What is a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)?
Tummy Tuck or abdominoplasty is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery. Most of the people across the United Kingdom are going through this procedure to make their tummy flat.
A sagging abdomen is a common problem among men & women, which is difficult to remove with diet and exercise. It is a common problem after pregnancy and weight loss. Tummy tuck is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to make the abdomen thinner and more firm. Tummy tuck surgery involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten the muscle and fascia of the abdominal wall. This not only improves the contour of lower abdomen but also makes the upper abdomen flat. In combination with liposuction of the flanks, you get a better shape.
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) surgery is an ideal solution of sagging abdomen.
The abdominal skin is commonly stretched by pregnancy or weight gain which overhangs the pubic area following childbirth or significant weight loss. No amount of diet or exercise can overcome skin laxity.
In this situation, the excess fat and skin must be removed surgically to give a slimmer contour.
You will see Mr Siddiqui, Consultant Plastic Surgeon for a consultation which will involve an examination of the tummy. Then he will go through the different techniques available for treatment and what will give you the desired result. If you are interested in tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery, contact our surgeon at the BreastAndBody clinic in Manchester, Chester or Preston. Call at 07787 331122 or you can book an appointment for a tummy tuck surgery by filling the booking form.
Please see the video to understand the details of tummy tuck procedure
Why Tummy Tuck is done
There are a number of reasons you might have excess fat, poor elasticity of the skin or weakened connective tissue in your abdomen. These include:
- Significant changes in weight
- Pregnancy
- Aging
- Your natural body type
These days many people are struggling to have a flat and well-toned abdomen.
Firstly they gone through exercise and weight control but sometimes these methods do not works.
In that case you should opt abdominoplasty (Tummy tuck) surgery.
A tummy tuck surgery can not correct stretch marks, although they can be removed or improved to some extent
if they are located in areas of excessive skin that are going to be removed, usually treated areas below the navel.
Preparing For Tummy Tuck Surgery (Abdominoplasty)
If you are looking for the best tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgeon in Manchester, Chester, Preston, London or Chelmsford then you have come to the right place.
Visit our website contact us page or book your appointment now. Get best results of tummy tuck surgery by 18 years experienced surgeon.
Dos and Don’ts to Preparing For a Tummy Tuck Surgery
An abdominoplasty is a major surgical procedure and requires some preparation to ensure everything goes perfectly. Your doctor may provide a list of dos and don’ts to be followed as part of your preparation for this treatment.
Dos: What To Do Before Your Tummy Tuck Surgery
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Create a strong support system: A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery requires an extensive period of recovery. You should take the help of family and friends who can give time and effort after the procedure to take care of you.
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Maintain communication with your doctor: Prior to your procedure, you should share all relevant health information and lifestyle habits with your cosmetic surgeon. After the surgery, if you experience any abdominal pain or other signs, or have any concerns, don’t hesitate to contact your surgeon.
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Stick to a healthy diet. A month before your surgery, start taking a high protein diet. Continue this diet for a few weeks after your surgery under the guidance of a nutritionist.
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Stop taking certain medications. Always talk to your prescribing doctor before stopping the medication.
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Keep a watch on your health. Discuss any signs of illness with your plastic surgeon. This includes colds, infections or boils which appear before your surgery.
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Get Involved in Healthy Relaxation Activities. Read books and magazines, surf the Internet, watch movie at home and perform mild household activities in the first two weeks after tummy tuck surgery. Do not return to work too early, and maintain a relaxed schedule for a few days.
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Don’t use any form of tobacco. At least a month before your treatment. Smoking and other forms of tobacco use can lead to poor healing and increase your risk of surgical complications.
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Aim for rapid weight loss. If you have been trying to lose weight through crash diets or other means, you should stop a few weeks. Maintain a stable and healthy weight for a long as possible before your procedure.
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Don’t drink alcohol for at least one week before treatment. Avoid alcohol for at least one week before your surgery and for a couple of weeks afterwards because alcohol can interfere with the anesthesia and affect blood clotting.
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Don’t use herbal medication. Avoid herbal medications before your procedure because they could complicate your surgery by interfering with blood clotting and anesthetics and could adversely affect your blood pressure.
Two Weeks Prior to Tummy Tuck Surgery
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Stop taking aspirin, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil or similar anti-inflammatory medications, as they increase bleeding.
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Stop all herbal medications, supplements, teas and diet pills, as they may increase bleeding.
When should you avoid an tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)?
If you are a woman who is still planning to have children, you may want to postpone a tummy tuck surgery until you are through bearing children. During surgery, your vertical muscles are tightened. Future pregnancies can separate these muscles once again.
