The abdominal region can accumulate fat for various reasons, and skin sagging can be seen as a result of frequent weight gain and loss over time. This situation, which can be experienced even in slim people, greatly affects the self-confidence of the person. However, it is possible to get rid of unwanted fat and excess skin with tummy tuck surgery.
Abdominoplasty, which is one of the treatment methods that has started to be applied with the developments in technology and medicine in recent years, can be applied to both men and women. The procedure is used in cases where skin sagging in the abdomen and underbelly area cannot be eliminated by diet and exercise.
What is Abdominoplasty?
Tummy tuck, referred to as abdominoplasty in the medical literature, is a type of aesthetic surgery. The application, which is the most preferred among the types of surgery applied for the abdomen and belly region, and provides the most effective results, helps the person to look more fit. Especially in women, abdominal deformations experienced after pregnancy cannot be completely eliminated even with the most strict diet and exercise program. This can affect the person's life quality.
This situation, which is seen as the loosening of the connective tissue in the abdominal wall in women after pregnancy, can cause the abdominal wall to protrude forward and the abdominal region to appear swollen. With surgery, this situation is eliminated with a single operation, the loosened skin is recovered and the excess fat in the area is removed.
What Is Aimed With Abdominoplasty?
With abdominoplasty, a flat stomach and a more fit appearance are aimed. While this process removes the fat in the belly and waist area, it can be done together with liposuction applied for the fat in the hip and waist area as well. In addition, the loosened skin tissue seen in the person due to aging can also be removed with this process. After the procedure, body size reduction by 1 to 2 sizes is expected.
For whom and in what situations is abdominoplasty applied?
Tummy tuck surgery is applied to people with fat accumulation that is resistant to diet and exercise. In addition, it is applied to men and women who have cracked sagging skin in the abdomen and whose abdominal muscles have weakened for various reasons. In addition, people who are considering giving birth and losing weight should postpone this surgery.
This surgery, also called abdominoplasty, is recommended for patients who do not have any chronic disease and who can be anesthetized. Patients with chronic conditions that prevent blood clotting, such as diabetes, are not suitable for this procedure.
What Should Be Done During the Preparation Process for Abdominoplasty?
“Is tummy tuck surgery painful?” After deciding to have surgery, patients who are curious about such issues and want to undergo this surgery should provide details to their doctor in cases such as alcohol and cigarette consumption and the use of various drugs and follow the instructions received from their doctor.
Patients who consume alcohol and cigarettes are among the recommended group to quit these habits 2 weeks before the surgery. In addition, those who have flu, cold or any illness during the waiting period for the day of surgery should postpone the surgery. Again in this process, it is recommended to stay away from sunbathing, low-calorie diets and excessive exercise.
How Does Abdominoplasty Work?
The procedure may differ for each patient. For this reason, the technique to be applied, the area where the skin will be taken and other details are determined by the doctor's examination and the decision is made in the light of radiological imaging techniques. After the procedure, the person is sutured with an aesthetic suture, thus preventing the formation of a scar tissue that will create an aesthetic defect.
How Long Does Abdominoplasty Surgery Last?
Widely applied surgery techniques are normally completed within 2 to 4 hours. In addition, mini tummy tuck applications take 1-2 hours. However, these durations may differ from patient to patient and depending on the fatty area or deformation of the area to be treated. In addition to the area to be treated, if there is excess fat in the waist and hip area of the person, tummy tuck surgery is combined with liposuction, and in this case, the procedure time may be longer. The important factors affecting the duration of the operation to be performed can be listed as the amount of excess skin in the abdomen, the suture technique to be applied, the size of the abdominal region, the general condition of the abdominal muscles of the person and whether or not the fat will be removed from the area.
New Appearance After Abdominoplasty
One of the most important questions is whether there will be scars from the tummy tuck and how long the recovery will take. After the procedure, patients are usually discharged after 1-2 days of care. In addition, patients should use a special corset after the procedure. This corset, which should be worn continuously for 1 month, is effective in increasing the success rates of the surgery and in achieving the desired appearance of the abdomen.
The patient can stand up 3-4 hours after the procedure and walk, provided that it is a slow and careful walk. It is perfectly normal to have some pain in the abdomen after the procedure. In this situation, the doctor may prescribe painkillers to the patient.
The patient can take bath 2-3 days after the procedure and return to his daily work and his routine life. However, in the first 1 week, the stitches do not fully fuse and the patient may feel pain when coughing, straining or sneezing. Therefore, these movements should be avoided as much as possible in the first week. If the person is working in a heavy job, he can return to work after a period of 7 to 10 weeks, depending on whether he feels good or not and according to the doctor's recommendation.
Pregnancy After Abdominoplasty
One of the issues that women who want to undergo the procedure wonder is pregnancy after tummy tuck surgery. Abdominoplasty is not an application that can prevent a person from becoming pregnant or lead to problems during pregnancy. The best time for pregnancy after the procedure is linked to the completion of the healing process, and it is best for the doctor to decide how long after the procedure one can get pregnant.
Women who have not had the surgery yet and who want to have this procedure applied after pregnancy should wait at least 1 year after giving birth. During this 1-year period, regular nutrition, exercise and breastfeeding help the patient lose weight and determine the degree of sagging and cracks in the skin before the procedure.
Abdominoplasty Price Ranges
Abdominoplasty surgery price ranges are another topic of interest. Those who want to get rid of excess skin or excess fat tissue in the abdomen want to know the cost of this procedure. However, the prices of tummy tuck surgery vary according to the size of the area to be treated, whether fat is to be removed or not, and the technique to be used.
