HOW TO GET THE BEST RESULTS FROM A TUMMY TUCK
The tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is one of the best cosmetic procedures to produce noticeable, dramatic results. It removes sagging abdominal skin and tightens weakened or torn abdominal muscles to restore a tight, toned appearance. It can also be combined with liposuction to remove excess fat for even more dramatic results. While the Tummy Tuck procedure itself yields excellent outcomes, there are a few things patients can do before and after surgery to accelerate healing and improve their results even further.
BE NEAR YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT
Your tummy tuck results will appear even better if you are at or near your ideal weight. If you plan on losing a substantial amount of weight sometime in the future after your surgery, your abdomen will ultimately look more slender and shapely, but you may have some amount of sagging skin or stretch marks that become more noticeable when the skin is no longer stretched. While a tummy tuck does not remove stretch marks directly, any that are on the excised skin will be removed during surgery. During your assessment at your consultation, I can help determine if your skin will respond well to radiofrequency skin tightening to reduce the appearance of stretch marks if that is a concern.
HAVE MINIMAL “BELLY FAT”
Even if you maintain a healthy weight for your height, excess “belly fat” may prevent you from getting the flat abdomen you want after tummy tuck surgery. “Belly fat,” also called visceral fat, resides deep within the abdomen and surrounds the organs. It often makes your stomach protrude with a bloated, “beer belly” appearance or feeling. Unlike fat that lies right beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat), visceral fat cannot be removed with liposuction. The good news is that this type of fat reduces quickly with consistent diet and exercise.
MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS BEFORE SURGERY
If you have recently lost a significant amount of weight, it is better to be sure you can maintain your weight loss for a few months before undergoing surgery. Consider how you lost the weight and whether your new habits are realistically maintainable for the long-term. Typically, patients see their results after tummy tuck and are motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which prolongs and even can improve the final results of surgery.
DO NOT SMOKE BEFORE SURGERY OR DURING RECOVERY
In preparing for surgery and recovering from surgery, it is important to avoid smoking. In fact, if you are actively smoking, we will not proceed with surgery. Incisions are significantly more likely to break down and open up. This, in turn, can require scar revision surgery and a longer recovery time.For the best tummy tuck results, schedule your consultation with double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Charles Galanis. Please call our office at (310) 858-8930 or fill out our online contact form today.
