TOP 7 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN CONSIDERING A FLEUR DE LIS TUMMY TUCK

With the advent of procedures like the Mommy Makeover, Facial Rejuvenation, and Fleur de Lis abdominalplasty (aka Fleur de Lis Tummy Tuck) it’s easy to become confused by all the terminology surrounding cosmetic and reconstructive surgery these days. And with the new vocabulary comes new guidelines for pre-op instructions and aftercare. One procedure that is gaining popularity, in particular, is the Fleur de Lis (flur-dl-eez) Tummy Tuck. This surgical procedure gets is named from it’s resemblance to the Fleur de Lis symbol because of it’s horizontal and vertical incision pattern. Besides having a name that is a little tricky to pronounce (unless you were a French major), there is also less information and education published on this topic.

​Lucky for us we were able to snag a few minutes of one of Scottsdale’s leading plastic surgeon’s time, Dr. Remus Repta of Dr. Repta Plastic Surgery to get some valuable insight on Fleur de Lis Tummy Tucks (FDL TT). Voted Phoenix Magazine Top Doctor 2018 for facial and body plastic surgery, Dr. Repta is an expert on FDL TT. Below you’ll find some of the most commonly asked questions of patients considering this procedure:

What is a Fleur de Lis Tummy Tuck?
Dr. Repta: A fleur de lis tummy tuck is a tummy tuck designed to remove and tighten skin in both a vertical and horizontal dimension. To accomplish this a regular tummy tuck incision is made horizontally at the level of the pubic bone as well as a vertical incision above and below the belly button.

​Who is a good candidate for a Fleur de Lis tummy tuck?
Dr. Repta: Good candidates for an FDL TT have significant skin laxity in both horizontal as well as a vertical dimension and are ok with having an incision above and below the belly button.

Will I have a drain after surgery? If so, why and how long will it be in?
Dr. Repta: Yes, a drain is common and helpful after an FDL TT. The length that it will remain in place is in part dependent on your body and how much liposuction was also done.

What are my activity guidelines?
Dr. Repta: No exercise for at least 6 weeks. The first few weeks it is highly recommended to just invest in your recovery and not do anything that is not necessary such as running errands, doing chores, etc.

When can I shower?
Dr. Repta: Technically anytime. It is recommended often to just sponge bath for the first week or so.

When can I drive?
Dr. Repta: When you feel comfortable and are no longer taking pain medication.

When can I go back to work?
Dr. Repta: Depending on the type of work, it may be 2–3 weeks.

Bonus question:
What is a “plus-sized” tummy tuck? Who is a good candidate for this?
Dr. Repta: A plus size TT is a tummy tuck that requires extensive liposuction at the same time as the actual TT. Patients with incomplete weight loss can be candidates for a plus size TT.

This blog post was made possible with help from Dr. Repta Plastic Surgery. For more information on tummy-tuck and other body contouring procedures please visit: www.scottsdaletummytuck.com and www.drrepta.com.