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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
Beverly Hills tummy tuck specialist 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 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
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.
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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.
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