Index
What is it?
Dermolipectomy, commonly known as abdominoplasty, is a complex surgical procedure that removes redundant skin and excess abdominal fat.
The exact definition of the word “dermolipectomy” is a resection of excess skin and fat, and despite being generally associated with the abdominal area, the word itself can be used to characterize the removal of skin and fat from any part of the body.
Requirements to be able to undergo a dermolipectomy
A dermolipectomy is usually performed on people with flabby, redundant, and unwanted skin, often accompanied by stretch marks and subcutaneous fat accumulation from previous weight loss (surgery), pregnancy, or aging.
Other potential candidates include patients with rather non-elastic skin that could recover or adapt quickly after specific plastic surgery procedures, such as abdominal liposuction.
What does the procedure involve?
The surgery is performed safely under local anesthesia with sedation and includes the required hospitalization time of 24 hours. The procedure itself lasts between 2 and 4 hours, depending on the complexity of your particular case.
The surgeon will make an incision in the abdomen, usually at the level of the bikini line, so that the resulting scar can be easily hidden with the clothing.
The skin is released from the underlying abdominal tissue and then stretched towards the pubic bone. Next, all redundant skin and subcutaneous adipose tissue are removed.
Then, the surgeon will make a second incision in the navel, and the skin will adjust to obtain more proportional and well-formed contours without taking off and moving the navel.
Finally, sutures are placed to close the incisions.
Postoperative care
After surgery, use a compression garment. During the first few days, we recommend using the compression garment, even when going to the bathroom and taking a shower.
Approximately three days after surgery, the drains and the pain pump must be removed, if applicable.
In addition, you can slowly and gradually resume activities to help your body in the healing process and prevent complications such as the formation of blood clots.
Approximately 4 to 5 days after the surgery, you will be able to carry out daily activities. However, it would help if you still refrained from strenuous exercise or action.
When you arrive on days 8-10 after surgery, you will be in perfect shape and ready to return to daily life.
Benefits of dermolipectomy
Unlike liposuction, which is designed to remove fat by suction, undergoing a dermolipectomy will remove all excess loose skin and subcutaneous fatty tissues and provide a slimmer, molded, and attractive figure.
In addition, the tightening of the abdominal muscles leads to a flatter stomach and dramatically improves the hip region.
In addition, dermolipectomy is very successful in eliminating scars and stretch marks that are present in the abdominal region before surgery, as well as in the treatment of any previous condition, such as hernias or eventrations.
The most common questions about this surgery are:
How many kilos are lost with abdominal dermolipectomy?
Being a surgery that removes a certain amount of skin and fat, there will be a decrease in body weight that varies according to the volume of the abdomen of each patient but usually does not exceed 1.5 kilos.
However, it is not the “kilos” eliminated that will define the aesthetic result, but the abdomen’s proportion with the rest of the torso and the limbs.
Paradoxically, the abdomen that shows the best aesthetic result is the one that has the minor elimination, such as women with a flaccid waist after one or several births, with excess skin in the region. These cases allow excellent results.
Does the surgery on the abdomen leave a noticeable scar?
The scar resulting from a dermolipectomy is located horizontally just above the pubic hair, extending laterally to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the abdomen volume that is to be corrected.
How long will it take to reach the final result?
In the first months, the abdomen shows some insensibility, as well as being subject to periods of “swelling,” which are spontaneously removed.
Its appearance can be considered “stretched” or “flat” in this phase. After some months, the final result will be reached gradually after beginning the exercises oriented to the model.
No result will be considered definitive before 12 to 18 months postoperatively.
Does abdominal dermolipectomy correct excessive fat over the stomach region?
Not always; it depends on the type of torso (thorax + abdomen).
Under this aspect, the thickness of the adipose panniculus (layer of fat) that covers the body and can not be “reduced” in surgery is essential since it is an area of detachment and can not be traumatized.
In those cases, liposuction is recommended in a second surgical round (another surgery not included in the first schedule).
What type of swimsuit can I use after surgery?
The type of swimsuit will depend exclusively on your own body. The more “generous” lower cut will be subject to the cases in which the results would be more natural (thong) if the scars can be more minor.
Remember that the surgeon’s scalpel only improves its curves, which can be further enhanced by taking care of proper nutrition and physical exercise after the postoperative period.
Can I have children in the future?
Your gynecologist will talk about the convenience or not of a new pregnancy. As for the result, it can be partially preserved but can not be fully guaranteed.
We recommend that you have all children scheduled before undergoing an abdominal dermolipectomy.
I heard that the postoperative period of abdominal dermolipectomy is harrowing. It is true?
No, the dermolipectomy of normal evolution should not be painful.
Is this operation dangerous?
All surgeries are risky. It should prepare each patient adequately and seriously for the operation and reflect on the convenience of the association of this surgery, thus reducing the risks, but not the deaths.
