Tummy Tuck Surgery

You will have a meeting with the surgeon to discuss why you want surgery and what exactly you want. The surgeon will take note of any illnesses you suffer from or have suffered from in the past. He will also be informed about any medication you are taking, including herbal remedies and medicines that are not prescribed by your doctor.
The surgeon will examine your abdomen and may take some photos for medical records. He will ask if you want to have someone with you during the examination, and will ask you to sign a form regarding consent for the collection, storage and use of the photos.
The surgeon will measure your height and weight to make sure it is safe for you to have this operation. If you are overweight, pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, the surgeon may suggest postponing the operation.

Maintaining a state of health as good as possible and a weight appropriate to your age and height will help with a quick recovery, without complications. If you smoke, quit smoking six weeks before the operation; this will help with healing and reduce the chances of complications.

You should not remove/shave hair from the vicinity of the areas where the cuts will be placed on the skin. Maintaining strict hygiene will help reduce the risk of infection.

Standard tummy tuck surgery.
This is the most common type of tummy tuck. An incision is made on the body, from one hip to the other and around the navel (umbilicus). Excess skin and fat are removed from the upper level of the pubic hair to the navel. The muscles above and below the navel are tightened. The skin is then sewn together resulting in a circular scar around the navel and a long scar along the lower abdomen.

Mini tummy tuck
In this case, a smaller amount of skin and fat is removed from the lower abdomen, although in this case there will also be a long horizontal scar above the pubic hair. Sometimes, the muscles will also be tightened. There will be no scar around the navel, which can be stretched, acquiring a different shape.

In the case of mini tummy tuck surgery, the effect will be smaller than in the case of standard tummy tuck surgery.

Fleur-de-lis type abdominoplasty
For patients with a large excess of skin on both the upper and lower abdomen, a fleur-de-lis type abdominoplasty may be appropriate. In this case, in addition to the longitudinal incision, a vertical one is also performed, so that the resulting scar will resemble an anchor.

Other options:
You may also consider the following options.

• To also have Liposuction (surgery in which fat is aspirated through a tube inserted through small cuts) before or after tummy tuck, to thin the abdominal wall. This is useful, but the results can be unpredictable. Liposuction alone has a smaller effect than tummy tuck.
• A major tummy tuck surgery, in which excess skin and fatty tissue will be removed from the lower back and above the hips. Following this operation, the scar will extend around the lower back.
• An endoscopic tummy tuck surgery, in which the abdominal muscles are tightened through a short lateral incision above the pubic hair. The skin is not removed, but Liposuction can be performed.
• An apronectomy operation, which is actually a modified mini tummy tuck operation for cases in which you have a lot of skin and fat hanging over the pubic area. On this occasion, only excess skin and fat will be removed. However, this will leave a long lateral scar.

If you have scars from previous operations, the scars resulting from the tummy tuck operation can be adjusted to match the scars you already have.

Adminoplasty interventions are usually performed under general anesthesia (So you will be asleep). The operation lasts approximately three hours, and will most often require up to three days of hospitalization.

When you wake up from the operation, you may have a fluid probe to hydrate you while you cannot drink water. You may be given antibiotics to keep the wound clean. You may also have drainage tubes in your lower abdomen for draining fluids or blood. These tubes will be removed when the blood or fluid has stopped draining, usually before you are discharged. You will feel your abdomen tight and inflamed. General analgesics should be sufficient to keep you in a comfortable state.

FIRST WEEK

After tummy tuck, bandages will be applied to your abdomen and you will most likely have small, temporary drainage tubes inserted under the skin to prevent fluid collection. The plastic surgeon will prescribe medication to help you feel as comfortable as possible. The plastic surgeon may also recommend that you sleep in an armchair rather than a bed to keep your body in a flexed position and to make it easier to get up.

You will be encouraged to get up and walk as soon as possible after surgery. Because you will not be able to stand completely upright for at least a week, walking may be somewhat difficult at first. It is important to maximize blood circulation at this stage of the recovery process through movement.

By the end of the first week, all tubes will be removed, your stitches will be removed, and abdominal bruising and swelling will have peaked.

FIRST FEW WEEKS

It will also be necessary to take care not to lift or bend suddenly, or other such movements of the abdomen during this early recovery stage. After 3-4 or more weeks, abdominal bruising and swollen areas will obviously begin to disappear.

AFTER A FEW MONTHS

After a few months, you will begin to see improvements following the tummy tuck surgery. At this point you should enjoy full sensitivity and comfort in the abdominal area, and you will notice that the scars from the incisions begin to fade.

• Exposure to direct sunlight or in tanning salons. Exposure to the sun causes skin damage. Exposure of operated areas and suture lines can lead to poor healing and hypo or hyperpigmentation color changes. Patients who want to expose themselves to the sun to tan should inform their doctor and postpone this activity until it is risk-free. The harmful effects of sun exposure also occur when using sunscreens.
• Travel. Any surgical procedure involves possible risks and complications that can delay healing and return to normal life. Please notify the surgeon of travel plans, important meetings planned so that the planning of the operation can be done efficiently. However, there are no guarantees that you will be able to return to planned activities on time.
• Long-term results. Changes in the results of the surgical procedure may occur over time due to aging. sun exposure, weight loss or gain, pregnancy, menopause or other circumstances unrelated to the procedure itself.
  Information for female patients. It is important to inform the surgeon if you are using contraceptives or if you have the slightest suspicion that you may be pregnant. Many antibiotics can decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills.
• Intimate relations after the surgical procedure. Surgery involves the coagulation of blood vessels to stop bleeding and physical activity of any kind can cause the opening of vessels and bleeding and/or hematoma formation. Activities that increase pulse and heart rate can cause additional bruising and bruising, inflammation and the need to open the operation to control bleeding.