| Dr. Irvin Wiesman is a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Tummy Tuck.
Q. What is a tummy tuck?
A. An abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is a procedure where the lower flap of abdominal skin is removed and the abdominal muscles are tightened to flatten the stomach and the belly button is brought out through a new skin incision.
Q. What are the benefits of a tummy tuck?
A. The benefit of a tummy tuck is that it removes that excess damaged skin of the lower abdomen usually from the pubic bone to just above the belly button. This skin when damaged and hanging, which is common after pregnancy or weight loss, often times will not tighten on its own. When you see stretch marks on the skin this indicates damage to the deep skin where the elastic properties are not working to allow the skin to contract. Also with a tummy tuck the rectus muscles which are separated in women who have had pregnancies, called a rectus diastasis, are repaired surgically. No matter how many sit-ups one does it will not bring the muscles back together. But surgery will!
Q. Who is an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck?
A. An ideal candidate is someone who is at her ideal body weight and who either through weight loss or pregnancy has hanging abdominal skin and a lower abdominal bulge due to the muscles being separated. An abdominoplasty can return the abdomen to that flat tight pre-pregnancy state.
Q. How is a tummy tuck performed?
A. The lower flap of abdominal skin is removed and the abdominal muscles are tightened to flatten the stomach and the belly button is brought out through a new skin incision. Surgery is done in our licensed operating rooms with a board certified anesthesiologist.
Q. Are there risks and complications to a tummy tuck?
A. There are risks with all surgery. Some of the risks with abdominoplasty include infection, wound break down, fluid collection, blood clots and possible pulmonary embolism. The risks are very low and I take measures to keep them low during surgery by giving antibiotics, placing compression stockings on my patients and encouraging early ambulation.
Q. What should one expect after the operation?
A. For the first week after surgery one will be slowly walking slightly bent over. By the 3rd week after operation the patient feels pretty good. No heavy lifting or straining for 6 weeks to protect the muscle repair.
Q. How much does a tummy tuck cost?
A. The cost for an abdominoplasty starts at $ 6500 and up depending on the extent and anticipated length of surgery.
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