A Plastic Surgeon Solutions 4 Widespread Tummy Tuck Questions

For those who’re contemplating a tummy tuck (often known as an abdominoplasty), depart all of your inquiries for Houston, TX plastic surgeon Olga Bachilo, MD, who’s answering the 4 most frequently-asked tummy questions in her observe.

1. What’s a full tummy tuck versus a mini tummy tuck?

“In a full tummy tuck, the entire stomach is addressed so the incision is sweet and low and the whole stomach is tightened, so we carry the muscle mass collectively above and beneath the umbilicus (stomach button). The surplus pores and skin—often the whole part beneath the umbilicus—is totally eliminated. In a mini tummy tuck, solely the underside of the stomach is addressed, and solely a small quantity of pores and skin is eliminated proper above the pubic bone. On this case, solely the muscle mass beneath the stomach button are tightened. Usually, it’s a restricted kind of process and never everybody is an effective candidate for it. Mostly, individuals who bear these procedures have simply completed having youngsters, had important weight reduction, or they wish to tighten the getting older pores and skin on their higher stomach.”

2. What does restoration entail for a tummy tuck?

“The complete downtime is about six weeks after a tummy tuck. There are restrictions towards heavy lifting and strenuous actions. After this time, sufferers can totally return to all regular actions.

Moreover, I don’t use drains in my tummy tucks as a result of I take advantage of one thing referred to as progressive rigidity sutures, so all the pores and skin that we elevate is then positioned again down with stitches to the stomach wall. This ensures that no fluid accumulates and totally replaces any drains or tubes. Sufferers like not having to fret about draining tubes, and this method helps with restoration. I additionally use a long-acting numbing injection within the stomach, and it supplies 72-hour ache management. Most sufferers do rather well with this—they’re up and strolling instantly after surgical procedure they usually bodily come to the workplace the subsequent day.”

3. Is there a whole lot of ache after surgical procedure?

“Sufferers usually ask for liposuction as a result of they will’t afford the downtime of a tummy tuck, however, whereas liposuction incisions are small, the work underneath the pores and skin is sort of in depth and the ache can usually final for longer. Generally, a number of months after surgical procedure there’s nonetheless some ache from liposuction, and I discover that the discomfort lasts for much longer than from a tummy tuck, which often solely lasts per week or two.”

4. How lengthy is surgical procedure?

If we’re doing a tummy tuck, surgical procedure lasts between three and 4 hours. Most frequently, we mix procedures, so we do liposuction on the again or liposuction with a fats switch alongside the stomach tuck. Or, we do the complete mommy makeover, the place it’s an all-in-one tummy tuck, liposuction, fats switch and breast augmentation or carry. The size of the process is determined by what different remedies the affected person is receiving alongside their tummy tuck.”