Abdominoplasty: What is it? Who Serves? Recommendations, Preparation and Side Effects

Aesthetic surgery of the abdomen has the option for men or women who were once obese and still have excess fat deposits or loose skin in the stomach.

Who should not consider a tummy tuck?

If you are a woman who plans to become pregnant, you may want to postpone the tummy tuck until you finish having children.

During surgery, your vertical muscles become tense, and future pregnancies can separate those muscles.

recommendations

Are you planning to lose a lot of weight? So an Abdominoplasty is not for you. A tummy tuck should be the last resort after trying everything else.

It should not be used as an alternative to weight loss. It would help if you also considered the appearance of scars after a tummy tuck.

You can talk about scar placement and length with the doctor before surgery.

How to prepare for tummy tuck surgery

The first step is choosing a surgeon and seeing him for a consultation. In that meeting, he will talk about his goals and the following options:

 

Complete abdominoplasty: The surgeon will cut your abdomen and 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-tummy tucks are often performed on people whose fat deposits are below the navel. During this procedure, the surgeon most likely will not move your navel, and the process may take up to two hours, depending on your case.

Common side effects

People who have had an abdominoplasty may experience some common side effects that persist for a few weeks or even months.

In the days after surgery, pain and swelling are likely to occur.

Numbness and bruising are also common. These symptoms are sometimes severe enough to require analgesics or other prescription medications.

Patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity for six weeks or longer to allow adequate healing and this prolonged healing process.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it can make some feel tired or emotionally drained.

Slow healing

According to the Cleveland Clinic, some patients may experience inadequate healing. Poor healing can cause significant scars, loss of skin, or the need for a second surgery.

Even among those who usually heal, the scars caused by a tummy tuck can be prominent.

In some cases, these scars will fade slightly over time, but they will never disappear completely. Your surgeon may prescribe certain topical creams to help reduce these scars.

Bleeding and infection

While a small amount of blood and leakage may occur around the wound site after a tummy tuck, bleeding under the skin flap can sometimes become severe and require immediate medical attention to avoid significant blood loss or other complications.

The infection is also possible, and if not treated promptly, the infection can spread throughout the body.

Signs of an infection can include fever, chills, weakness, general malaise (feeling sick), and sweating.

To help reduce the risk of infection, it is essential to keep the wound clean by following the surgeon’s instructions to clean the affected area and change your bandages regularly.

If the infection is not treated, the fatty tissue in the wound area may die (fat necrosis).

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which leads to skin loss and the possibility of spreading the infection.

Other serious side effects

Although rare, serious side effects can occur due to undergoing tummy tuck surgery.

Blood clots may develop in some people and people who smoke or have pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes or heart, lung, or liver disease.

They have an increased risk of developing blood clots. Blood clots that form and remain in a blood vessel can interfere with blood flow to various body parts.

If the clot breaks off and travels to the brain, heart, or lungs, it can cause a stroke, heart attack, or sudden death.

It is noted that other serious side effects that may occur include fluid accumulation in the extremities or abdomen and persistent swelling in the legs.

It also damages nerves and causes aesthetic side effects such as skin discoloration and prolonged swelling around the wound, recurrent loosening of the skin, and asymmetries and irregularities in the abdominal region.