removed and the incisions will be closed.
Extended Tummy Tuck
A full abdominoplasty is often enough to achieve your cosmetic results. But, for individuals who have lost a large amount of weight and now have a significant amount of loose skin hanging around their midsection, the extended procedure may be a better choice.
This option involves a longer incision because it removes excess skin from not only your upper and lower abdomen but also from your flanks (love handles). In addition to removing excess skin, the muscles and connective tissues in your abdominal wall will be tightened.
What to Expect Leading Up to Your Procedure
If you think that abdominoplasty is right for you, your first steps will include calling us and setting up an initial consultation appointment with your surgeon. At your appointment, you will be able to discuss your goals and be evaluated as a candidate for surgery. Your surgeon will listen to your concerns and make treatment suggestions based on your goals and body type.
Your surgeon may conduct a physical examination to better understand your desires and the state of your current physical condition. The elasticity of your skin will be evaluated, and you will discuss your ideal weight, current weight, and whether you should undergo weight loss before your procedure.
How to Prepare for Your Consultation
Your initial consultation is a very important part of the process. It’s essential that you’re prepared with all information that pertains to current or past medical conditions (including surgeries, cosmetic or otherwise). You will need to tell your surgeon about any known allergies to medications, and what, if any, medications you are currently taking.
Based on your health, current physical characteristics, and the cosmetic goals you want to achieve, your surgeon will provide you with a treatment plan to move forward with. The plan includes an approach to your surgery, what outcomes you can anticipate, and what you need to do to prepare for surgery.
The Day of Your Procedure
The day of your cosmetic procedure can be an exciting one. It’s the day when you will finally be able to achieve the results that have been eluding you for a while now. Your surgeon will prescribe medications to keep you comfortable and anesthesia will be administered. You may notice monitors have been set up which your surgeon will use to check your heart, blood pressure, pulse, and the amount of oxygen in your blood.
Once everything is made ready and your anesthesia has been administered, your surgeon will proceed with the surgery. Once complete, you’ll be taken to a recovery area where monitoring will continue as your anesthesia wears off. It’s important to have someone available to drive you home as you will be unable to drive until your surgeon clears you to start doing so.
What Are the Benefits of a Tummy Tuck?
When you choose to undergo abdominoplasty, you’re going to reap a number of health and aesthetic benefits, some of which may not be immediately apparent when considering surgery. Some benefits will be physical, as your abdominal muscles will be stronger, but other benefits can be emotional. Read on to find out just how much your life can be improved by undergoing the procedure.
You Won’t Struggle With SUI
After giving birth, a woman sometimes develops an issue with bladder control. This issue isn’t uncommon and is called Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI). It can cause leakage during certain actions that cause the involuntary constriction of muscles, such as coughing, sneezing, and even laughing.
Studies suggest that the improved body contour and increased stability in the abdominal wall may help alleviate SUI and reduce its occurrence, if not stop it altogether.
Your Posture Will Be Improved
This procedure works to strengthen your abdominal muscles, allowing them to support your spine more efficiently. As your abdominal muscles and spine become stronger, your posture can naturally begin to improve on its own. A better posture can make you look and feel more confident when you’re out and about in the world.
As your posture improves, it can reduce back pain caused by a condition known as lordosis. Lordosis is a condition in which your back tends to sway forward while your pelvis tilts outward. Remaining in this position for an extended period can lead to numerous back problems that can only be ameliorated by improving your posture. Strengthening your abdominal wall with an abdominoplasty can greatly assist in this.
Your Drive to Stay Fit and Healthy Will Increase
Undergoing an abdominoplasty will remove excess skin and stubborn fat from your midsection. But, the longevity of the results depends a lot on your post-surgical lifestyle. For example, if you gain significant weight or choose to go through pregnancy, many of the benefits your surgery provided will likely be nullified.
Knowing that the success of your procedure is dependent on your own hard work and dedication can provide an excellent source of motivation to stay healthy. You’re going to look great after your surgery, and you can continue looking fabulous by instituting a regimen of daily exercise and choosing healthy meal options.
Your Range of Motion Will Be Enhanced
The existence of excess fat and skin in your midsection can make performing certain simple tasks more difficult than it needs to be by inhibiting your full range of motion.
Choosing abdominoplasty can rid your body of everything that’s getting in the way of performing simple tasks and living a healthier, happier lifestyle. The surgery can significantly improve your range of motion and strengthen your core.
Your Core Will Be Stronger
Pregnancy and excess weight gain can leave you feeling weaker and less energized than before. One of the main reasons for this is because as your core muscles get soft, their range of motion is altered. As a result, they are unable to perform as efficiently or as powerfully as they did before.
Most of the force you exert to complete daily tasks is generated from your core. Some movements may seem like they only utilize the muscles of your arms and legs, but in order to do anything, your limbs need to bolster themselves with a strong, stable core. An abdominoplasty will provide you with a stronger, more efficient core from which every other action you perform can benefit.
Your Wardrobe Choices Will Skyrocket
After losing a lot of weight, loose skin and excess pockets of fat around your midsection can make it difficult (if not impossible) to feel comfortable wearing certain articles of clothing. Two-piece swimsuits, for example, can cause a person a lot of anxiety because they leave your midsection exposed for everyone to see. Also, one-piece swimsuits don’t always provide enough compression to allow you to feel comfortable wearing them.
When you have a lot of loose skin or excess fat in your midsection, the tissues won’t always conform to the natural shape of your body. In these situations, smaller, tighter clothes are difficult to fit into. A tummy tuck will eliminate all of these issues, allowing you to wear what you want because you want to wear it, and it makes you feel good to be able to do so.
Your Confidence and Self-Esteem Will Be Boosted
While the cosmetic benefits of abdominoplasty surgery are unparalleled, the greatest benefit by far is how the surgery can make you feel about yourself. Losing weight is a superb confidence booster, but when it leaves you with excess diet and exercise-resistant skin around your waistline, it’s much harder to fully enjoy the effects of your weight loss.
Rejuvenating your figure and improving your body contours can have a tremendously powerful effect on your self-esteem and self-confidence. Finally, you can feel good about wearing the clothes you want to wear and enjoying your fitter physique. You won’t have to worry about wearing dresses or other outfits that fit tightly around your midsection because your midsection will be flatter and more toned.
Get Started on Your Tuck Today!
A tummy tuck is a cosmetic procedure intended to address loose, excess skin in your abdomen and flanks and stretched and distended stomach muscles. Since everyone’s needs differ, there are several procedures available to choose from. We can help you decide which one will best meet your needs based on your current physical condition and the results you’re looking to achieve.
If the state of your abdomen is affecting your self-confidence and self-esteem, and you think that a tummy tuck is right for you, call Plastic Surgery Specialists of South Florida in Hollywood, FL today and get the help you need.