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Procedure | Recovery | Price
Ranges | Before
and After
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a major surgical
procedure that eliminates excess skin and loose tissue from the stomach
and tightens the muscles of the abdominal wall. Many women find that
even with rigorous diet and exercise, they cannot get rid of the extra
skin and often the protrusion of the stomach after having children.
The best candidate for this procedure are men or women who are close
to their ideal weight but have a deposit of abdominal fat or loose
skin around their stomach. Patients who intend to lose more weight,
or women who want to have more children should wait to have this procedure.
Procedure
The abdominoplasty is done under general anesthesia and usually takes
three to five hours, depending on the amount of skin to remove
and muscle to be repaired. An incision is made typically from hipbone
to hipbone just above the pubic area (below the bikini line). A
second incision is often made vertically in order to tighten the
underlying abdominal muscles. The navel is often repositioned due
to the removal of excess skin. The result should be a firmer, flatter
stomach and often, a narrower waistline.
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Recovery
Full recovery from an abdominoplasty often takes up to six weeks, depending
on the patient. Walking may be difficult the first few days, and
the stomach will feel swollen. A compression garment is worn for
six weeks, but women can usually return to a desk job after approximately
a week. Light physical activity such as walking is encouraged after
a week. Two drain tubes are typically inserted at surgery and
remain for the first 5-7 days after surgery depending on the extent
of the procedure. Patients are restricted from full physical exercise
such as aerobics, running,
or weightlifting for at least six weeks. Complete recovery may take
up to a few months to rid of all the swelling. The scars may appear
worse 3-6 months after surgery during the healing process, but they
should begin fading after nine months to a year with the help of scar
cream and time.
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Price
Ranges
The actual cost of your cosmetic surgery procedure is largely dependent upon
your specific case. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) publishes
information on its website that provides information on the cost of various procedures.
Visit www.plasticsurgery.org.
These fees may not include the cost of anesthesia, operating room facilities,
and other expenses. If you would like specific fees in our office, please feel
free to call us or send us
an email.
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Before
and After
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