What Can We Treat with the Help of a Tummy Tuck?
Introduction
A flat, firm, and well-contoured tummy is something most women and men struggle for via diet and exercise. In most cases, weight control and exercise help very little when it comes to achieving these aesthetic goals for your tummy. If you are very self-conscious about the appearance of your abdomen because you have slack, flabby skin there, a tummy tuck may be the answer.
The tummy tuck is a plastic surgery procedure that removes surplus fat cells and skin from the abdomen and tautens the muscles, so the abdominal wall becomes flattened and firmer. The procedure also restores weak or separated muscles in the abdomen area to give you a slim profile. If exercise and diet failed to get rid of yourabdominal imperfections, the tummy tuck procedure might help.
Tummy tuck surgery is also one of the best options for women who have lost abdominal firmness and elasticity as a result of pregnancy. If pregnancy has left your abdomen in bad shape, a tummy tuck can help restore your pre-pregnancy figure. It is important, however, to understand that the tummy tuck is not a weight loss procedure: it is meant solely to contour your abdomen when exercise and diet fail to remove stubborn fat, skin, and tissue from the area.
Tummy tuck candidacy
You can be a good candidate for the tummy tuck procedure if you have loose, drooping skin in the abdomen area, and if you feel uncomfortable about the shape of your abdomen. The procedure is especially suitable for women who have experienced many pregnancies. If you have stubborn fat deposits or loose skin in the belly area, a tummy tuck can help you get a firmer, tighter tummy.
The best way to determine your candidacy for the tummy tuck procedure is by consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon.Your plastic surgeon will start by examining your abdomen skin, analyze the skin elasticity and quality, and then tell you if you qualify for the procedure. It is also important for you to be in good physical and mental health in order to be eligible for the procedure.
Types of tummy tuck
There are two major types of tummy tuck procedure. These types are based on the extent of the intervention rather than any difference in the techniques and methods used.
• Full tummy tuck: In a full tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon will create an incision from one hipbone to the another and then remove the extra fat cells and skin in addition to contouring the skin and tissue as required. This type of tummy tuck will also remove your navel. After the procedure, a cannula will be placed under your skin todrain blood and fluid from the surgical site. The cannula will remain with you for a few days.
• Partial or mini tummy tuck: This type of tummy tuck is for those who have accumulated fat deposits and loose skin below the belly button. It is called a mini tummy tuck because your navel isnot removed and the surgery canbe finished within two hours.
Factors that make the tummy loosen and slump
Pregnancy and aging are the top two causes of aesthetic imperfections in the abdomen area in women. They often leave women in emotional distress by damaging their figures and making their abdomens appear flabby and loose. It is important to understand that as you age, your skin loses elasticity andthe muscles in your abdominal wall become weaker. If you want to prolong your tummy’s firmness, make sure to eat a healthy diet and engage in regular exercise. Other common causes of losing elasticity and firmness of the abdomen include hereditary factors, past surgeries, and weight fluctuations. Let’s have a closer look at the factors causing loose abdominal skin and how a tummy tuck may help.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is the leading cause for loose, drooping skin in the abdomen area in women because it stretches the skin and splits the tummy muscles. Diet and exercise seldom help women regain their pre-pregnancy figures. It is important to understand that pregnancy leaves women with poor skin and muscle flexibility, and if you have had multiple pregnancies, your abdomen’s aesthetic condition maybe worse.
For women who are struggling to make their tummies firmer and tighter after pregnancy, the tummy tuck procedure can be an effective option because its results are mostly impressive and sustainable. A tummy tuck can help mommies achieve their desired abdominal shape and contour without much struggle. Depending on the extent of intervention required, your plastic surgeon may recommend combining liposuction with a tummy tuck to get rid of surplus fat and skin from the tummy area after childbirth.
Significant weight fluctuation
Significant weight fluctuation is the second major cause of undesirable aesthetic effects in the tummy in both men and women. Abrupt gain and loss of weight can damage your abdominal muscles, making them flabby. The procedure can help fix the stretching and damage induced by weight fluctuation as well as removing the extra skin and fat for a firmer, tighter abdomen.
The aging process
The next major factor that introduces undesirable aesthetic imperfections to your body, especially your abdomen area, is the aging process. As you age, your skin loses its natural elasticity and firmness; just like other parts of your body, your abdominal muscles lose strength and become weaker. As a result of the aging process, many men and women get loose, slumped midsections.
The tummy tuck procedure can help restore abdominal firmness and elasticity by removing extra skin, fat, and tissue from your tummy in addition to fixing the damaged muscles. The procedure can have an overall revitalizing effect on your whole body, making you appear younger than your actual age.
Genetic factors
Genetics is yet another major contributor to skin sagginess and fat accumulation in the abdominal region in both men and women. Your overall body figure and the regions where your fat deposits grow are largely shaped by heredity. Even people in their teens can have genetically induced aesthetic imperfections in their bellies that cause them emotional and psychological pain. The good news is that the tummy tuck procedure can address these problems.
Things a tummy tuck can’t do
• There are many people who wrongly think that the tummy tuck is a weight loss procedure. It is important to understand that the tummy tuck is a body contouring surgery, not a weight loss method.
• A tummy tuck is not a substitute for diet and exercise programs.
• Even though the outcome of a tummy tuck issustainable, it can be affected by drastic weight fluctuations.
• The tummy tuck is not a procedure to get rid of stretch marks; however, the condition of your stretch marks may improve after the procedure.
• The tummy tuck is not a substitute for liposuction. Your plastic surgeon may recommend liposuction along with a tummy tuck.
• The results of a tummy tuck will be affected by further pregnancies; therefore, you should postpone the procedure until you arefinished having children.
Expectations and goals
It is important for all tummy tuck candidates to keep theirexpectations ofthe procedure realistic in addition to setting achievable goals. You must be aware of what you can and can’t achieve with the procedure.
There is no denying that a tummy tuck can repair and tauten your abdominal muscles in addition to eliminating surplus skin and stubborn fat cells from your abdomen. Also, the procedure can enhance your overall body shape by making your tummy flatter and firmer, although it cannot help you achieve other aesthetic goals. After a tummy tuck procedure, you will feel good about yourself. You will experience a boost in your self-confidence that may improve your productivity at work and home.
Before going for a tummy tuck, make sure to discuss the procedure in detail with a board-certified plastic surgeon. You can ask your plastic surgeon to show you before and after photos of patients he or she has treated in the past.
Recovery from a tummy tuck procedure can take a maximum of three weeks. During the recovery period, you should care for the surgical site and avoid engaging in strenuous activities. Your surgeon can give you detailed instructions about recovery from a tummy tuck.
Conclusion
The tummy tuck is an effective plastic surgery procedure to get rid of flabby, drooping skin in the abdomen area. The procedure will make your tummy flatter and firmer by removing stubborn fat deposits, skin, and tissue from the belly. The procedure’s results are sustainable and impressive. In order to get optimum results with a tummy tuck, make sure to go to a highly qualified, experienced, and board-certified plastic surgeon.