• You have excess fat and loose skin in the abdominal area with no benefit from diet and exercise.
• You have lost abdominal muscle tone due to pregnancy or aging.
• You are of average weight with a protruding abdomen.
• Your abdominal muscles and skin are stretched and sagging following pregnancy.
• After losing significant amounts of weight, you now have loose, excess skin hanging around your belly.
• You have always had a belly that “sticks out,” even though you are in very good shape.

• Over 160,000 men & women had a tummy tuck in 2013
• Most patients return to work after 2 to 3 weeks
• Scars from a tummy tuck can usually be hidden easily by a bikini bottom
• Results are lasting as long as the patient maintains a stable weight

• You will require anesthesia.
• Your surgery may take place in a hospital or outpatient surgery center.
• You may have an overnight nurse stay with you through recovery the first night.
• A horizontal incision is made just above the pubic region in the bikini line. The length of the incision varies with each individual and depends on how much skin must be removed.
• Excess skin is trimmed away and pulled down.navel/umbilicus is relocated to its ideal location.
• Some patients may require the reconstruction of a new navel.
• On women with Cesarean Section scars, the new incision can often be made directly on the existing scar.
• Abdominal muscles may be tightened and pulled together.
• Liposuction, a modified or mini-abdominoplasty, or a combination of these procedures are alternate treatments.

Upon examination, your plastic surgeon will determine what procedure you will benefit most from.

No two patients start with identical concerns, nor will any two patients share the exact same goals. Your cosmetic surgeon will recommend the type of tummy tuck that will achieve your desired outcome and create natural-appearing results with the least scarring possible.

Mini-Tummy Tuck:

Improves the Lower Belly with Less Extensive Surgery

Are you mainly bothered by loose skin and stretch marks below the belly button? A mini-tummy tuck may be a good option for you. This technique involves a single incision made just above the pubic mound, through which your cosmetic surgeon will tighten loose muscles and remove excess skin to restore a smooth, flat abdominal wall.

The resulting scar from a mini-tummy tuck is a thin, horizontal line that is typically just a few inches long. Benefits of a mini-tummy tuck include a shorter, less involved procedure, a quicker recovery, and a flatter, slimmer lower abdomen that looks better in swimsuits and fitted clothing.

Classic or “Full” Tummy Tuck:

Improves the Upper & Lower Abdomen

Are you bothered by roundness and/or excess skin folds above and below your belly button? A full tummy tuck, which addresses the full length of the abdominal wall, may yield the best results.

Through a horizontal or U-shaped incision, made above the pubic mound, your cosmetic surgeon will remove excess skin and tighten the abdominal muscles.

The resulting scar from a full tummy tuck looks similar to that for a mini-tummy tuck, but will typically be longer, running from hip bone to hip bone.

Even so, a full tummy tuck scar can usually be hidden beneath a swimsuit bottom.

Benefits of a full tummy tuck include a much flatter, smoother abdomen, reduced appearance of stretch marks, and enhanced comfort in pants and skirts. You will also find that form-fitting dresses and swimsuits have a more flattering fit.

Extended Tummy Tuck:

Improves the Upper & Lower Abdomen and Flanks

Have you lost a lot of weight and now have excess, sagging skin hanging around the front half of your body? Or, have you noticed significant laxity in your abdominal muscles following multiple pregnancies? An extended tummy tuck may be the best option to address your concerns. Although it involves a longer incision, an extended tummy tuck removes excess, hanging skin from the front (upper and lower abdomen) and the flanks, as well as tightens the abdominal wall.

The resulting scar from an extended tummy tuck can often be hidden by clothing, including many swimsuits, but it may not be entirely covered for some patients. Even so, many patients consider some visible scarring a worthwhile price for a much improved body shape.

A Hospital stay of 24 to 48 hours after surgery is usually required for a lipoabdominoplasty.

You will be mobilised out of bed on the next day itself and will encouraged to walk. After discharge, walking in the house for short periods is allowed.
You may need help getting in and out of bed for the first few days and will feel tightness on the stitch line when you get up into a standing position.
Bending slightly forward when in upright position, for a period of 8-10 days, helps to reduce the tightness and improves comfort.

Pain is well controlled with analgesics and moderate rest.

