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Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

In everyone, paunchy and convex appearance of the abdomen can be eliminated and consequently a flat abdomen can be obtained. Abdominoplasty can be done at any age in adults.

Skin looseness, fat accumulations, stretch marks and scars emerge due to various reasons such as aging, weight gain and loss, giving birth several times. Such a loose skin having an excessive amount of fat is surgically removed and then the loose abdominal muscles are sutured with a special technique. In everyone, paunchy and convex appearance of the abdomen can be eliminated and consequently a flat abdomen can be obtained. As a result of this surgery, an acceptable scar remains in the lower abdominal region that can be concealed under panties and bikini.

Abdominoplasty can be done at any age in adults.

Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and Aesthetic

Deformations such as excessive fat accumulation, convex appearance, sagging skin, and stretch marks in the abdominal region adversely affect the physical and psychological health. Such deformations that impair the abdominal aesthetic are frequently expressed in the daily life.

Aesthetic deformation in the abdominal region emerges in association with many factors. Hormonal changes, sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy and post-pregnancy processes, old age, and after, age, genetic predisposition, and frequent weight gain and loss appear to be the main factors in this regard. These factors lead to loose and sagging abdominal skin and abdominal muscles, stretch marks on the skin, fat gain, local enlargement in this region, and impairment of the person’s comfort in the daily life. Deformations in the abdominal skin and abdominal muscles after obesity leads to a greater loosening and sagging in women, compared to men.

Abdominoplasty, i.e tummy tuck surgeries, is a surgical procedure eliminating aesthetic impairments, by producing effective results in cases of aesthetic problems in the abdominal region. Abdominal muscles that get loose after an abdominoplasty are made tightened and the saggy skin that has stretch marks and excess amount of fat is removed to create a flat, tight, and rejuvenated abdominal region that have an aesthetic appearance.

Why the Abdominal Region Becomes Cambered?

Camber formation in the abdominal region occurs when the abdominal muscles lose their elasticity and get separated from each other. Abdominal muscles under the fat layer lose their elasticity and get away from each other, especially during the pregnancy process, when the intra-abdominal volume increases. This situation causes the abdomen to have a convex appearance.

Formation of Abdominal Stretch Marks

Smoothness of the skin is of great importance in terms of aesthetic appearance of the abdomen. The abdominal skin gets stretched, loses its quality and gets thinner in people who frequently gain and loss weight, and in women during their pregnancy, when hormonal changes occur. As the skin gets thinner towards the end of the pregnancy period, the stretch marks increase and become more noticeable. Besides abdominal region, stretch marks show themselves also in the breasts during the breastfeeding period.

 Effects of Pregnancy on Abdominoplasty

In many women, the changes in the metabolic mechanism of the body that occur during pregnancy as well as the accumulated excess fats in the abdominal area and buttocks can become permanent. It is because the fats in this region are defined to be stubborn fats. They are extremely resistant to diet and exercise. They are fats that cannot be burnt easily. This adipose tissue causes sagging in the abdominal region.

How Does a Big and Fatty Abdomen Affect the Health?

The accumulated fats in the abdominal region, overweight, and excess fat formation pave the way for certain health problems. They lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disorders, premature aging, and a decrease in people's quality of life by restricting the freedom of movement. And their psychological effects appear as the person’s self-esteem problem, troubles in the private life, the feeling of being undesired, reduced motivation, and inability to behave in a relaxed manner in social environments.

Can Expectant Mothers Have an Abdominoplasty?

Abdominoplasty does not pose any obstacle to the ability of getting pregnant. It is a risk-free surgical procedure for expectant mothers. The point to be paid attention in this regard is the determination of the pregnancy calendar by considering the postoperative healing period. The recovery takes 6 to 12 months. Therefore, any pregnancy should be planned to occur at least 1 year after surgery.

Eligible Candidates for Abdominoplasty Surgery

  • Those who have a skin restructure with bright and healthy appearance,
  • Those who are not obese,
  • Those who cannot get rid of the excess fat in their abdominal region, despite doing exercise.
  • Those who have a loose and sagging abdominal skin and stretch marks,
  • Those who have a big belly, despite they have not given birth,
  • Those who have loose and sagging abdominal skin and stretch marks due to pregnancy,
  • Those who are overweight and have local fat accumulation only in their abdominal region, despite they are in aesthetically appropriate sizes,
  • Those who have realistic expectations regarding the result of the surgery,
  • Those who have no health problems that may pose an obstacle to the operation,
  • Those who do not plan to get pregnant shortly after the operation,

Abdominoplasty Surgery for Obesity

Unfortunately, today 17 of every 100 people over age 15 are obese in our country. And 33 out of every 100 people are overweight. The number of overweight women is equal to the number of overweight men. The number of overweight people increases with each passing day. Irregular and unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle are the two main reasons of this situation.

Abdominal region is one of the regions most affected by obesity. Obesity shows itself as excessive fat accumulation, weight gain and enlargement. It is important to apply an obesity treatment to the obese patients before performing any abdominoplasty operation for aesthetic purpose. It is because obesity is a health problem rather than an aesthetic problem. Before the abdominoplasty to be performed for obtaining a flat and aesthetic abdomen, it would be useful to remove the excess skin and excess fat, and apply laser lipolysis or liposuction techniques for the removal of stubborn fats.

