5 Reasons To Choose A Body LiftShould I Get A Tummy Tuck After Having A Baby?

Tummy tuck also known as abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure aimed at reducing bulging or sagging tummy that does not respond to regular exercise or proper diet. This is done through surgery whereby excess fat and skin are removed. Tightening of lax ab muscles is also done to give you a taut tummy in proportion to your body size. Abdominoplasty is among the many cosmetic procedures carried out at Body by Bloch in Chicago, a surgical facility run by Dr. Bloch and his team of qualified staff. Most women who are through with child bearing complain of “pouch” tummies which results from stretching and detachment of ab muscles aggravated by fetus growth and hormonal changes. It’s ok to have tummy tuck after having a baby to restore your youthful look as long as you are not planning to have another child as the results may be impaired by increased body weight and pregnancy.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR TUMMY TUCK SURGERY

The first step is to choose a surgeon and see him or her for a consultation. At that meeting, you’ll talk about your goals and the following options:

If you smoke, your doctor will ask that you quit smoking from at least two weeks before the surgery until two weeks after the surgery. It is not enough to just cut down on smoking. You must stop completely since smoking makes complications more likely and slows healing.

• Complete abdominoplasty. The surgeon will cut your abdomen from hipbone to hipbone and then contour the skin, tissue, and muscle as needed. The surgery will involve moving your belly button, and you may need drainage tubes under your skin for a few days.

• Partial or mini abdominoplasty. Mini-abdominoplasties are often done on people whose fat deposits are located below the navel. During this procedure, the surgeon most likely will not move your belly button, and the procedure may only take up to two hours, depending on your case.

TUMMY TUCK TECHNIQUE

Dr. Bloch will consider you for a tummy tuck if you are in general good health, have a stable body weight and if you have realistic expectations. Other factors that he will also observe include your overstretched abdominal skin that has failed to respond to your keen dieting and exercise efforts. On your day of surgery, your surgeon will mark out the areas of incision. This is followed by admission of medications that will relax you during operation. Choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. An end to end incision is made just above your pubic hairline. The surgeon then removes excess fat and skin tissue. Loose ab muscles are then tightened with sutures before skin is closed with surgical tapes or stitches. Liposuction may be combined with abdominoplasty to remove fat in hard to reach areas for more defined results. You will have dressings on your abdomen after surgery.

LIMITATIONS AND RISKS

Fortunately, significant complications associated with tummy tucks are infrequent and the satisfaction rate is high. The overall complication rate is small if the operation is done by an experienced plastic surgeon operating in an accredited facility.

All surgical procedures have some degree of risk. Some of the potential complications of all surgeries are:

• Adverse reaction to anesthesia
• Hematoma or seroma (an accumulation of blood or fluid under the skin that may require removal)
• Infection and bleeding
• Changes in skin sensation
• Scarring
• Allergic reactions
• Damage to underlying structures
• Unsatisfactory results that may necessitate additional procedures

You can help minimize certain risks by following the advice and instructions of your board-certified plastic surgeon, both before and after your tummy-tuck surgery

ABDOMINOPLASTY MAINTENANCE

If you have chosen not to get pregnant after a tummy tuck, then you can expect your results to last. This should however be combined with proper exercise, diet and good lifestyle habits. Like all plastic surgeries, abdominoplasty results will gradually be affected by aging. This causes skin to relax and loosen but the effects will not be advanced as they were before the surgery. Additionally, if you gain weight again, skin will stretch and spoil the good results. Experienced plastic surgeons like Dr. Blochwill want to see your results and schedule aftercare visits to monitor the healing process. Tummy tuck may not produce your expected results which may necessitate revisional surgery to improve but not perfect your look.