| Dr. Bernard Chang is a plastic surgeon and who has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Tummy Tuck.
Q. What is a tummy tuck?
A. A tummy tuck involves removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen that can occur after pregnancy, weight loss, or natural aging. In addition, the muscles under the skin are often tightened as well to enhance the waistline as well as tighten stretched muscles that can be present. The excess skin is elevated off of the muscles and stretched downwards to keep the scar in a lower abdominal position so that it may be covered by an appropriate bathing suit or shorts. An incision is also made around the belly button so that it may be left attached to the underlying muscles. It is brought out thru a new incision in the skin that is pulled downwards with a resultant small circular scar around the newly positioned belly button. Liposuction may be done as part of the procedure as well to improve the contour of the abdomen.
Drains are placed beneath the skin so that fluid does not accumulate as well as separate tubes for a pain pump that is placed. The pain pump drips a long acting local anesthetic into the tissues, which is non-narcotic to minimize post-op pain as well as the need for post-op pain medications. The drains and pain pump tubes are removed approximately 1 week after surgery in the office. Patients may return to work in 2-4 weeks depending on their recovery and type of work.
Q. What are the benefits of a tummy tuck?
A. The benefits to a tummy tuck are that it improves the tightness of the abdomen and shape.
Q. Who is an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck?
A. Ideal candidates are healthy individuals who are non-smokers. The age range for this procedure varies but mostly involves patients in the late 20's to 40's.
Q. Are there risks and complications to a tummy tuck?
A. There are risks to any surgical procedure including bleeding, infection, thick scarring, wound healing issues, blood clots in the veins of the legs that can travel to the lungs, chronic pain, and risks from anesthesia, but complications are fairly rare.
Q. Will a person have a scar after the tummy tuck?
A. A long scar is produced in the lower abdomen as well as a circular scar around the belly button. Scar management may include scar massage, steroid injection in to the scars, or compressive tape or silicone sheets applied over the scar for several months. The scar may take over a year to mature and look its best.
Q. How long do the results of a tummy tuck last?
A. The results are very long lasting and may look good for many years. The long-term results may vary depending on weight gain and loss, sun exposure, and aging.
Q. What are the different types of tummy tuck procedures?
A. The procedure described above is the standard type of tummy tuck. Some patients may be a candidate for a mini-tummy tuck if most of the redundancy is below the belly button. A mini-tummy tuck involves removal of skin below the belly button combined with liposuction. The belly button is not released and there is no scar around the belly button. This technique does not help with extra skin above the belly button. Some patients may also be a candidate for liposuction of the abdomen alone if they have fairly good skin tone.
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