|
Introduction
What is a Tummy Tuck?
The Evaluation
The Tummy Tuck Procedure
Healing and Recovery
Cost of surgery
Introduction
It’s not a secret that pregnancy takes a toll on a woman’s figure. Physical changes caused by pregnancy can take away some of the joy of motherhood. It’s emotionally difficult adjusting to these body changes. Post pregnancy is also a common time for women to seek Dr. Ress’ help.
Becoming a mother doesn’t mean you can’t look as good or better than before pregnancy. Today there are many options in plastic surgery to help you regain your pre-pregnancy figure. Nowhere else is pregnancy more evident than a woman’s abdomen. Carrying the baby for 9 months stretches not only the skin but also the stomach muscles. Leaving your once flat stomach a “pooch” of excess skin that lies below your navel. Once the stomach muscles are stretched it is almost impossible to fully get rid of the pooch with diet and exercise.
Those undergoing weight reduction surgery (gastric bypass) also develop a lot of loose extra skin as their weight drops off.
What is a Tummy Tuck?
Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is performed to flatten the protruding abdomen through the tightening of abdominal wall muscles and removal of excess fatty tissue and skin. This will give your stomach area a flatter firmer look. The surgery is often performed with other procedures such as Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Gynecological procedures (hysterectomy or tubal ligation). Tummy tucks come in several ‘flavors’: mini, modified, full and extended depending on how much skin needs to be removed.
The best candidates are women or men who have achieved or are within 10 lbs of their weight loss goals. This kind of surgery does not cause or enhance weight loss. Women undergoing the tummy tuck procedure should not intend on having more children, which will cause alteration of the final result and may necessitate later revision.
While the majority of patients undergoing tummy tuck are women, many men are seeking out this procedure as well.
Liposuction works for the areas with excess fat pockets that are resistant to diet and exercise. For pregnant women those pesky areas may lie around the hips, thighs and below the buttocks. Liposuction is not for women trying to get rid of the “baby weight”. This procedure is only recommended to women that are already back to their normal weight.
The Evaluation
Dr. Ress will review your medical history and current weight goals. He will assess the amount of extra skin you have on the tummy as well as checking for permanent stretching of the sit-up muscles, and for hernias. This evaluation will determine the ‘flavor’ of tummy tuck you will need.
You will need to be in good overall health and preferably not smoke.
The Tummy Tuck Procedure
The procedure itself is done in a certified operating room either in an outpatient center or at the hospital, where you can stay overnight afterwards and receive personalized nursing care. The procedure itself takes approximately 2-3 hours to perform.
On the day of surgery, in the preoperative area, Dr. Ress will use a surgical magic marker to plan the incision. Patients are instructed to bring a bikini bottom or panties that they wear (or will wear) so that the incisions can be designed to lie behind her clothes.
Healing and Recovery
Tummy Tuck used to be the most uncomfortable surgery to recover from. Thankfully a major improvement in post surgery pain control has radically improved our patients recovery: the On-Q® system.
ON-Q is put in place by Dr. Ress and provides continuous pain relief in those important first days after surgery. ON-Q is a small high-tech balloon that holds local anesthetic drips it through a small catheter tube directly into the surgical incision site. The anesthetic is delivered continuously for three to five days after surgery.
The ON-Q soaks the surgical site, numbing the pain. Because ON-Q directs the medication only into the area where you have pain, the rest of your body stays in your normal, comfortable state.
Showering and walking begin the next day. Most stitches placed dissolve on their own. A drainage tube to prevent accumulation of fluids is removed after 4-7 days. You will be instructed to wear a surgical girdle in order to reduce swelling and guide the skin into its new proper position. This ‘grandma’ outfit will not need to worn long. Dr. Ress switches most of his patients to Flexees® garments after a week or so.
Cost of surgery.
At the time of your initial consultation you will be quoted a price of Dr. Ress’ fee as well as the fee for the hospital, and anesthesiologist. a. Fees are due in full at least two weeks prior to surgery and a security deposit will reserve a specific time and date for your surgery.
|
