Abdominoplasty is a cosmetic plastic surgery used to make the abdomen thinner & more firm. Nowadays junk food, sedentary lifestyle taking the toll on our health & body so, its quick fix is Abdominoplasty.

1.     What is Abdominoplasty?

•  Basically this surgery involves removal of excess skin & fat from the middle and lower abdomen in order to tighten the muscles and fascia of abdominal wall.

2.     Which patients can opt for this? 

•  Usually patients with loose and sagging tissue after pregnancy or major weight loss men and women who are in good health
• Generally women who have had several pregnancies may find this surgery useful for tightening their abdominal muscles and reducing skin.
• This is also an option for men and women who were once obese and still have excess fat deposits/ loose skin around the belly.

3.     Who should not considers tummy tuck? 

•  If you are a woman who plans to get pregnant,then you may want to postpone a tummy tuck until you are done having children.As future pregnancy can separate those tightened muscles.
• If you are planning to lose weight then this is not option for you. It should be a last resort after you have tried everything else. As this is not a alternative to weight loss.

4.     What to know prior surgery?

Types of Abdominoplasty

• There are 3 types 

a)      Complete Abdominoplasty  

• This is for patients who need Abdominoplasty most, bikini level incision is taken and surgeon gives shape to your skin and muscles. Drainage tubes are put till few days.

b)     Partial / mini Abdominoplasty     

• These are performed on patients whose fat deposits are below navel,short incision is taken, skin is separated between the line of incision and your belly button. This is performed with endoscope.

c)      Circumferential  Abdominoplasty         

• When there is excess fat on abdomen as well as back, this surgery is performed this allows removal of both skin and fat from the hip and back which improves shape of your body 3 dimensionally.

5.     Pre care before Abdominoplasty  

• Eat well balanced diet, do not diet before surgery proper nutrition helps in healing·
• If you are smoking, quit smoking at least 2 weeks before Surgery and & after 2 weeks of surgery, it will delay healing·
• Take supplements prescribed by your surgeon.

6.     Post op care after Abdominoplasty  

• For 1st few weeks after surgery, you need to wear a compression garment to minimize swelling and encourage a smooth, compact abdominal shape.
• As per your surgeons instructions,start walking around within 1st few days to encourage blood flow and healing.
• Do not stretch / stand up straight during 1st 3 weeks of healing.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages for 72 hour before and after treatment.
• Manage your drainage tubes as per your surgeon’s instructions.
• Take medications like antibiotic pain killers as prescribed by your surgeon.Full Recovery takes 3-6 months

7.    Complication and side effects of a Abdominoplasty

•  As like any other surgery you will have pain and swelling. You may have numbness, bruising, overall tiredness for some period of time.
• Risks   

i.          Scarring                                         

ii.         Bleeding                                       

iii.        Infection                                        

iv.        Poor wound baling                                           

v.         Numbness                                        

vi.        Skin color changes                                      

vii.       Asymmetry

8.     Does insurance coves this surgery?

No, if you are doing it for cosmetic purpose.But if you have hernia and it is getting treated by this surgery then you can have advantage of that.

9.     Difference between liposuction & Abdominoplasty?

•  Generally when men & women can’t reduce stubborn fat after adequate diet and exercise, its spot fix is liposuction .It remove excess fat from face & body including following areas,

i.           Cheeks                 

ii.          Neck              

iii.         Breasts                

iv.         Abdomen  and waist                  

v.          Flanks and sides                   

vi.         Back              

vii.        Hips            

viii.       Thighs                

ix.         Legs 

Liposuction removes excess fat but no effect on loose skin  Abdominoplasty remove excess fat and loose skin and fat also. While both procedures are excellent body contouring procedures it’s important to determine what specific issue must be corrected. If problem is loose Abdominal muscle and excess skin after excessive weight loss then Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) is best for you.

                Still unsure which surgery would be best for you? Then please consult your Plastic Surgeon today.

10. What is the difference between bariatric surgery,liposuction & Abdominoplasty?

Bariatric is more morbid surgery as it involves surgery over intestine to reduce food absorption.

In liposuction / Abdominoplasty it involves only superficial part of skin and subcutaneous tissue. It does not involve any procedure involving intestine / opening of abdomen so it has lesser side effects. Also after bariatric surgery when patients lose weight skin become lax and sags down so patient requires Abdominoplasty to remove that excess skin.

What you do when you look like a fatty? Usually, we people start searching for different ways to reduce fat by doing exercise, eating fat-free foods and what not. We start avoiding foods which contain fats like oil, butter, some dairy products etc. Fat reduction is the process of removing unwanted fats. Nonsurgical and surgical are the ways to remove these fats. In nonsurgical, now two types of devices used one is an ultrasound and another is using cold energy.

Actually, Fat is the storage of energy in the body. The wrong fat or too much fat can be unhealthy for our self. Typically the number of cells in our body becomes a fixed. Generally losing or gaining weight does not increase or decrease the number of fat cells. Instead, it changes the sizes of fat cells. So Fat Reduction is Process of reducing extra fats of Body.