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Abdominoplasty Steps
May 11, 2011 By VeraWish you had a firmer, slimmer abdomen? Do you work out to no avail day after day? An abdominoplasty may be able to help you, just Read More » -
Abdominoplasty Risks
April 16, 2011 By VeraAbdominoplasty is a great way to enhance your appearance by trimming away excess fat and skin and tightening up your abdominal muscles. This is a popular Read More » -
Abdominoplasty Consultation
March 30, 2011 By VeraPart of getting an abdominoplasty is attending an abdominoplasty consultation. There are many necessary topics which are addressed during a consultation including preparation, the process of Read More » -
Candidates for Abdominoplasty
December 27, 2010 By VeraAbdominoplasty, also called a tummy tuck, is a common plastic surgery operation which can have extremely dramatic results. Not everyone is a good candidate for abdominoplasty Read More » -
Abdominoplasty Recovery
August 06, 2010 By VeraOne of the most popular types of plastic surgery which has the most noticeable results is abdominoplasty, also called a tummy tuck. How soon will those Read More »
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Abdominoplasty Steps
Wish you had a firmer, slimmer abdomen? Do you work out to no avail day after day? An abdominoplasty may be able to help you, just as it has helped numerous other people to reach their ideal shapes. Abdominoplasty can involve the removal of excess fat, excess skin or both. Many people choose to get abdominoplasty to firm up their abdomens after losing a lot of weight or after pregnancy since it can remove sagging folds of skin.
How does abdominoplasty work, and how long does it take? There is more than one type of abdominoplasty; usually this type of surgery is divided into two categories: partial abdominoplasty (also known as a mini tummy tuck) and complete abdominoplasty (a full tummy tuck). A partial abdominoplasty can be accomplished in just a couple of hours. A complete abdominoplasty may take an hour or it could take up to five depending on how extensive the operation in question will be.
The process is as follows for a complete abdominoplasty: First the surgeon makes an incision across your hips. Then the surgeon makes another incision which allows the navel to be released from the surrounding skin, which can be peeled away to reveal the abdominal muscles and fascia. This region is tightened up using sutures. If there is excess fat or skin, the surgeon will remove it at this point. Finally the skin is placed back down and excess fluid is drained from the site.
For a partial abdominoplasty, the incision is much smaller and the skin is left partially attached during the procedure. Excess fat and skin are removed as in a complete abdominoplasty, and sutures are used to tighten the muscles in the abdomen. Then the skin is replaced and fluid is drained.
Not sure what type of abdominoplasty you want or need? Ask your surgeon for more details during your consultation in order to learn more about complete vs. partial abdominoplasty.
Abdominoplasty Risks
Abdominoplasty is a great way to enhance your appearance by trimming away excess fat and skin and tightening up your abdominal muscles. This is a popular procedure for people who have flabby skin as a result of weight loss or pregnancy, and also is great for people who work out and eat well but still can’t get rid of some of their belly fat. You often read about the benefits of abdominoplasty, but what are the risks to your health?
Abdominoplasty is indeed an invasive procedure; during the operation the skin will be peeled away from your abdomen and sutures will be used to tighten the underlying tissue. Excess fat and skin will be removed, and the skin will then be placed back down. Excess fluids will need to be drained and you’ll have to wear a compression garment for a month to support your tender midsection.
Many tummy tucks go by without incident—you will certainly experience pain and tenderness during the early stages of recovery, and scarring will be permanent. Scars are usually hidden below the swimsuit line though, and they do grow fainter with time. Common complaints after abdominoplasty tend to focus on excess fluid draining, but this abates within a month.
Dangerous complications after abdominoplasties are rare, but can include blood clots, thrombosis, infections, heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism. Skin necrosis is another possible complication which is very serious. How can you avoid these complications? You will need to follow your surgeon’s directions to the letter. This includes instructions for what to do before and after your surgery. People who smoke in the weeks leading up to abdominoplasty are far more likely to experience skin necrosis than those who don’t. Patients who don’t move around after their surgery but allow their bodies to stagnate are most likely to develop blood clots.
Abdominoplasty has its risks, but for many patients it is an uneventful procedure which provides the shape they desire. You can reduce your own risks by doing what your surgeon says—just be sure to be aware of all possible complications and how to prevent them before committing to surgery.
Abdominoplasty Consultation
Part of getting an abdominoplasty is attending an abdominoplasty consultation. There are many necessary topics which are addressed during a consultation including preparation, the process of the operation itself, and recovery steps. Equally important, an abdominoplasty consultation gives you an opportunity to meet and evaluate a surgeon personally. Since this is the person who will be cutting you open, you definitely want it to be someone you can trust and who will honor your personal vision.
When you meet the surgeon, you will discuss your goals for your appearance and have a chance to review before and after photos of previous patients. Your surgeon may offer you some suggestions based on your body type and describe some possible outcomes of the surgery. During this time you can both come to a plan of action for the abdominoplasty and you can learn details of how the procedure will be carried out.
