Introduction > Plastic surgery > Abdominoplasty - Tummy Tuck > Abdominoplasty surgery
Abdominoplasty surgery
Preparing for surgery
After the initial consultation, our ART MEDIC surgeon will examine you to determine the extent of fat deposits in your abdomen, and assess your skin tone. He will discuss the factors that may affect the procedure—such as your age and elasticity of your skin—and the possible changes in your appearance as the result of the surgery.
ART MEDIC surgeons will also give you instructions how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications. Our surgeon will describe the procedure in detail, explaining its risks and limitations and making sure you understand the effect that the surgery will have on your body. Our specialists will also explain the effects of the anaesthesia that will be used, will show you the operating theatre where the surgery will be performed, and will inform you about all the costs involved. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks and potential complications of your surgery.
Description of surgery
Full abdominoplasty usually takes two to five hours, depending on the extent of work required, while partial abdominoplasty could last an hour or two under general anaesthesia.
Full abdominoplasty is a major surgical procedure that will remove excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen and tighten the abdominal muscles. If your abdominal muscles require extensive tightening and your body weight is more than 20% above your ideal weight, we will recommend a full abdominoplasty. During the procedure, the first incision is made across the lower abdomen from hipbone to hipbone, just above the pubic area and a second incision is made around the belly button. The skin and fat are separated from the abdominal wall and excess skin and fat are then excised. The abdominal muscles are tightened by shortening them and suturing them together. The skin is then stretched down and a small incision is cut for the belly button, which is brought out through the opening in the new skin. Stretch marks and scars may be removed during surgery.Drains are placed in the skin to help reduce swelling by collecting excess blood and fluid and these are usually removed a few days later.
If your fat deposits are limited to the area below the navel, we can recommend you a less complex and less invasive procedure called a partial abdominoplasty, also know as a mini-tummy tuck. This procedure is usually recommended for patients who are within 10% of their ideal body weight. While a full tummy tuck involves an incision around the navel and across the lower abdomen, a mini tummy tuck leaves the navel intact and requires a smaller incision. Liposuction is sometimes employed and the fat is removed from below the navel, tightening muscles from the navel to the pubis.
After the surgery
For the first few days, your abdomen will probably be swollen and you're likely to feel some pain and discomfort which can be controlled by medication. Depending on the extent of the surgery, you may be released within a day or two. We usually keep patents who have had a full abdominoplasty under supervision for at least two nights to minimise the possibility of complications.
Your ART MEDIC surgeon will give you instructions for showering and changing your dressings. And even if you are not able to stand straight at first, you will be advised to start walking as soon as possible.
Surface stitches will be removed after a week following surgery, while deeper sutures will come out in two to three weeks' time. The dressing on your incision may be replaced by a support garment, which is needed to be worn for at least 4-6 weeks if liposuction was also performed during your surgery.
It may take several weeks or even months to feel like your old self again. If are in good physical condition with strong abdominal muscles before the surgery, recovery will be much faster. Some people return to work after two weeks, while others take three or four weeks to rest and recuperate.
Light exercising will help you heal better, lower the chance of blood clots, and tone your muscles. But you should avoid vigorous exercise and hard physical work for at least 4-6 weeks. If the abdominal muscles are tightened as well, we don't recommend activities stretching it for another 2 months.
Your scars may actually appear to worsen during the first three to six months as they heal, but this is normal. It can take nine about a year before your scars flatten out and lighten in color. While they'll never disappear completely, abdominal scars will not show under most clothing, even under bikinis.
