Frequently Asked Questions Before Tummy Tuck Surgery
How much will it cost?
The fee for tummy tuck surgery can be located in the
suggested fees . Please call my office for an accurate price quote
or make an appointment for a personal consultation to discuss your specific
concerns. My suggested quotes include professional fees, anesthesia
fees, operating room costs, house calls, before care and after care.
They do not include hospitalization costs, prescriptions, home nursing
care, preoperative history and physical examination, laboratory costs,
or pathology fees. In addition, tummy tuck surgery requires some time
off work for a safe recovery. I require complete payment two weeks in
advance of all cosmetic surgery.
What can I do to make my abdomen
look better after having children?
Pregnancy stretches both the skin and the muscles of the abdomen. This
along with weight gain and surgical scars leaves many women with an
unacceptable appearance of their abdomen. Both liposuction and tummy
tuck surgery can help. The tummy tuck achieves a flatter abdomen by
tightening the skin and the muscles. Liposuction is used to remove excess
fat. This combination is the best choice to repair the effects of pregnancy
on your abdomen.
Will I ever be exactly the same
on both sides?
It is normal for the abdomen not to be the same on both sides. Surgery
can reduce these differences but not eliminate them. It will be necessary
for you to adjust to some abdominal asymmetry after your surgery.
Will there be scars after surgery?
Scars are part of all surgery. It is important to understand where
tummy tuck scars will be placed. The scar extends from just above the
pubic hair as an upward curve (smile) toward the upper hipbones. The
length of the scar is determined by how much extra skin is present.
In addition, there is frequently a scar around the belly button. These
can be covered with clothing. For safety reasons, I position the smile
shaped scar in the area covered by a two piece bathing suit bottom.
However, fashion always offers bathing suits that may reveal some of
the scar.
Will my bathing suit hide the
scar?
My goal is to place the scars in a position that can be covered by
the bathing suit of your choice. However, fashion always offers bathing
suits that may reveal some of the scar.
Will I be able to have breast
reconstruction using the tummy tissue?
Tummy tuck surgery reduces and changes the blood supply of the skin
of the abdomen. It also removes any extra skin and fat as well. For
these reasons, it is not possible to do this kind of breast reconstruction
after a tummy tuck.
Can I have children after a tummy
tuck?
No. Once the extra skin has been removed and the muscles have been
tightened pregnancy will lead to excessive stretch marks and disruption
of the muscle repair. It is possible that pregnancy could lead to hernias.
Before you consider tummy tuck surgery, I recommend that you take measures
that will eliminate the risks of future pregnancies.
Will this help my back pain?
It may help, but unfortunately, you cannot rely on tightening of the
abdominal muscles to relieve back pain. This is impossible to predict
because there are so many different causes of back pain.
How long must I wait after having
a baby?
I recommend that you wait a full six months after having your last
child before considering a tummy tuck. This will allow you to loose
any excess weight and strengthen your abdominal muscles following pregnancy.
It will also eliminate the stress of caring for a newborn child.
Can I have abdominal surgery
at the same time as a tummy tuck?
I do not recommend any internal abdominal surgery at the same time
as cosmetic abdominal surgery. I believe that the combined risks are
unacceptable. An exception to this is hernia repair.
What are the risks of tummy tuck
surgery?
There are risks with any surgery. Infection, excessive bleeding, abnormal
scarring, poor healing, slow healing, skin loss, changes in skin sensation,
muscle or nerve injury, although uncommon, can occur with any surgery.
Fortunately, most problems that result from such complications are correctable
with additional surgery. Although very rare, there have been reported
deaths as a result of blood clots in the legs, severe infections, pneumonia-like
conditions, and excessive liposuction fat removal. You must understand
your risk of complications completely before you choose to have a tummy
tuck.
I have heard about so many
bad things on television, is it safe to have tummy tuck surgery?
There are always risks with tummy tuck surgery. When severe complications
are combined with inexperienced surgeons, poor results can occur. I
believe that tummy tuck surgery can be done safely with a high degree
of patient satisfaction. Serious problems are usually related to excessive
surgery and/or medical problems. Most poor results can be improved with
additional surgery.
What can you tell me about
this new technique that I saw on television?
Everyone in America wants the latest in medical care. This is not always
the best medical care. At times media presentations will leave out critical
information about potential complications, quality of result, and FDA
regulation. I am open minded when it comes to new technology but I would
rather not use my patients to try out the newest techniques. Endoscopic
tummy tuck surgery has recently been described. This is limited to women
with little or no extra skin that needs to be removed.
Should I stop smoking?
For general health reasons, I recommend that all my patients stop smoking.
It is clear that smoking increases your risk for developing all sorts
of cancers. Breathing problems like emphysema and circulatory problems
including heart attacks are also linked to smoking. Smoking also reduces
blood flow that can result in skin loss during the healing period. Smoking
can also increase the risk of coughing after your surgery that can lead
to bleeding around your implants. Both of these problems can ruin the
results of your tummy tuck and lead to revision surgery. It is always
best to stop smoking.
What other choices do I have?
There are other choices when it comes to tummy tuck surgery. These
include liposuction, weight loss, acceptance of a deformity, and changes
in clothing styles. Alternate tummy tuck techniques include small incisions,
endoscopic tummy tuck, lowering the position of the belly button, and
transverse scar placement. Always understand all your options before
having a tummy tuck.
What additional procedures can
I consider that will enhance the result?
Surgeries can be combined to yield dramatic and complimentary results.
For safety reasons, I recommend the length of surgery be limited to
six hours and no more than two areas of the body be treated at the same
time. Tummy tuck surgery is frequently combined with liposuction, breast
enlargement, breast reduction, breast lift and thigh lift.
Am I a good candidate for a tummy
tuck?
This is a question that can only be answered after a personal consultation.
Tummy tuck surgery is suggested to patients with extra skin and fat
of the abdomen and stretched abdominal muscles. I feel strongly that
tummy tuck surgery is not a treatment for obesity. Obesity increases
the risk of complications and detracts from the aesthetic result. There
are other things to consider as well including psychiatric conditions,
life stress, medical illness, obesity, and motivation. You should be
a healthy nonsmoker, within twenty pounds of your ideal weight. Major
life stresses (i.e. grieving a death and divorce) must be absent in
your life. The ideal candidate is motivated by internal desires to look
better.
How many times can I have a tummy
tuck done?
When tummy tuck is done, extra skin and fat are removed, stretching
and tightening the remaining tissue. I strongly discourage any changes
(weight gain and pregnancy) that would stretch this skin again. This
is not a treatment for continued weight gain or obesity. For these reasons,
I recommend that tummy tuck only be done once.
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