Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

I have always been bothered by the lack of muscle tone around my stomach and no amount of exercise seems to firm this up. I am considering a tummy tuck but would like to know what it entails.

Abdominoplasty, can give you a tighter, flatter stomach and reduce the appearance of stretch marks on your lower abdomen. The operation can remove folds of skin left behind after losing a lot of weight, and tighten stretched skin and muscles after pregnancy in women who don’t plan to have another baby.

Before the operation, your surgeon may ask you to: lose weight, stop taking the contraceptive pill six weeks before surgery to reduce the risk of thrombosis and give up or cut down smoking, as it increases the risk of chest or wound infection, and slows down your recovery. A one or two night stay in hospital is required.
The operation takes two to three hours. Surgical cuts are made into your abdomen and above your bikini line. Your naval is cut from the surrounding skin. Very stretched or torn muscles are pulled together and stitched in place. Excess fat is removed, your skin is pulled down and the excess trimmed off. Your naval is repositioned to fit the new shape. Cuts are closed with stitches and your lower abdomen is firmly strapped with bandages. You will have a scar around your naval and a long curved scar along your bikini line, which is usually hidden inside your underwear.

After the operation, rest is needed until the effects of the general anaesthetic have passed. You will be given painkillers to relieve any discomfort. For the first day, you may have a catheter fitted to drain urine from your bladder and you may have fine plastic tubes running from under the skin on your tummy for up to 48 hours. These allow blood and fluids to drain into a bag. You may have a drip in your arm to keep you hydrated. It’s usually removed when you can drink enough fluid.
You will be wearing an elasticated garment to support your abdomen. Surface stitches are usually removed within seven days. Deeper stitches are taken out two to three weeks post surgery.

You may experience some tightness around the wound, but this is more common in patients who are overweight and who smoke. Most people can return to work after two to four weeks.


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