Tummy Tuck – How do you know if you’re a candidate?
Liposuction works best in people with good skin elasticity. The term “good skin elasticity” is rather vague, but it’s kind of like “good art” – we usually know it when we see it. When we see skin with less than optimal elasticity, liposuction may loosen the skin further rather than tighten it up, and procedures which remove skin should be considered.
One such procedure for the belly is an abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck” as it’s more commonly known. it’s not a small procedure and shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. But in the right patient, it’s an extremely powerful procedure which can make an unparalleled difference in the abdominal region. How do you know if you’re a candidate? Read on.
What are my options?
We generally think in terms of three procedures in the abdominal region – liposuction, a “modified tummy tuck”, and a “tummy tuck”. When liposuction will not produce the results, you can consider either a modified tummy tuck or a tummy tuck.
A “modified tummy tuck” will work best for you if you have a little “pot” in the lower portion of the abdomen with some loose skin below the belly button. In that case, we can remove the lower abdominal skin and tighten the muscles through an incision which rides below the bikini line. If your abdominal muscles are stretched “significantly” and/or the skin over the upper abdomen (above the belly button) is loose, then a “tummy tuck” may be in order.
The procedure and after
We usually perform tummy tucks under local anesthesia with sedation. The incision, as in the modified tummy tuck, is made below the bikini line, but extends a bit longer. The skin and fat of your abdominal wall are raised off of the underlying muscle and the muscles are brought back to the middle. Then the extra skin and fat are trimmed, and the incision closed up. You go home from our center afterwards and are seen back in the office frequently.
All things human happen on a “bell-shaped curve” – height, SAT scores, and pain after tummy tucks. Most people recover two to three weeks before they can go back to work comfortably. Some patients take less time and some take significantly more. Almost all would gladly go through the procedure again to get the result at the end.
Good Advice
“In a minute!” said Sherri when asked if she’d do it again. “I worked out, watched my diet. I wasn’t overweight, but I never liked the way my belly looked after Josh was born. I just couldn’t tighten back up.”
“The tummy tuck was really amazing. I could see the result immediately. That loose, hanging skin was gone. My friend had pain after her tummy tuck. Maybe I’m just different, but I never had any real pain – none that I remember anyway. I felt like my tummy was tight – almost like a drawing sensation. I didn’t even take the whole prescription of pain pills!”
“Now, I have a waist again.” My clothes fit much better. And my back doesn’t hurt anymore! It’s almost like my back muscles don’t have to work as hard now that they have a tight tummy to counterbalance them. I can work in the garden for hours now without my back hurting – and I sure couldn’t do that before the surgery!”
Clearly, tummy tucks aren’t for everyone. We have a saying at the Austin-Weston Center that goes: “Do the least invasive procedure compatible with getting the job done.” For some, that means liposuction. For others, it means a modified tummy tuck, and for others still, it means a tummy tuck. It’s not always clear cut. It’s not as much science sometimes as art. But in the right patient, a tummy tuck is powerful medicine.