Abdominoplasty operations are planned based on the level of obesity, and it is applied to well-selected patients. Abdominoplasty operation is an effective treatment procedure that can be carried out for eliminating the sagging abdominal skin that occurs after obesity treatment.

Liposakşın (liposuction) ile Yağ Aldırma, Karın Germe İşlemiyle Birlikte Yaptırılabilir Mi?

If there are excess fat accumulation in the waist and upper abdominal region, the plastic surgeon can perform the liposuction technique in conjunction with abdominoplasty operation, with intent to eliminate the fat accumulation. The waist and abdominal region gain appearances in harmony with each other, in terms of aesthetics.

Does Abdominoplasty Operation Pose Any Risks?

The potential risks of abdominoplasty operation can be eliminated by means of certain precautions. The most common risks are infections that occur in the surgical site, and the accumulation of dirty fluid and blood in the abdomen. These are eliminated with antibiotics and drains. The abdomen is stretched at the initial stage of the healing process, and this may cause the sutures to tear, despite being rare. In such a case, the wound is dressed or re-sutured.

Planning of an Abdominoplasty Operation

The plastic surgeon makes a surgery plan by considering the rate of fat accumulation in the abdominal region, the degree of skin sagging, the extent of the loosening, whether the overweight and fat accumulation problems are only in the abdominal region. The operation flattens the abdomen while slightly thinning the waist area. If there is an overweight problem in addition to the problem in the abdominal region, different treatment options are assessed.

Things to Do Before Operation

  • If the patient has previously had an abdominal surgery, the plastic surgeon takes this into consideration in the assessment of the situation.
  • In case of smoking habit that delays the healing of surgical wounds by slowing the blood circulation, the patient shout not use tobacco products for a period of 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after the surgery.
  • It is required to thin the skin for making it smooth and stretched to the desired extent. Therefore, the patient loses weight before surgery to enable the skin to get thinner.
  • Drugs that may adversely affect the surgery should not be used. Blood-thinning medications should be discontinued two weeks before surgery.
  • Women’s menstrual period should not coincide with the surgery date.

Which Method are Used in Abdominoplasty?

In abdominoplasty operations, the mini abdominoplasty and full abdominoplasty procedures are carried out. The procedure that will produce the best result is preferred, based on the extent and location of the problem in the abdominal region.

Determinant Factors in Full Abdominoplasty

The factor determining the full abdominoplasty procedure is the case in which the problems are in the upper tummy, and the abdominal muscles are excessively away from each other. Operation is performed by making vertical incisions between the upper tummy and groin or horizontal incisions, depending on the extent of the problem. The problem is solved by eliminating the loosening, stretch marks, sagging, excess fat and excess skin tissues from upper tummy and lower tummy. The abdominal muscles are tightened. The upper abdominal skin is stretched downward and sutured. Operation is completed within 3 to 4 hours under general anesthesia.

Determinant Factors in Mini Abdominoplasty

If the deformations in the abdomen are below the belly-button, if the sagging, stretch marks and loosening are mild, if the abdominal muscles are not loose and they not separated from each other, and if there is no loosening and sagging in the upper tummy above the belly-button, the patient can be treated with the mini abdominoplasty  procedure. This operation does not affect the belly-button. The excess fat and skin below the belly-button that cause stretch marks, loosening and sagging are removed, and the loosening and separation in the abdominal muscles (if any) are eliminated for bringing the abdomen in a tight structure. Operation is completed within1.5 hours under general anesthesia.

Healing Process After Abdominoplasty

  • The patient regains consciousness a few hours after surgery.
  • After removal of the drain, the patient is discharged. Drains are removed on the 2nd or 3rd day after surgery.
  • In the first days, movements that may overstrain the abdominal region and lifting heavy things should be avoided.
  • Surgical site is closed with a bandage. After removal of bandages, the patient wears an abdominal corset for a period of 6 weeks on the average.
  • Analgesics are used for pains in the surgical site. These mild pains disappear within 3 to 4 days.
  • The patient uses antibiotics against the possible infections for a period of 7 days.
  • In the first week, the patients should avoid lying in an upright position.
  • The patient can take the first bath on the 4th day.
  • Sutures are removed by the plastic surgeon 10 days after surgery.
  • In general, patients can return to work 2 weeks after surgery. After mini abdominoplasty, a patient can go back to work within 5 days.
  • Sports that require intense effort should be made avoided for a period of 3 months after operation.
  • Swelling in the surgical site completely disappears within 6 months.
  • If there are stretch marks in the abdominal region in addition to the ones on the removed skin part, they do not affect the aesthetic appearance.
  • The abdomen completely recovers and takes its new shape after 6 months. In mini abdominoplasty, wounds completely recover at the end of the first month. The patient gain a flat, aesthetic, tight and natural-looking abdominal region.
  • Surgical scars planned to be concealed in the underwear turn into normal skin color from the 12th month.
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