Are You a Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?
Maybe an abdominoplasty, commonly known as a tummy tuck will vastly improve the shape and appearance of your abdomen. Aside from a breast enhancement procedure, it’s one of the most common elective surgeries for women.. During the tummy tuck, excess skin and fat are removed from the abdominal area, and connective tissue known as fascia is tightened. Sutures are usually used for this purpose. What skin remains is then repositioned, giving the tummy more of a toned and fit appearance. Dr. Joel Aronowitz in Los Angeles is one of the leading tummy tuck surgeons in Southern California. You might elect to have him perform one on you if you have excess abdominal fat or skin or a weak abdominal wall. Your entire body image will be enhanced.
Other Procedures and a Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck can also be performed along with other body sculpting surgeries like breast augmentation or abdominal liposuction. That removes fat from just under the skin, leaving excess skin. A tummy tuck will effectively remove that.
Preparing for a Tummy Tuck
There are certain things that you’ll need to do before your surgery. Those involve a full and complete review of your medical history with Dr. Aronowitz, including any medications that you might be taking and surgeries that you’ve had in the past. Expect the doctor to examine your abdomen..Then, he’ll want to know what you expect from the surgery, including scarring. Abdominal scarring in the past might limit what he can do. If you’re thinking about the procedure strictly for weight loss, you may need to wait a year while maintaining your weight at a certain level.
Tummy Tuck Procedure
There are a number of different tummy tuck procedures. Many of them involve your goals and the changes that you expect. Incisions are likely to be made to remove most of the skin and fat in the area between your belly button and pubic hairline. Connective tissue over the abdominal muscles is then tightened by the use of permanent stitches. The incision above the pubic hairline is also stitched. This leaves a scar along the crease of the public hairline. The belly button is then repositioned to its usual location.
Post-Procedure
After a tummy tuck, it’s highly likely that the area around the incision will be covered with gauze and surgical tape. Tubes might even be placed along the site of the incision for purposes of draining any excess liquids. Plan on some walking, on the day of, or the day after the procedure, to prevent blood clots. Antibiotics and a blood thinner may even b prescribed for a short time. A supportive abdominal binder will be worn for about six weeks post-procedure.
A tummy tuck should provide a toned and slimmer appearance of the abdomen. Now that your weight is under control, it will be important for you to maintain that weight to maintain your tummy tuck. Dr. Joel Aronowitz can answer any questions you might have about the tummy tuck procedure. Feel free to make an appointment for an evaluation.
