Plastic Surgery

Beverly Hills California

tummy tucks  liposuction abdominoplasty

Jon A Perlman MD, FACS

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery

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Tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) Tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a plastic surgery procedure designed to tighten both the skin and muscle of the stomach.  A full tummy tuck improves both the upper and lower abdomen while removing most of the stretched skin below the belly button (umbilicus).  As performed by Dr Perlman, the tummy tuck procedure is performed in conjunction with liposuction of the lower flanks and "grab handle" areas further reducing the girth and size of the trunk and tummy.   This procedure requires an incision around the belly button as well as one across the lower portion of the abdomen.  Patients are told that the long lower abdominal incision line is going to be present permanently and is unlikely to become undetectable.  In exchange however, the incision permits Dr Perlman to remove significant amounts of skin across the lower abdomen while also tightening the muscles to the patient's benefit.  As the photographs below will show, the changes achieved from full tummy tucks are amongst the most dramatic seen in plastic surgery!   Mini tummy tuck surgery A mini tummy tuck only improves the skin of the lower stomach area (below the belly button) but does permit muscle tightening and liposuction to be performed of the upper stomach area at the same time as the mini tummy tuck.  A mini tummy tuck does not require an incision line around the belly button and is better suited to men or women with more modest problems such as mild laxity of the stomach wall.  Most patients who have had children and have noticeable looseness require a full tummy tuck.   Recovery following a tummy tuck surgery. The recovery from a tummy tuck or a mini tummy tuck surgery requires drainage and minimal activity for about a one week period to prevent a collection of fluid from occurring before the "skin" readheres to the underlying muscle layer.  Restricting activities for the first six weeks is imperative, and our patients are asked to bend forward slightly while standing or lying in bed for the first ten to fourteen days.   Use of a pain pump following tummy tuck surgery. One of the major improvements that Beverly Hills tummy tuck specialist Dr. Perlman offered his patients recovering from a tummy tuck surgery has been the optional use of a pain pump for the first five to seven days after their tummy tuck surgery.  Dr. Perlman finds that this alleviates about seventy percent of the post-operative pain following a tummy tuck or mini tummy tuck surgery and facilitates his patient's recovery.  Making it easier for patients to get out of bed and walk around the bedroom and to the bathroom also has potential benefits in reducing the risk of blood clots forming in the calves and legs after surgery. After a full tummy tuck, most patients note a very significant tightening of the skin and stomach wall.  It can provide one of the more dramatic changes for appropriate people of all of the plastic surgical procedures performed!  For healthy patients who are active and meet our medical standards, tummy tucks and liposuction procedures can be performed as outpatient surgeries at our surgical facility.   Liposuction patients may then be taken home after their surgery by a friend or family member, while tummy tuck patients must spend at least one night at an appropriate aftercare facility (we will make these arrangements for you).  Remember, your safety is our first concern.   It is always a good idea to start iron supplements 2-4 weeks before a surgery if you tend to run mildly anemic. If you would like to see examples of patients who underwent either a tummy tuck or mini tummy tuck, please click on the thumbnail photos below.

		Tummy tuck after a Caesarian Section.
		Tummy tuck after having children.
		Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).

				Tummy tuck following pregnancy.
				Tummy tuck surgery following pregnancy with hip roll liposuction.

		Tummy tuck after having three children and a previous appendectomy.

			Photos of the patient below show her tummy tuck incisions only five months after surgery.  Note that her tummy tuck incisions are still in the red and somewhat thickened stage of normal healing.
			This patient's after photo was taken about 18 months after her tummy tuck surgery (see below).
			This male underwent a tummy tuck following a 70 pound weight loss!
			This mother of several children underwent tummy tuck and grab handle liposuction.  Her after photo was taken six years after surgery!

	This woman underwent a tummy tuck after having children.

This patient underwent a tummy tuck and hip roll liposuction after she had completed her pregnancies.