How long does abdominoplasty last

Once the incisions are created, the surgeon will lift up and tighten the skin and underlying tissue before suturing them into place.

For patients who have excess fat in the belly area, the surgeon may also use liposuction in order to achieve the desired procedure outcome. Since tummy tuck is an outpatient plastic surgery procedure, patients are allowed to go home on the same day as the surgery. It is important to have someone to drive you home and help out with basic chores while you recover from the surgery. Abdominoplasty patients often have drainage tubes that are used to relieve excess fluid from the treatment area.

These need to be emptied, and the amount of fluid drained from the wound each day should be recorded. Your mobility will be limited during the first few days. LaBarbera recommends that you take a light walk as soon as you are able to in order to improve blood flow. Many patients experience tightness around their belly and you will have to walk while hunched over for a week or two.

Your incisions will likely feel sore over the first week. You may need to lie in bed at an angle, and you likely will have problems with standing, lifting things, and general movements. Tuck tuck patients are able to resume work after about a month, particularly if they have a physically demanding job.

However, you will be able to engage in routine daily activities within weeks. Scarring is usually a major concern for patients who have just had a tummy tuck, but fades with time. Your surgeon may also recommend scar care ointments to help improve the appearance of your surgical scars.

Abdominoplasty — just like any other surgical procedure — entails cutting into the body. This naturally leads to some nerve damage. Many abdominoplasty patients experience numbness over the lower abdominal area after tummy tuck due to the damaged nerves in the area. With time — as the nerves start to regenerate their proper pathways — the patient will start to experience gradual return of sensation.

Tummy tuck patients may also experience a tight feeling in their belly because the skin has been cut and put back together. More so, muscle tightening during the surgery can lead to a hardened tissue sensation during recovery.

Although you may feel worried about this tightness and pulling sensation, keep in mind that it is a normal part of the healing process. The majority of people who had an abdominoplasty can experience these side effects for up to 12 weeks post-op. In some cases, it takes up to 12 months for the nerves in the abdominal area to properly heal. Pregnancy can also cause abdominal muscles to weaken severely or even separate.

Fortunately, Dr. Greenwald provides tummy tuck surgery to correct these issues. He can also perform liposuction during tummy tuck surgery to remove stubborn pockets of fat from the abdominal area. To begin tummy tuck, Dr. Greenwald first makes a horizontal incision in the pubic area that extends from hipbone to hipbone in an area that can be concealed by an underwear or bikini line. Greenwald then removes drooping excess skin before repairing the stomach muscles with internal sutures.

If liposuction is needed, the New York City plastic surgeon performs this step next. Greenwald then re-drapes the remaining skin and repositions the navel to align with the new abdominal contour. He finished the abdominoplasty procedure by closing the incision with sutures and applying a bandage to the treated area.

In general, tummy tuck surgery takes approximately hours. Surgeons differ in their marking out practices, each according to his or her experience. The next step is to administer the anesthetic. In a mini tummy tuck, the surgeon makes a relatively small incision below the belly button. This incision allows the surgeon to pull the skin tight and reattach it to the skin below, giving it a more toned appearance. The belly button attaches directly to the abdominal wall, so it needs to be cut free before skin can be pulled tight.

The surgeon will decide during surgery how much belly fat to remove. After removing the fat, the surgeon can see where the skin falls when pulled taut. The surgeon can then decide how much skin to cut away. The final step involves stitching the newly cut skin together again.

Once this is done, the operation is complete. A full tummy tuck only differs slightly from the process described above. Rather than making a small incision just below the belly button, the surgeon makes a much larger cut from hip to hip. The surgeon may also realign abdominal muscles during full abdominoplasty if they fall out of place.

Fundamentally, the only significant difference between the two procedures has to do with the quantity of tissue removed, rather than anything strictly procedural. As with any major surgical procedure, a tummy tuck could result in side effects. Here are some common side effects that you could experience:.

After tummy tuck surgery, it is perfectly normal to find it difficult to either lie flat or stand up straight. The reason for this is that when the surgeon performs the operation, they pull the skin in the abdomen taut. When you lie flat or stand tall, you stretch out the stomach, putting a strain on the skin and stitching, causing pain. For the first week after surgery, surgeons advise that you maintain a bent posture by flexing your hips while walking, standing and lying down.

After a large incision, the body responds with its usual repair process by sending inflammatory molecules to the site of the damage. These molecules help the recovery process, but they can result in pain and unsightly bruising. It is important to remember that pain and bruising are both critical parts of the recovery process and to be expected. You can reduce pain and bruising by taking pain killers, taking anti-inflammatories, and eating a healthy, balanced diet.

The tummy tuck procedure can cause temporary damage to the sensory nerves in your stomach. You may, therefore, experience some numbness for a time after the surgery. After a tummy tuck, you may experience some swelling near the scar. Swelling is a natural process, but if the swelling becomes excessive, you may need to have it drained.

Many people worry about scarring after tummy tuck surgery.