We often find that no area of the body is more frustrating than the stomach or abdomen. It’s a body part that, most of the time, is hidden away beneath your clothes but when it comes to being topless can cause huge confidence issues. As we age and go through changes during life such as childbirth and fluctuations with our weight, excess skin and fat seem to find a way to build up around our waistline and unfortunately, as many people find out, dieting and exercise doesn’t always work to give you the body that you desire.
The tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty as it’s known in the surgical world, is an incredibly effective procedure that is designed specifically to sculpt the waistline and smooth the appearance of the stomach. It can even be used to help repair damaged and weakened abdominal muscles which aids in ensuring the results of the surgery are long lasting.
All surgical procedures require anyone to do their homework before booking in to ensure that the full range of risks and rewards are known in advance, and even though a tummy tuck procedure is something that can be incredibly beneficial for most men and women, there’s a number of complications and requirements that need to be considered first. Before thinking about booking in, we’ve put together five things you should know about a tummy tuck before you get one;
Tummy tuck surgery comes with a significant amount of downtime
A tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure that includes an incision that will be made from hip to hip and the general recovery period associated with this kind of procedure is around two to three weeks. During the first week or two, there will be some amount of pain, fatigue and discomfort and you need to focus on resting and healing during this initial period. You will require assistance with the majority of tasks around the house and dealing with everyday things such as looking after your children so it’s very important to have someone on hand who will be able to help you. You will also need to avoid strenuous physical activity for around four to six weeks, as a bare minimum, after your tummy tuck procedure has been carried out.
Having a tummy tuck surgery will leave you with a permanent scar
Even though surgical procedures have advanced and this is one of the most common aesthetic surgeries performed around the world, the initial incision will leave a scar across the abdomen. This incision is performed as a horizontal line from hip to hip, just above the pubic area. Although the scar will fade over time, it will remain permanently and will be visible for years to come. The surgeon will always try to perform the incision in an area that can be concealed by underwear or a swimsuit to avoid any confidence issues.
You will require the use of a surgical drain
Following a tummy tuck surgery, a drain will be put in place to eliminate any possible build up of blood or fluids which keeps the swelling of the area down and ensures that it can heal properly. In most cases, surgical drains are required after a tummy tuck and although they are completely temporary, these require some level of attention and care to ensure your wound heals properly. Your surgeon will discuss these with you before the surgery and will provide you with full aftercare advice, including the limitations of what you can and cannot do. In most cases, these will be removed approximately a week or two later but in some cases may require a longer stay.
It can take up to a year for your body to fully heal
You will notice some level of benefit to your figure almost immediately following your tummy tuck surgery, but over the first few weeks you’ll notice bruising, redness and welling are very common and can affect the results that you see. These will fade and resolve naturally over the course of a few weeks and your final results will start to show, but residual swelling can affect you for a period of six months (or even longer) and you may experience temporary numbness or loss of sensation along the incision line during this period. After a few months you should be feeling more like your old self again and should see your final results, but it can take a year for the stomach to completely finish healing and show your true tummy tuck results.
You should be at a stable weight before undergoing surgery
Whilst the tummy tuck procedure is an incredible way to sculpt the figure, it isn’t considered as a replacement for weight loss and exercise. It’s incredibly important that you are as close to your desired weight and figure as you possible can be before undergoing surgery and that you remain there for a period of time as fluctuations can affect the results that you are likely to receive. The fluctuations are known to stretch and contract the abdominal tissue which can ultimately lead to the requirement of a revision procedure to correct these changes and restore your original results.
Although these things you should know won’t answer all of your questions about a tummy tuck procedure and how it works, it should give you a better grasp and understanding of the procedure and exactly what it involves before you decide to book yourself in.