![]() At the first post-operative appointment, the dressing is changed and the patient is allowed to shower. Patients can maintain the bent position by using pillows under their knees and behind their back or sleeping in a recliner chair. Patients must remain bent at the waist for seven days postoperatively, even while they sleep. Patients return to our office for a follow-up visit within two to three days after surgery. They are highly-respected by patients and peers alike. They are board-certified plastic surgeons and members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Our experienced cosmetic surgeons have been serving tummy tuck patients in Charlotte for many years. This is when we can make a difference by performing tummy tuck surgery. Diet and exercise are always the first steps to improve our overall health and body shape, but no amount of diet and exercise will remove extra skin or tighten loose muscles. The surgery is not as easy on patients as liposuction, but for patients with extra skin and loose muscles, the results are far more impressive. Patients’ lives are changed when they can return to wearing the kinds of clothes that they want to wear and participate in activities with their friends and families that they were embarrassed to do before the surgery. Tummy tuck can be combined with other procedures, such as breast lift and liposuction into a procedure known as a mommy makeover.Ībdominoplasty produces one of the most dramatic changes we see in cosmetic surgery. Still, we would rather prevent this fluid by wearing the compression garment than treat it with aspiration. This is a painless procedure for the patient because the abdominal skin is numb for approximately 6–12 months after surgery and makes aspiration very easy. Aspiration is a sterile process where the fluid is removed by passing a needle through the skin and tapping the excess fluid. ![]() Unresponsive scars can be surgically revised, but this is unusual.įluid collections under the skin can occur if the abdominal tissue is not compressed to the underlying repaired muscle. Hypertrophic thick scars occur occasionally and are treated with massage, vitamin E, and compression if needed. This is an inconvenience we would rather avoid than treat. If the skin doesn’t heal well we keep it clean and moist and eventually it heals itself. That is why we are very cautious about keeping the waist bent for seven days after surgery. Incisions that don’t heal well because of decreased blood supply have occurred when the skin closure is too tight. Like any surgery, bleeding and infection are possible risks, but occur very rarely. Most patients are back to work at approximately three weeks. We don’t allow any isolated abdominal muscle exercise for three months, but all other exercises can be gradually increased beginning at three weeks. We advise that it be worn with exercise for additional support from then on until three months. At three weeks, the compression garment can come off. The abdomen may seem tight at first, but will loosen with time. In order to allow the muscle and skin to adhere to each other, we recommend the abdominal area be kept quiet by limiting the bending and twisting motion of the waist for three weeks. In seven days, the patient is allowed to stand up straight and lie flat on a bed. ![]() At that time the dressing is changed and the patient is allowed to shower. ![]() ![]() We see our tummy tuck patients five to seven days after surgery in our Charlotte office. This is very important to produce healthy skin that is as tight as possible post-operatively. We also require our patients to walk with their waist bent for the first seven days to lessen the tension on the skin closure. But these tight muscles are like having a pulled muscle in the abdomen and everyone knows that can be tender. The surgery can be painful, as muscles are made very tight to achieve the best possible look. The surgery is performed at our fully accredited plastic surgery facility under general anesthesia, in which the patient is totally asleep. The incision is closed with dissolvable stitches and the patient is put in a compression garment to decrease swelling and bruising. Then the muscles are tightened to recreate the waistline and flatten the tummy. Extra fat is thinned from the underside to trim the abdominal contour. When that skin is removed, so are all the stretch marks on that skin. Frequently there is enough loose skin that all of the skin between the belly button and the pubic bone can be removed. The surgery is done through an incision that is from hip to hip, but even the skimpiest bathing suit would hide it. A full abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is a procedure where extra skin and fat are removed and the loose muscles are repaired. ![]()
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