It is important to know that a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery causes scarring on the abdomen. The length of the scar depends on the amount of extra skin. With minimal extra skin, the mini abdominoplasty results in a short scar.
Your plastic surgeon will discuss the results you want, and will determine the appropriate procedure during your consultation about surgery.
How is an tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) done?
Depending on the results you want, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery can take anywhere from one to five hours. If you are traveling out of town to a hospital to have the procedure done, you might consider staying overnight at a hotel.
You will be given general anesthesia, which will put you to sleep during the operation. It is important to have someone with you who can drive you home. If you live alone and you are sent home after the procedure, you also will need someone to stay with you at least the first night after the tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery.
- Complete abdominoplasty: This option is for patients who need the most correction. The incision (cut) is made at the bikini line and the length of the scar depends on the amount of extra skin. Your surgeon will then manipulate and shape the skin and muscle as needed. You will also have an incision around your navel (belly button) with this procedure, because it is necessary to free your navel from surrounding tissue. Drainage tubes may or may not be placed under your skin. These will be removed in a few days as your surgeon sees fit.
- Partial or mini-abdominoplasty: Mini-abdominoplasties are done with shorter incisions and are often performed on people who have less excess skin. Your belly button most likely won't be moved during this type of procedure. Your skin will be separated between the line of incision and your belly button. This procedure generally takes one to two hours.
- Circumferential abdominoplasty: This surgery includes the back area. When there is a lot of excess fat in the back as well as the abdomen, you may have either liposuction of the back or circumferential abdominoplasty. The latter procedure allows for the removal of both skin and fat from the hip and back areas, which improves the shape of your body from all sides.
After your partial or complete tummy tuck, your incision site will be stitched and bandaged. Your surgeon may have you wear an elastic bandage or compression garment after surgery. It is very important that you follow all of your surgeon's advice on wearing this garment and caring for the bandage. Your surgeon will also tell you about the best way to sit or lie down so you will be in the least amount of pain.
Who is a good candidate for a tummy tuck surgery?
Optimal candidates are in good health and at a stable weight with excess abdominal skin. If you sit up straight and have hanging skin, you are a good candidate for a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery.
A common concern of people during tummy tuck procedure is whether they need to lose weight before surgery. The answer varies by surgeon, but the most common answer is that you should be within 10–15 pounds of your goal weight.
Many surgeons won’t operate on someone with a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 due to an increased risk of complications.
You can expect to lose a few pounds during a tummy tuck, from the removal of extra skin and fat deposits.
Cigarette smokers are considered poor candidates because nicotine consumption constricts blood flow. If you smoke, you will need to stop at least six weeks in advance of your surgery and avoid smoking during the healing process.
How bad is the pain after a tummy tuck surgery?
If you are planning to have a tummy tuck surgery, you should be prepared for one to two months of recovery, and you may experience pain throughout this time. In general, pain is mild to moderate after a tummy tuck surgery.
Whether you are undergoing a full or mini tummy tuck, it involves some levels of pain. No need to worry because it will not be long-lasting.
To fully understand what you will feel after getting a tummy tuck, here we provide you with a pain timeline:
On the day of the surgery
After the operation, when the numbing goes away, the pain will show up. You will feel tightness, tenderness, and discomfort at the surgical site as well as inside your muscles which have been pulled together.
The first week after the surgery
You should expect to feel the maximum amount of pain and soreness during this week. You can take medications in order to ease the pain. Most of the time, this pain will gradually decrease and go away up to the end of the first week.
The second week after the surgery
For a mini abdominoplasty, the second week is not a difficult one as the major pain will disappear during the first week after surgery.
For a full abdominoplasty, however, you may experience little to moderate discomfort and tenderness in your abdomen during the second week too.
Meet our surgeon at Breast and Body Clinic in Manchester, Chester, or Preston who will provide good advice and care.
Where Should I Expect Pain?
Many assume that it’s the incision which hurts the most. But, the truth is that you should expect pain in various parts depending on your surgery.
If your muscles are manipulated during the procedure, tightness would be serious and you will feel tenderness and discomfort inside your abdomen.
How pain should be managed after tummy tuck surgery?
Depending on the type of your surgery, you may feel mild, moderate or severe pain. In either case, you need to follow the below instructions to manage the pain.
- First of all, follow what your doctor has ordered. Your doctor can suggest the best course of recovery for you.
- Wear your compression garment if your doctor has instructed you to do so.
- Ask someone to be around or stay in touch, especially during the first week, to help you with your routine activities.
- Avoid strenuous activities and lifting objects as this may cause more pain.
- Rest for one or two weeks and enjoy doing some relaxing activities like watching your favorite movies or reading your treasured books.
