Click topic for more information:

• FAQ

Email Dr. Kress

---

FAQ

Tummy Tuck

Who is a Candidate
Anyone with loose or sagging abdominal skin from multiple pregnancies or prior surgery. No amount of exercise can eliminate this problem. A tummy tuck offers a safe solution that will give you a smoother, flatter abdomen.

Procedure
An abdominoplasty consists of a W-shaped incision along the lower abdomen, well hidden within a bathing suit or even a relatively small bikini. The belly button is temporarily detached, and the skin from the lower abdomen is lifted up almost to the rib margin. While the skin is lifted, any separation or laxity of the abdominal muscles is tightened with a special suture. The skin of the abdomen is re-draped, the belly button is re-inserted and the extra skin removed. Small plastic drains are generally left in place for an average period of five days. The surgery is done under general anesthesia, and is most often done as an outpatient, but will require assistance at home for the first few post-operative days.

For people whose abdominal laxity is entirely below the belly button, a mini form of the operation exists with a shorter scar and quicker recovery period.

Recovery Time
Most patients are easily able to return to work in 14 days from the surgery and vigorous sports activity can be resumed within a month.

Intended Result
A smoother, tighter abdomen, a smaller waist, elimination of a significant number of the abdominal stretch marks, and an enhanced ability to perform sports involving the abdominal muscles.

FAQ's

Can I develop a hernia after the surgery?
No. In spite of the fact that we discuss the repair of the muscles, the muscles themselves are never actually cut. They are simply folded on themselves and tightened. Even if a stitch or two should pull out of the muscle, this will not result in a hernia, which by definition is a protrusion of the abdominal contents through an area of weakness of the abdominal wall.

Is there a weight requirement with abdominoplasty?
Yes. For abdominoplasty to be maximally effective, you should be within twenty pounds of your reasonable weight. If after the procedure you lost thirty or forty additional pounds, the skin would loosen and detract from the results of the abdominoplasty procedure.

Can I have children after I've had abdominoplasty?
This is not recommended, although there is no danger to your or your child's health. In general, almost all laxity of the abdominal skin is removed. Having another child at that point could result in very severe stretch marks.

I have skin that hangs over on my abdomen that is worse when I bend over. Will the surgery correct this?
Partially. There really are two problems at work in the ptotic (sagging) skin requiring abdominoplasty. First there is excess skin, and we can deal with that with the specific surgical removal. The second problem is the loss of the elastic properties of the skin which cannot be repaired. So, even after the surgery, bending and certain positions will result in some wrinkling of the abdomen because the elastic properties of the skin have decreased.

Email Dr. Kress

Back to top

 

Email Dr. Kress

Back to top

---