Tummy Tuck & Mommy Makeover
The abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is a procedure that addresses excess skin and fat of the abdomen and flanks. The tummy tuck is a key component to the procedure known as the mommy makeover. After pregnancy, I hear many women complain that they have lost the body they once had. In a nutshell, pregnancy stretches out the skin of the abdomen and flanks. It also adds fatty tissue to the abdomen, hips, back and thighs. Finally, the muscles of the abdomen, known as the rectus abdominis are stretched and may not return to their original position.
Sometimes the skin is stretched to the point of no return. The excess skin then hangs over the pant line and sometimes hangs over the belly button leaving a lump of skin hooding the top of the belly button-some would say it looks like a frown.
Often, the skin is so weak from stretching that the skin loses its integrity and the deeper layers of the skin split. This split skin creates the stretch marks that make so many people unhappy. Unfortunately, the only way to adequately repair stretch marks is to surgically remove them. So, all those magical creams and treatments do nothing to repair stretch marks ñ surgery is the only way!
As for the excess fat, the body prepares for pregnancy by accumulating stores of energy in the form of fat. New stores of fat form on the abdomen, hips, back and thighs, making it difficult to fit into your pre-pregnancy clothing! Of course, everyone reacts a little differently, so your pregnancy may not be exactly as described. What is worse is looking at your friend who was just pregnant and looks like they have the body of a 20 year old. Just remember, that there are more woman who suffer from the ravages of pregnancy than there are of those woman who get off scot-free.
The third component is the stretching out of the rectus abdomens muscles during pregnancy. As pregnancy progresses into the third trimester and the body make room for a growing baby, the muscles of the tummy sometimes stretch in the midline. Some woman notice that their belly button pops or changes from an inny to an outy. The weakening of the muscles cause the belly to bulge and the hourglass figure to disappear.
Now every woman may not suffer with all of the problems as described above. However, I like to consider abdominoplasty surgery to be like an a la carte menu. I can perform the procedure that repairs the problems with the least trauma and downtime, but rejuvenates the female body to bring back that pregnancy body called a Mommy Makeover.
In order to discuss the desired result, we must start by describing the ideal female anatomy;
1- The belly button should be oval shaped and slightly higher than it is wide.
2- The belly button should be at a position on a line drawn from the top of each hip.
3- The waist should have an hourglass shape, with the least amount of fat on the outside portion of the waist.
4- The six-pack area should not be completely devoid of fat. Often, patients and doctors alike become overzealous and remove too much fat from the front of the abdomen. A feminine body has a modest amount of fat overlying this area ñ I like to call this area the feminine pillars.
5- The pubic area should also not have any excess fat or sagging skin.
Now lets address the different procedures that can be offered to achieve the ideal body;
1- High Lateral Tension Abdominoplasty this is a technique for tummy tucks that was created by Dr. Ted Lockwood, a true innovator in female contour surgery. This tummy tuck focuses on all of the ideals described above. In short, this technique combines liposuction, muscle tightening and skin excision to create the best looking abdomen. I have performed this technique for ten years and am amazed by the wonderful shape, as well as the minimal scarring that result.
2- Mini-Tummy Tuck – For those patients that only have a little excess fat, weakened muscles but do NOT demonstrate too much extra skin, a Mini-Abdominoplasty or Mini-tuck can be used instead. The benefits of this technique are smaller scars in the waistline and no scars around the belly button. This tummy tuck will not address any skin excess above the belly button. Through a small transverse incision in the pubic area, the muscles are tightened, the excess fat is removed and any extra skin below the belly button is removed.
3- For those with good skin tone and just a little extra fat on the belly or hips (muffin tops) liposuction is ideal. I will talk more about liposuction on the liposuction page.
What can you expect from the recovery after one of these procedures?
Each procedure is a little different. But for discussion, I will describe what to expect if you get a high lateral tension abdominoplasty. After the surgery you will experience significant muscle cramping or spasm from the muscle tightening performed as part of the procedure. This pain typically lasts for 4-7 days. In addition, special tubes called drains will be used to insure that no fluid or serum accumulates under the skin. These tubes are removed sometime within the first week. Many doctors use compression garments to minimize the risk of swelling, but I hold off on any compression garments until at least the second week after surgery. I feel that the compression garment compresses the blood supply to the incision line, thus depriving the healing skin from necessary nutrients and oxygen. By the second week, the incision has healed adequately to allow for a compression garment to help mitigate the resultant swelling from the procedure and liposuction.
After the sutures are removed in the second week, I start many patients on silicone sheeting or gels to attempt to minimize the scarring.
Patients can begin limited exercise after three weeks and resume full activity after 8-12 weeks. Many of my patients can be seen in a Bikini by 8 weeks after surgery.
If you have more questions about having a tummy tuck in New York, NY call 212-583-1200 today.
