View Abdominoplasty Before and After Pictures
After Surgery
Risks and Complications
Tummy Tuck Scars
| Abdominoplasty Information |
A good candidate for Abdominoplasty: Abdominoplasty surgery is a major surgical procedure that will remove excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen and tighten the abdominal muscles.
For the first few days after surgery, the abdomen will probably be swollen and some pain and discomfort may occur which can be controlled by medication. Depending on the extent of the surgery, you may be released within a few hours or remain hospitalized for two to three days.
List of possible complications:
Surgical scars are permanent. There will be a long scar extending from hip to hip. However, the incisions are usually placed below the swimsuit line so they will not normally be in view. Your scars may actually worsen during the first three to six months as it heals, but this is normal. It normally takes 9 months to a year before scars flatten out and lighten in color.
If you do not meet all of these criteria, but meet some of them, you may still be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. The procedure is most suited to those who are close to their ideal body weight, but if you have a lot of fat in a isolated area, you may still be a good candidate.
If you intend to lose a lot of weight, wait until after your weight loss to schedule surgery. If you plan on future pregnancies, you should wait until you are done having children to have surgery as pregnancy will stretch the abdomen again.
An incision is made across the lower abdomen from hipbone to hipbone. A second incision is made around the belly button. The skin and fat are separated from the abdominal wall. Excess skin and fat are then excised. The abdominal muscles are tightened by shortening them and suturing them together. A small incision creates a new opening for the belly button. It is brought out through the opening sutured to the new skin. Stretch marks and scars may be removed during surgery.
Drains may be placed in the skin and removed a few days later. The drains reduce swelling by collecting excess blood and fluid. All incisions are closed.
After Surgery
The incisions will be covered with surgical tape for 2 weeks to insure proper healing.
For faster recovery:
Risks and Complications
Anesthesia reaction
Belly button death
Bleeding
Hematoma (risk is 3-4%)
Infection (risk is less than 1 %)
Keloid (heavy scar)
Puckered skin
Reactions to medications
Seroma
Skin irregularities
Skin necrosis or skin death (more likely with smokers)
Slow healing
Suture Rupture
Swelling
Visible scar
Serious complications after an abdominoplasty are uncommon. However, there are risks with any surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure.
Complications such as infection and blood clots are rare, but can occur. Infection can be treated with drainage and antibiotics, but will prolong your recovery. You can minimize the risk of blood clots by moving around as soon after the surgery as possible (immobility allows blood to pool and create a clot which can travel to the lungs, heart or brain causing a pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke).
If wound problems develop, it may delay healing for several weeks or even months. Areas of skin may die and slough off (this complication is more common among smokers). This will result in delayed healing and may require a skin graft. Although rare, it is possible for fat to liquefy and drain through the incision. Additional surgery may also be necessary.
One of the more common problems after an abdominoplasty is collection of fluid under the skin after the drains have been removed. Your surgeon can aspirate the fluid with a needle. The drainage stops within a month and will not affect the final results.
Tummy Tuck Scars