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Abdominoplasty Surgery

What You Should Know About the Full Tummy Tuck

The full (standard) tummy tuck is the most common procedure performed to the front of the abdomen today. This procedure treats a range of abdominal issues. It can have a great effect on sculpting and shaping the abdominal contour. In fact, the standard tummy tuck can help return the abdomen to a patient’s pre-pregnancy physique.

The two most visual effects of childbirth are the sticking out of the stomach and excess skin. These two complaints are interesting to discuss, as once they are completely understood,  patients can get a very good idea how much improvement they can get from a tummy tuck.  Another reason to understand the ideas of prominence and skin excess is that it helps patients to figure out, with the help of a plastic surgeon, which type of procedures may be the best for them.   So now let’s discuss these two issues, how they impact what type of procedure is best for a patient and how they let us predict the amount of improvement each patient can expect.

Patients who have skin looseness or especially skin folding frequently require removal of that skin to achieve a significant improvement.  Generally, the more skin that needs to be removed, the more a full tummy tuck will benefit the patient. This is especially true if the skin of the lower abdomen is thinning and has stretch marks and the skin of the upper abdomen is more youthful looking.  In a full abdominoplasty surgery, the skin of the lower abdomen is removed and replaced with the more youthful, higher quality skin of the upper abdomen.  And this is why a full tummy tuck can be of great benefit  in such patients because of the great improvement in skin quality it can achieve.

In some women, the stretch marks are not only in the lower part of the abdomen, but also extend above the belly button. Sometimes these upper stretch marks can be removed in a full tummy tuck but if they cannot be removed, they are moved to the lower abdomen and become stretched out, usually resulting in their improvement.

The other issue that tummy tucks can improve on is the “prominence” of the abdomen. Prominence refers to what patients see as sticking out of the abdomen, or what patients sometimes call a “pooch”. The prominence of the abdomen usually results from childbirth, because, as the baby grows, the abdominal wall, which is quite stretchy, expands. This stretching of the front of the abdominal tissues, which results in a prominence, is especially sensitive to stretching during pregnancy because of the loosening effects of estrogen, the hormone of pregnancy. Estrogen production during pregnancy leads to widening of the pelvis and many other changes including stretching of the skin and other layers of the abdomen. The high estrogen levels present during pregnancy and childbirth also lead to thinning of the skin and stretch marks and these stretch marks are usually present in the lower abdomen. During a full tummy tuck, this lower abdominal skin is removed, thus removing most or all of the stretch marks in most patients.

The abdominal “pooch” is really caused by stretching of the front wall of the abdomen. When one looks at the abdomen, one sees skin. But there is a strong layer, parallel to the skin but beneath it. This layer is a layer of “fascia”. Fascia is incredibly strong because each sheet of fascia is strong and the abdominal wall is made up of many sheets of fascia layered one on top of the other and fused together. During a full tummy tuck, space is made under the skin but directly on top of the fascia and the fascia is tightened, flattening out the “pooch.” This can have a great effect on the appearance of the front of the abdomen in patients who have significant laxity of the fascia. A consultation with Plastic Surgeon Dr. David Newman can help you to see how much flatter your tummy can be with a tummy tuck. At the consultation, the Doctor will also take into account excess skin and see if you are a candidate for a full tummy tuck (liposuction surgery).

Some patients are candidates for lesser procedures, like a mini-tummy tuck or even just liposuction of the front of the abdomen. At your consultation with Dr. Newman, different alternatives will be thoroughly discussed. A care plan will be designed to fit your specific needs and your special anatomy and issues.

View Tummy Tuck Before and After Photos

 

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