The decision to undergo any elective surgery is complex. With the body-shaping options available through breast lifts and augmentations, there’s plenty to think about. Understanding the targets of each procedure helps you decide what’s best for you.
In 2017, tummy tucks proudly joined the list of the top five most popular cosmetic surgical procedures, and they’ve held their ground ever since. In fact, the number of tummy tucks performed in the United States has increased by a whopping 107% since the year 2000.
Gul A. Zikria MD, FACOG has helped many women undergo beautiful transformations, creating a firm and trim midsection with an expertly performed tummy tuck. Why do so many patients love their tummy tucks? Here are the top five reasons we hear from our patients:
Who doesn’t love seeing immediate results? Tummy tucks are incredibly popular because there’s no other procedure that can produce such dramatic results in such a short time.
When we perform a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty in medical terms, we take care of several cosmetic problems at one time. We eliminate excess skin and small pockets of fat, so you gain a smooth, slim contour. We also repair and tighten abdominal muscles to create a firm foundation for your well-toned tummy.
It’s important to know, however, that a tummy tuck isn’t a weight-loss procedure. Depending on the amount of fat in your belly, we may combine your abdominoplasty with liposuction so we can also eliminate any nagging fat.
When you choose to have a surgical tummy tuck, you can count on long-lasting improvement in your appearance. Excess skin won’t return, and your muscles will stay firm and tight. You may see slight changes due to the natural effect of aging over the years, but for the most part, abdominoplasty is permanent.
However, you can undermine your results if you gain weight or get pregnant after your surgery. That’s why it may be best to hold off on getting a tummy tuck until after you finish having babies.
The best thing about a tummy tuck is that we customize it to meet each patient’s expectations. We generally perform one of two basic procedures, but each one can be adjusted to meet your goals:
You can also combine other cosmetic procedures with your tummy tuck. Many women decide to have a breast augmentation or reduction procedure at the same time as their tummy tuck, a dual procedure that’s often referred to as a mommy makeover.
Our patients don’t hesitate to have a tummy tuck because of our approach to anesthesia, which includes a local liquid anesthesia called tumescent anesthesia. For a full tummy tuck, we use general anesthesia plus the tumescent. In some cases, we may be able to perform a mini tummy tuck using only the local anesthesia.
The key point is this: using tumescent anesthesia leads to less pain and a quicker recovery. This type of anesthesia is a liquid solution that’s infused into your abdomen. It contains epinephrine and lidocaine, a highly effective local anesthetic. The epinephrine constricts blood vessels, which means you’ll have minimal bleeding during your procedure and less bruising and swelling afterwards.
One of the greatest benefits of doing your surgery with liquid anesthesia is that it shortens your recovery to one week. Additionally, studies show that patients undergoing tumescent abdominoplasty have significantly less postoperative pain.
It turns out that having a tummy tuck can improve your posture, reduce back pain, and treat urinary incontinence.
It makes sense that contouring your tummy and strengthening abdominal muscles would give you better posture and relieve back pain. After all, you need those core muscles to support your spine.
But you might be surprised to learn just how big of a difference a tummy tuck can make, even when your back pain and incontinence developed after delivering a baby.
A group of researchers followed 214 women who had an abdominoplasty with muscle repair. Before surgery, 51% of the women had moderate to severe disability from back pain. Urinary incontinence was a big problem for about 43% of the women.
The study results, which were published in the March 2018 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, were significant. Six months after their tummy tuck, a mere 9% of the women still suffered disability due to back pain, and urinary incontinence was a problem for less than 2% of the participants.
Here’s another surprising piece of information from the study: The women had several different types of abdominoplasty, but their back pain and incontinence improved no matter which surgical technique was performed.
If you’re thinking about reshaping your tummy, or you have questions about abdominoplasty, call Gul A. Zikria MD, FACOG at 408-290-8289 or schedule an appointment online.
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