Tummy Tuck

Both men and women seek abdominoplasty surgery for a variety of reasons. You would usually be unable to get rid of the excess skin and fat despite a good diet and exercise. This can have a major impact on your body confidence affecting the outfits that you choose to wear, activities that you do and in some cases even affect enjoyment of holidays.

If you have separation of your abdominal muscles (especially after multiple childbirth), you may also have poor muscle tone that can be corrected during tummy tuck surgery.

If you are over 18, generally healthy, not overweight and a non-smoker, you are suitable for tummy tuck surgery. Occasionally, some people who seek tummy tuck surgery may actually not be suitable, and may require a different technique (such as liposuction). During your consultation, you will be advised on whether tummy tuck surgery is suitable for you.

At your consultation, you will meet Dr Kian, a fully-qualified plastic surgeon who is trained in cosmetic surgery. He will take a full medical history including details of medications, allergies, smoking and previous surgery. Dr Kian also always takes time to understand what your goals and concerns are.

During your examination, the following will be assessed systematically and standard clinical photographs will be taken for your medical record:

• excess skin and fat in the abdomen
• muscle separation (rectus divarication)
• previous scars & stretch marks
• skin quality

Dr Kian will then discuss your procedure with you. He will also discuss the scar pattern that you are likely to expect. He will explain the potential risks and complications of surgery so that you make a fully-informed decision. There will be plenty of time to answer any questions that you may have and you can rest assured that Dr Kian will give you his honest, professional advice.

Dr Kian is trained in a wide range of abdominoplasty techniques and the scar pattern that you could expect will depend on your individual circumstances. At your consultation, Dr Kian will discuss with you what your goals and examine your tummy before advising on which technique is suitable for you. Below are some of the more popular techniques that Dr Kian uses:

• Full (standard) abdominoplasty – this involves a hip-to-hip scar and a scar around your umbilicus (belly button). The skin in your upper and lower abdomen is tightened and muscle separation can be corrected fully.
• Mini abdominoplasty – this involves a shorter lower abdominal scar compared to a full abdominoplasty with no scar around your umbilicus. The muscles in your lower abdomen can be tightened at the same time. This technique is best when the problem is mainly in your lower abdomen.
• Brazilian abdominoplasty – this procedure which is favoured by Dr Kian, combines the use of liposuction to remove excess fat alongside a full abdominoplasty. This is a specialised technique that preserves the blood supply to your skin, reducing the risk of complications.
• Fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty – this is a procedure for people with a lot of excess skin and fat in both the upper and lower abdomen. Apart form the hip-to-hip scar which you get from a full abdominoplasty, there is also a vertical scar in the midline of your abdomen. The two scars join into an inverted-T pattern.

Tummy tuck surgery will produce immediate results and you will see that your abdomen is firmer and flatter straight after surgery. There will be some swelling from surgery, which will take a couple of weeks to subside. Full results will be visible from 6 weeks.

It is safe for you to get pregnant after abdominoplasty. It is also safe for you to have another C-section (caesarean) after your tummy tuck. However, it is normally advisable to delay your tummy tuck surgery until after you have completed your family as any subsequent pregnancy will undo the aesthetic results of your surgery.

During your consultation, Dr Kian will explain the potential risks and complications of your procedure. Some of these include:

• Scar – this will depend on the type of abdominoplasty surgery that you have and will be discussed with you at your consultation
• Infection – some wound infections may require antibiotic treatment.
• Seroma – this is a collection of fluid. Small seromas may be left alone if they do not produce any symptoms, however larger or symptomatic ones may be aspirated.
• Bleeding/haematoma – bleeding after surgery may require a second operation to remove the blood clot and stop any bleeding.
• Wound healing problems – occasionally, there may be areas that take a bit longer to heal due to either infection or impaired blood supply.
• Stitch reactions – the sutures that are used are usually dissolving sutures buried under the skin. Occasionally, some people get little reactions to the sutures in small areas however this usually settles down with time.
• Numbness – any surgery can result in changes to sensation including numbness which can take some time to resolve. Permanent numbness is uncommon.
• Unfavourable results – abdominoplasty surgery has a high satisfaction rate among all cosmetic surgery operations. However, unfavourable results may be due to not being satisfied with the appearance such as small ‘dog ears’ at the end of the scars. Weight changes or pregnancy after surgery can result in loss of the aesthetic result.

Recovery time is very individual, however for most people this will be between 2 to 3 weeks. We would normally advise to take at least 2 weeks off work, however you may return to work sooner or later depending on how you recover and the type of work that you do. You will be asked to wear a post-surgical support garment after your surgery for at least 3 weeks. Full results take at least 6 weeks, however this will vary from person to person.

Dr Kian believes that good aftercare is as important as the surgery itself. You will be given contact details to get in touch should you have any concerns after your surgery. You will have a clinic appointment approximately 1 week after your procedure. At this time, the wound is inspected to ensure that it is healing well and there is no infection. You will have a full review appointment with Dr Kian at approximately 6 weeks after your surgery to check that you are happy with your results and to give you long-term aftercare instructions.