| Dr. Johnny Chung 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. Also known as an Abdominoplasty. This procedure removes excess or loose skin and fat from the abdominal region. The loose skin is very common after pregnancy which may not go away even with diet and exercise.
Q. What are the benefits of a tummy tuck?
A. The tummy tuck helps to reshape the lower body or torso region. With a tummy tuck, the abdominal muscles (rectus) is plicated (or tightened). Usually after child birth the muscles separate and a diastasis occurs. A diastasis means widening or laxity of the rectus muscles . A bulge may develop in the abdominal area as a result of the diastasis.
Q. Who is an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck?
A. An Ideal candidate is someone who has finished having children, has some excess fat and skin in the lower or upper abdominal areas. Ideally if the patient maintains a healthy diet and an exercise routine, the results of the tummy tuck will look even better.
Q. How is a tummy tuck performed?
A. A tummy tuck requires an incision from hip bone to hip bone located in the pubic region, usually hidden by underwear or a bikini. The Abdominal skin is lifted up off of the abdominal muscles (aka rectus muscle). The muscle are then plicated or tightened. the excess skin is pulled down toward the feet and removed. The skin is sutured, closed with buried stitches. There may be 1 or 2 drains which stay in for approximately 1 to 2 weeks. It usually takes 3 months for all the swelling to subside.
Q. Are there risks and complications to a tummy tuck?
A. Risks include infection, bleeding, wound dehiscence(separation of the incision line), skin necrosis(skin turns black or dies due to lack of blood flow), scarring, and seroma formation(fluid collection). All of the above complications are relatively low ranging from 1-5% in a healthy individual. These complications are greatly increased if the patients are smokers or diabetics.
Q. How much does a tummy tuck cost?
A. The total cost of a tummy tuck ranges from $6,000-9,000. This depends on the surgeons fees, hospital costs, and anesthesia fees. A board certified plastic surgeon will only perform procedures under anesthesia at an accredited facility. This ensures that the patient will receive the highest level and quality of care.
Q. How long do the results of a tummy tuck last?
A. The results of a tummy tuck should last an entire lifetime as long as the patient maintains a healthy diet and exercise.
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