- While it is important to rest enough, you need to maintain a low level of activity during recovery. Do some thigh exercises in the bed to avoid blood clots. But do not perform any abdominal exercises at this time.
- Have a healthy diet and consume less salt.
- Get more vitamins (like. vitamins C and D) and nutritional foods to have better and quicker healing.
- Do not smoke one month before and after the tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery as it slows down the recovery and may result in poor wound healing.
Can I Gain Weight After Tummy Tuck Surgery?
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) is usually done to remove excess fat from your body. After the surgery the patient's body usually comes back into shape. But patients usually don’t follow the prescribed diet
as well as the routine recommended by the Surgeon. This may lead to gain of weight after Tummy Tuck surgery.
It is to be noted and understood that the procedure of tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery permanently removes the fat cells from the abdomen, which your body cannot replace; all fat cells are not removed during tummy tuck. If you consume a lot of calories after the surgery, the remaining fat cells in your abdomen can expand which may lead to weight gain. Therefore,
it is highly recommended to follow your doctor’s advice to maintain the shape and weight of your body after tummy tuck surgery.
For more suggestions and better guidance you may contact our expert Mr Aftab Siddiqui,
a consultant cosmetic and plastic surgeon in Manchester, Chester, Preston.
Book a session with Mr Aftab Siddiqui today at Breast and Body Clinic UK - Consultant led
and individually focused Cosmetic surgery clinic at Manchester.
Medical benefits of a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
Abdominoplasty or a tummy tuck is more commonly known as a cosmetic surgery procedure that tightens the muscles and removes loose skin and fat from the abdomen so that it appears flat and toned.
It is a procedure that allows women to restore their figures after pregnancy and help patients that have undergone extreme weight loss in a short period of time.
There are several medical benefits of a tummy tuck ( abdominoplasty) to be gained after the procedure.
- Reduction of Stress Urinary Incontinence
After a vaginal birth, some women can develop Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), a bladder control problem associated with uncontrollable leakage brought on by coughing, sneezing, exercising or even laughing.
In most cases, SUI is treated without surgery. For patients who require more care, several studies have indicated that a tummy tuck can aid in recovery especially in patients that have not had a cesarean section.
- Improved Abdominal Tone and Better Posture
After extreme weight loss or multiple pregnancies, stomach muscles can become distended, and only dieting and exercise alone cannot help to make your body slim and fit. A tummy tuck surgically tightens weak muscles, while removing excess skin and fat, to flatten the abdomen. After an abdominoplasty, patients may notice that their posture has improved significantly.
Risks and Rewards
Due to its growing popularity, many people believe that a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is an easy surgery. It is important for patients to realize that it is still a major operation, requiring one to five hours in the operating room, under general anesthesia.
A typical abdominoplasty removes up to 10 pounds of stomach fat by disconnecting the skin from the underlying tissue, and cutting away any extra skin. A full recovery can take several weeks, and just like any other surgery, there are risks of infection and other complications.
The various medical and cosmetic benefits of a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) make the procedure appealing for many people. Interested patients should discuss the procedure in detail with their surgeon and consider all the advice before deciding whether to undergo surgery.
The benefits of including Liposuction with your Tummy Tuck
The most notable benefit of adding liposuction to your tummy tuck is the fact that your plastic surgeon can address exercise-resistant fat concurrently with eliminating loose skin and repairing muscle tissue. Thus, you'll only need to schedule one surgery and will only have one recovery period, rather than two separate procedures and recoveries.
Another benefit of combining a tummy tuck with liposuction is that you can maximize your body contouring results in a way that really isn't possible with either procedure on its own. In most cases, excess fat and loose skin go hand-in-hand, so treating both of these common cosmetic concerns at the same time is often the most efficient and effective approach. With this approach, you won't have to deal with messy drains while you recover, and the recovery period is usually shorter than that of a regular tummy tuck.
Risks and Rewards
Due to its growing popularity, many people believe that a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is an easy surgery. It is important for patients to realize that it is still a major operation, requiring one to five hours in the operating room, under general anesthesia.
A typical abdominoplasty removes up to 10 pounds of stomach fat by disconnecting the skin from the underlying tissue, and cutting away any extra skin. A full recovery can take several weeks, and just like any other surgery, there are risks of infection and other complications.
The various medical and cosmetic benefits of a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) make the procedure appealing for many people. Interested patients should discuss the procedure in detail with their surgeon and consider all the advice before deciding whether to undergo surgery.
Book your appointment now at our Manchester, Chester, Preston clinic. Get best results of tummy tuck surgery by 18 years experienced surgeon.