Things You Should Know About A “Tummy Tuck“

           T H I N G S  Y O U  S H O U L D  K N O W  A B O U T  A “T U M M Y T U C K “

     By

 

Dr. Wolf-Gunter Steinmetz

specialist for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery

American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital

 

 

1. Who is a good candidate for the procedure?

 

Ideally the patient should be of normal weight, or at least not be excessively over weight. This procedure is not intended to reduce weight! Since it is a major procedure taking several hours under general anesthesia, the patient needs to be healthy and fit and there should be no skin infections present. After the procedure, it will take several weeks, even months for all the swelling to go down and everything to heal properly. Therefore, a candidate should be emotionally and psychologically stable.

A pregnancy after an abdominoplasty is possible and there is no added risk from the procedure, however, it is quite likely that the result will be ruined by a pregnancy. So it is recommended to only have the surgery done if you are not planning to have more children, but there can be exceptions to this.

 

2. When is the right time for me to have an abdominoplasty?

 

As mentioned above, it would be a good idea to be relatively sure you are done with your family planning and don‘t want more children, because a pregnancy might undo the benefits of the surgery. Also, it is advisable to wait at least 6 months after you stopped breast feeding, since the change in your hormonal status will affect strength of tissues and your body still changes during that period.

 

In a more immediate sense, you need to organize your life in such a way that you can deal with the limitations imposed by the post-surgical period. For example, you should not need to li anything heavy for 6 to 8 weeks, you will need me off from your job and you may need assistance for running your household. Furthermore, it is important that you wear a good compression garment for about 4 weeks after the surgery.

3. What are the limits for such a procedure and how do you deal with it?

 

It is important to understand that each surgery has its limits. Even the best surgeon cannot make you look 20 when you are really 50 or give you a super model body when you are heavy built. Also, there will always be scars and maybe other telltale signs of the surgery. One should never look only at one isolated area. If you have heavy breasts and full thighs, a pronounced slim waistline would look out of place. The goal of any cosmetic surgery is to improve the total harmony of your body not only deal with one little area and forget about the rest! You should only decide to have the procedure done if you feel you can live with the scars and will be happy with the result you can expect according to the surgeon. When it comes to deciding on a major procedure like abdominoplasty it is no me for wishful thinking!

Dr. Wolf Gunter Steinmetz, Plastic Surgeon