The areas of liposuction (upper abdomen and flanks) are usually sore for 5-7 days whereas the abdominoplasty area (lower abdomen) is actually numb or has reduced sensations.

A pressure garment or corset is mandatory to be worn 24/7 for a period of 6 weeks or more.

A nutritious diet and adequate fluid intake definitely helps with good energy levels and comfort.

Dressings are necessary every 4th/5th day for approximately 2 weeks.

Stitches are usually required to be removed from the belly button area on the 7th day whereas stitches over the main incision line are self-dissolving and do not need removal.

By the end of 5-7 days, your comfort and energy levels will be near normal and you may be permitted to resume work if your profession involves purely a desk job.

Any strenuous physical activity is restricted for a period of 4-6 weeks.

All strenuous physical activities like running, jogging, going to the gym, swimming and any contact sports are to be restricted for a period of six weeks and should be resumed only after you have been given a green signal from your surgeon.

Even immediately after lipoabdominoplasty, the correction of the sagging, flabby lower abdomen to a much flatter outline is definitely noticeable.

The result may be still masked by the swelling due to surgery which will gradually reduce over a period of 4-6 weeks.

Approximately by the end of 2-3 months when the healing is complete and the swelling has completely disappeared, you will see gratifying final results – a flatter, firmer abdomen with a waistline definition which is suitable to your overall body structure.

Tummy tuck surgery is especially popular with moms post-pregnancy, and childcare is a common concern.

Because of the limits placed on lifting and straining, you will need to have full-time help with small children for the first few weeks after a surgery.

Lifting even a 25 pound child too soon after a tummy tuck can jeopardize your results by stretching the incision site and possibly leading to prolonged bleeding and swelling.

Follow your cosmetic surgeon’s instructions carefully and completely.

If your children are a little older, you should be able to resume many of your parenting duties, such as driving, cooking, and shopping, after the first 2 or 3 weeks.

Just make sure you have plenty of help carrying groceries, feeding the pets, and doing other more active tasks.

The improvements made during a tummy tuck are meant to last—abdominal muscles will remain firmer and tighter and the excess skin will not return.

However, future pregnancies or weight gain can negatively affect your results, causing the muscles or skin to stretch back out and become lax after returning to your normal weight.

If you’re planning to have more children or you are still working on reaching your goal weight, it’s best to wait until you have achieved these milestones before having a tummy tuck.

When performed by a qualified cosmetic surgeon, a tummy tuck can be a life-changing procedure, helping you enjoy a slimmer, more youthful body that looks and feels better every day.

• During your initial consultation, you will meet with the plastic surgeon and staff.
• Your previous surgeries, your medical history, medications you are presently taking, and your overall physical and emotional health will be reviewed, as well as your skin quality.
• Photographs may also be taken for your medical record.
• Your surgeon will determine what you benefit from most and whether or not additional procedures will be necessary for you to achieve your desired results.
• Recovery time, risks and limitations associated with surgery will be also be discussed.
• The doctor’s patient coordinator will review surgical costs and scheduling with you.

The most important thing about planning your tummy tuck surgery is to choose the correct qualified Aesthetic plastic surgeon. More specifically, ensure that the chosen surgeon is routinely performing breast lift surgeries.

MEDICATIONS:

You must STOP the following medications approximately 2 weeks before surgery – blood thinners such as ecosprin, clopidogrel, warfarin etc, estrogen containing hormones, Vitamin E, ginseng, green tea, gingko balboa, garlic pearls, ayurvedic supplements.

SMOKING:

It is imperative that you completely stop smoking for a minimum of 1 week prior to your planned date of surgery as it can significantly increase your risk for anaesthesia as well as delay wound healing and increase your risk for post-surgery complications.

FITNESS:

You will be advised a set of routine pre-operative investigations to ensure that you are fit for anaesthesia and surgery.

Once you have decided to pursue a tummy tuck/abdominoplasty, Aesthetic international® stands ready to partner with you during this life decision.

We are dedicated to our patients and open communication is never compromised. The better informed our patients are, the better they are at making their decisions.

We believe in providing the highest patient care and through your assigned patient advisor, you can be sure every consideration is made to ensure your expectations are the same as the final results.

Aesthetic international® has the latest technological advances to ensure your satisfaction with your breast lift. Our plasticsurgeon is highly educated and trained in all of the latest medical advances.