You can at this point ask the surgeon for references if you haven’t made up your mind for sure. References will be past patients who can testify to the surgeon’s skill and the satisfaction they received from the results. You can then make an appointment for the surgery. The surgeon will provide you with additional instructions at this point. Be sure to follow these instructions so that you have the safest and most effective possible abdominoplasty operation. You will also be given post operative care instructions. Recovery from abdominoplasty is an involved process which will involve several nights of hospital care before you get to go home, after which point recovery will continue to involve a compression garment for about a month.
If you have any questions or concerns, your consultation is the time and place to ask your surgeon about whatever is on your mind. If there are options for anesthesia you will be able to declare your preference at this point in the process. A consultation is an important step in abdominoplasty because it allows you to become more informed, meet your surgeon, and make key decisions about the process.
Candidates for Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty, also called a tummy tuck, is a common plastic surgery operation which can have extremely dramatic results. Not everyone is a good candidate for abdominoplasty though. Are you?
A good candidate for abdominoplasty should be at a stable weight; if you are fluctuating, you will want to wait for your wait to stabilize before deciding to get abdominoplasty. Your lifestyle is important too. An abdominoplasty isn’t just an easy shortcut to lose unwanted weight. If you don’t work out and if you eat poorly, you shouldn’t be considering a tummy tuck to lose weight. Abdominoplasty is a solution for a person who can’t lose weight in spite of reasonable efforts in that direction through exercise and eating right. If you work out and eat well and still have stubborn deposits of fat, then abdominoplasty may be able to help you.
Are you expecting perfection from abdominoplasty? If so, you are not a good candidate. No surgery can grant physical perfection or social esteem. What abdominoplasty can do is bring you closer to your physical ideal and give you some confidence. With that confidence you may be able to improve your social life. A lot of people find abdominoplasty to be a life-changing procedure, but you are ultimately responsible for making it become one.
Finally, you should only consider an abdominoplasty if you are in good health. If you have any health conditions, let the surgeon know in advance so that he or she can advise you as to whether you should get the operation or not. If you think you might be a great candidate for abdominoplasty, then call up a local surgeon and get a consultation. During the consultation you can discuss your goals and learn more about the procedure. Once you come up with a plan which will get you as close to your ideal shape as possible, you will be able to schedule your abdominoplasty.
Abdominoplasty Recovery
One of the most popular types of plastic surgery which has the most noticeable results is abdominoplasty, also called a tummy tuck. How soon will those results be obvious though, and what will recovery from abdominoplasty entail?
Abdominoplasty procedures vary a great deal in terms of extensiveness; some people just get mini abdominoplasties, while others get large operations which dramatically change their shape. How extensive your procedure will be will determine in part how long it takes you to recover. In general though you can expect to stay the night at the hospital after your surgery is complete. On that day your catheter will be removed, which may result in some discomfort or difficulty urinating (or having to urinate frequently). Many patients need to remain several more days in the hospital before going home to complete recovery. During this time you will be in some pain but will be given drugs to help you cope. You will also experience some draining of excess fluids. After five to seven days some of your stitches can come out, but for the deepest stitches you will need to wait several weeks.
While you are recovering from abdominoplasty you will need to wear a compression garment. This will be included in your costs for abdominoplasty. It is a special kind of garment which puts pressure on your abdomen to support it while it heals for the first month after your operation. The garment has to be changed every week, and you will probably discover your skin feels tender for at least two weeks (longer if you stress the injury, so don’t strain your skin).
How long will full recovery take? For most people it will be about 3-6 months before recovery is complete, though some of your scars may still take a bit longer to fade. The results of your abdominoplasty will be fully obvious by this time, and you should observe an impressive difference in your figure!
Cost of Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty, colloquially known as a “tummy tuck,” is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures out there. During a tummy tuck, excess fat is removed from the abdominal region and skin is tightened up around the area leading to a slimmer figure. How much can you expect to pay for abdominoplasty?
The cost for abdominoplasty in the US varies greatly—you might pay as little as $3000 for your procedure or as much as $10,000. The average cost is right in the middle at about $7500. Why is there so much variation? Regional differences account for a large part of it. One of the most expensive places to get plastic surgery of any type is Beverly Hills. Upscale, trendy cities like this will charge you the maximum amount for abdominoplasty since they are used to celebrity patronage. If you live out in El Paso, TX though you can enjoy some of the lowest abdominoplasty costs around. Most locations fall somewhere in between. As an overall rule though, the cost of abdominoplasty is going to be higher in a chic urban environment than in a small town or rural location. Lots of people reduce their abdominoplasty fees simply by traveling out of town to get their procedure.
Another factor in the cost of abdominoplasty is how extensive the procedure is. You won’t pay nearly as much for a mini abdominoplasty as you would for a full tummy tuck. The larger the area that you want worked on the more money you’ll pay. Your fees will include the surgeon’s fee, the anesthesiologist’s fee, and the facility’s fee. Compression garments will also cost you money.
Abdominoplasty is among the most expensive plastic surgery operations, but it also has some of the most dramatic results. Search around for a good deal on abdominoplasty, even if that means going out of town, and if you want other procedures, consider getting them at the same time to save even more money.