December 17, 2012 | Tummy Tuck
3 minute read
It will come as no surprise to anyone who is not still went that as we get older, our bodies change. For instance, many of gain weight, either because of a pregnancy or just life itself. In either case, if you have lost weight you know that sometimes there is simply nothing you can do about certain areas of he body – the spring has gone, and what you are left with is an unsightly tummy that won’t go away or tighten up no matter how much weight you lose.
A tummy tuck is called for in this instance. Tummy tucks, or abdominoplasty is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures in the United States, which is not surprising since pregnancy and weight gain can both cause the condition which a tummy tuck relieves.
When you are pregnant or overweight, the skin and muscles of the abdomen stretch beyond their ability to retract when your body resumes its ideal weight. This loss of elasticity causes a laxity and thinning of the skin and separation and bulging of the abdominal muscles. This usually happens below the belly button and results in the classic ‘pooch’ that cannot be corrected by exercise or diet.
WHEN THE TUMMY JUST WON’T GO AWAY
Each patient is different, and it is recognizing these subtle differences and approaching each patient individually that has made Dr. Perez so good at this type of surgery; his goal is to adjust the procedure so that the end result is perfect for the patient which he is working on. It is by this gentle technique and sense of aesthetics that he has refined his skill over thousands of tummy tucks.
The tummy tuck first saw use in the 1960’s, but the procedure has come a long way since then. These new techniques and knowledge of how the parts of the abdomen relate to each other have helped form the basis of Dr. Perez’ body sculpting techniques.
The surgery is performed under general anesthesia, but is usually done on an outpatient basis. Some patients may need to spend one night in the hospital. Full recovery is generally between 6 weeks and 8 or 9 weeks, but most people can resume work and most other activities within 1 -2 weeks; a compression garment will have to be worn for the first six weeks to help support and shape the healing tissue.
LOW RISK OF COMPLICATIONS
There are some things to consider, though, and some issues that may make you a bad risk for this type of surgery. Patients with a history of blood clots or other clotting disorders, spontaneous miscarriages, cancer, over 40 years old or who have been pregnant in the last three months or are on birth control pills have a chance of experiencing some of the negative side effects at a higher risk factor.
Complications are very low for this type of surgery though – 1% of patients suffer from blood clots of the legs, and less than 1% from blood clots in the lungs. Talk with Dr. Perez about these risks and your medical history in detail before you decide on this surgery.
If you have recently lost weight or if you have had a pregnancy and simply cannot get rid of your tummy pooch, see Dr. Perez today for a consultation, and get ready for bikini season – it’s coming soon!