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The stomach, also known as the abdomen, is one of the most challenging areas of your body to lose weight and tighten muscles. Women who have had children or those who’ve recently lost a large amount of weight often struggle with loose abdominal muscles, stubborn pockets of fat, and excess skin. A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) procedure can address all those concerns simultaneously.
What Is a Tummy Tuck?
The tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that aims to sculpt your figure into a thinner, firmer shape. The process involves restoring abdominal muscles that have separated from the abdominal wall or weakened over time due to bodily changes such as childbirth and massive weight loss. Loose, excess skin tissue is removed from the abdomen during the tummy tuck surgery to create a slimmer figure with a flatter abdomen.
Candidates for a Tummy Tuck
Tummy tuck candidates must be at least 18 years old and healthy. It’s important to be at or near your ideal weight, and women who’ve recently given birth will need to wait 6-9 months before considering an invasive cosmetic procedure, especially tummy tuck surgery. Your abdominal wall and muscles need time to recover from the stress pregnancy and childbirth put on your body.
There are two types of tummy tucks: the full abdominoplasty and the mini abdominoplasty.
Most women are better candidates for a full tummy tuck because more skin and fat are removed. The full procedure addresses both the upper and lower abdomen, but a select few may benefit from the mini tummy tuck. A mini tummy tuck can benefit those with a lot of lax skin, loose abdominal muscles, or those with a “pooch” in the lower abdomen.
Tummy Tuck Procedure
Dr. Young performs tummy tuck surgery differently than most plastic surgeons. His technique involves extensive muscle repositioning and liposuction in several areas. The goal is to give you an hourglass figure or a flatter, thinner shape, which means your tummy tuck procedure must be customized to fit your specific goals.
Our board-certified plastic surgeon performs tummy tuck surgery in three main stages:
Liposuction
Dr. Young starts with a few small incisions in the stomach and lower back then uses tumescent liposuction to remove fat from the flanks (love handles) and hips to accentuate your waistline and an hourglass figure.
Muscle Repositioning and Tightening
He makes the traditional incision in the lower abdomen along the underwear line and tightens your abdominal muscles. Your abdominal wall is like an internal corset; the goal is to strengthen and reshape the wall, which has usually been stressed out by pregnancy. By bringing those muscle edges down the center of the back toward the midline, Dr. Young is able to flatten the inside of your abdominal wall.
Excess Skin Removal
Another small incision is made at or just above where your belly button sits. The loose or sagging skin left from weight loss or pregnancy is excised.
Mini Tummy Tuck Procedure
The mini abdominoplasty is performed like the full tummy tuck but focuses on the lower abdomen. There’s no need for an incision around the belly button so that Dr. Young can make a narrower incision below the belly button area. The mini procedure still involves liposuction of the love handles and hips, but a lot more liposuction is performed on the front half of the abdomen. There’s less lax skin to be removed, so the focus can be on addressing the “pooch” many women develop after childbirth.
Excess skin is still removed during the mini tummy tuck, but much less than the full abdominoplasty surgery, and it’s only excised from the lower area of your stomach.
Tummy Tuck Recovery and Results
6 weeks
Low activity
A tummy tuck is one of the more uncomfortable cosmetic surgeries to recover from due to our work on your abdominal wall. You’ll have tightness or tension in your abdomen during recovery. You’ll need at least two weeks away from work and help with small children at home. You will also need to limit your mobility for six weeks. Your results will emerge after your swelling has subsided.
Dr. Levi Young, MD
“I am an artist. My artistic ability is an asset in the operating room, enabling me to visualize and create the best aesthetic results.”
With years of expertise in cosmetic surgery, Dr. Young prioritizes patients’ well-being and satisfaction. Whether you are considering a subtle enhancement or a transformative procedure, you can trust Advanced Cosmetic Surgery to deliver exceptional care and results tailored to your personal needs and cosmetic goals.
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