Dr. Amy Bandy Tummy Tuck Before and After Photo
After pregnancy and weight loss, many women are simply unable to achieve the flat smooth abdomen they had before, despite exercise and eating right. This is because once the skin and muscles have streched, no amount of exercize will cause the skin to contract. If there is the presence of diastasis rectus, this cannot be corrected with diet and exercise either.
This is when abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck enters the equation to offer women the chance to regain their best possible abdomen. Some women will get improvement with a mini-abdominoplasty, others will get their best results with a full abdominoplasty. Liposuction may or may not add to the improvement, depending on the amount of excess fat that is covering the muscles.
Men are also good candidates for abdominoplasty when there is loose skin that does not respond to diet or exercise. This is often noted after weight loss and weight fluctuations.
The incisions for a tummy tuck are varied. Dr. Bandy prefers to allow the patient to decide how low they would like the incision to be, so that it can be placed in the best area to best conceal the scar. This is reviewed with each person in detail at the consultation and pre-operative appointment. With any type of tummy tuck, a long hip to hip scar is necessary to prevent puckering at the ends of the incision, also known as “dog ears”.
Once the incision has been made, the skin and subcutaneous tissues (fatty tissues) are lifted off of the rectus abdominus muscles. If it is a mini tummy tuck, the tissues are lifted up to the level of the umbilicus (belly button). The skin is then pulled inferior and all excess skin and fatty tissue is removed, and the incision is closed with sutures. In a full abdominoplasty, the skin and fatty tissues are elevated off of the muscles up to the level of the ribs. The belly button is freed from the skin by making an incision around the belly button. The muscles are then repaired if there is diastasis, by placing sutures in the fascia to bring the muscles back together. The skin is then pulled down and all excess skin is removed. The belly button is then sewn into place, and the lower hip to hip incision is closed with sutures. Sometimes a drain is used to prevent fluid from accumulating. A compression garment is then placed.
Healing takes approximately 6 weeks before patients are able to return to their normal activities, but many people are able to return to work in as little as a week or two. It takes up to a year for the incision to fully heal and lighten. Abdominoplasty is one of the most rewarding surgeries as it helps the patient to obtain results that couldn’t otherwise be possible.
For more information and to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bandy, please call our office.