Tummy Tuck Procedure

Abdominiplasty, commonly known as "tummy tucks", is a cosmetic surgical procedure intended to reduce the amount of loose skin and excessive fat around the abdomen area. There are two types of abdominiplasty operations:

1. Complete Abdominiplasty (Full Tummy Tuck) targets the middle and lower abdomen.

2. Partial Adominiplasty (Mini Tummy Tuck) targets the lower abdomen only.

Tummy tuck surgery, partial and complete, is performed under a general or a local anesthesia. Tumescent anesthesia is a liquid solution that is injected into the fat tissue located directly under the skin. It's taken into the rest of the body slowly, and provides a localized effect. The primary active ingredient in tumescent anesthesia's is lidocaine, a standard anesthetic which numbs the area into which it's injected. A second medicine, epinephrine (adrenaline), is added to constrict the blood vessels to prevent excessive bleeding. In many cases, a sedative is applied such as Valium to help patients relax prior to surgery. On occasion, an intravenous pain reliever like Demoral is used to relax the patient even further, and enables them to drift of to sleep if they choose.

Complete Abominiplasty (Full Tummy Tuck) Surgical Procedure

1. After anesthesia, a long incision will be made from one hipbone to the other in the area above the pubic region and another one to allow the navel to detach from the surrounding tissue, but the incision size will depend on how much skin needs to be removed.
2. A second incision is made around the navel to free the navel from surrounding tissue.
3. The large skin flap is separated from the abdominal wall and lifted up to the ribs to reveal the underlying abdominal muscles.
4. These muscles are tighten by pulling them in close and stitching them together in their new position - this provides a firmer abdominal wall as well as narrowing the waistline.
5. The skin flap is then stretched down and excessive skin is trimmed away.
6. A new hole for the navel (belly button) is made and sewn in place - the old belly button will be too low.
7. Incisions are closed and an elastic dressing is put into place.
8. A temporary tube may be inserted to drain excess fluid from the surgical site.

Partial Abdominiplasty (Mini Tummy Tucks) Surgical Procedure

For partial abdominiplasty (mini tummy tucks), the surgical procedure is similar to complete abdominiplasty, except that only one incision is made above the pubis and the incision is much shorter (4-6 inches). The skin is separated between the incision line and the navel. The skin flap is stretched down and the excess fat and skin is removed before the flap is stitched back into place. The area above the naval is unaffected.

A full tummy tuck surgery will take a few hours to perform, but the time it takes to complete the surgical procedure will depend on the extent of the work being done. A mini tummy tuck surgery will usually take just an hour or two to complete. Most patients that have undergone full abdominiplasty are recommended to stay overnight at the surgeon's inpatient facilities or hospital. This is almost always to case for patients combining abdominiplasty with another surgical procedure such as hernias. For people who have had partial abdominiplasty performed on them, they are normally treated on an outpatient basis, since the procedure is shorter and less invasive than the full tummy tuck.

If you're interested in pursuing a tummy tuck, it is easy to minimize the risks involved with this operation. Here are some tips:

• Choose a physician with surgical training who has experience in performing tummy tucks. Ask the physician how many procedures he or she has performed.
• Be in good health. Be sure to inform the surgeon about any past and present medical problems and about any medicines they take.
• Follow the surgeon's advice before and after surgery.
• Do not sunburn the abdomen just before or after surgery.
• Avoid strenuous activity for several weeks after surgery.