About Tummy Tuck Surgery
For adults, sagging skin and unwanted fat in the abdomen can be frustrating and challenging despite attempts to reduce it. Pregnancy, weight loss, and aging are the typical reasons why someone may not be able to regain a tighter and slimmer tummy. An abdominoplasty is a cosmetic enhancement that reshapes the abdomen area to produce more appealing results for patients. La Mesa, CA plastic surgeon Scott Sessions performs abdominoplasty that is tailored to the condition of your abdomen. This popular surgery at AAAASF-accredited Sessions Plastic Surgery Centre offers individuals the opportunity to have a toned, smaller abdomen and restored confidence. Learn more below about how a tummy tuck can remove excess skin and fat while also tightening the ab muscles and then contact us for your consultation.
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Ideal Candidates
Abdominoplasty can be successful for both women and men. If you cannot lose or reduce sagging skin or unwanted fat in the stomach, this cosmetic surgery can help create a tighter and slimmer look. However, abdominoplasty is not a procedure to help you lose weight — it surgically corrects loose skin and tightens weakened or separated abdominal muscles. Dr. Sessions strongly recommends that you be at a healthy, stable weight prior to surgery. Liposuction is usually implemented during surgery to reduce fat.
If your abdomen has healthy skin tautness, but you still have stubborn abdominal fat pockets, you may be more suited for liposuction. Women considering this treatment should be past pregnancy to ensure the surgical outcomes are not affected.
Surgical Technique
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is performed with general anesthesia. Dr. Sessions uses various techniques, depending on the patient's goals. The incision shape and size is chosen based on the amount of excess skin. Some patients with extensive hanging skin may require a full tummy tuck. A full or extended tummy tuck requires an incision from hip bone to hip bone, just above the pubic region. Other patients with minimal skin looseness may be better suited for a mini tummy tuck. These individuals still benefit from skin tightening but will receive a smaller scar. Regardless of the technique used, all tummy tuck procedures at Sessions Plastic Surgery Centre involve the removal of sagging skin and stubborn fat.
What to Expect
Following this procedure, you will be monitored for an appropriate amount of time and then released to recover at home. You will need to wear a compression garment to decrease swelling. Walking upright will be difficult for the first 1 – 2 weeks, but normal movement becomes easier once the tightness subsides and the incision begins to heal. Most patients can resume everyday functions somewhere around two weeks. Exercise can resume later, closer to eight weeks or when you are cleared by Dr. Sessions. Your tummy tuck will result in a flatter, firmer abdominal contour that is more proportionate with your body type and weight. The final results may be initially obscured by swelling and your inability to stand fully upright until internal healing is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tummy tuck cost?
During your initial consultation, Dr. Sessions will develop your unique procedure plan based on your specific needs and goals before discussing costs. He will be better able to estimate your costs when the type of tummy tuck has been selected, what technique will be used, what anesthesia is needed, and more. It is always important to choose your surgeon based on experience and skill rather than on price. Sessions Plastic Surgery Centre helps to make your tummy tuck easier to afford by accepting many payment methods and helping you find low-interest financing.
What type of tummy tuck should I get?
There are three main types of tummy tucks: full, mini, and extended. In your consultation, Dr. Sessions will ask about your needs and goals before examining your stomach. Then he can better decide which tummy tuck will give you the best results. A full tummy tuck is good if you want to correct issues in the upper and lower abdomen while a mini tummy tuck is good if you only have issues below your belly button, like a "pooch." An extended tummy tuck is designed to improve the abdomen, as well as the hips and upper thighs.
What will my scars look like?
A tummy tuck requires a horizontal incision in the area between the pubic hairline and navel. Incision size is largely dependent on the amount of excess skin to be removed. Where correction is isolated to the area below the navel, a shorter incision at the pubic bone may be recommended. After your surgery, it's important to follow your scar care instructions so your stitches heal flat and blend into your natural skin as much as possible.
Can I get pregnant after a tummy tuck?
While you can get pregnant after a tummy tuck, it will alter your results. Dr. Sessions recommends that you be done with planned pregnancies and childbirth before you consider a tummy tuck. If you do get pregnant after a tummy tuck, a second surgery can be performed to refresh your results.
Can I get a tummy tuck with another surgery?
A lot of patients add another surgery with a tummy tuck to give them more dramatic improvements. During your consultation with Dr. Sessions, talk to him about your concerns so a unique treatment plan can be developed that matches your goals. You may combine a tummy tuck with a thigh lift for a lower body lift or several areas for body contouring. If you are trying to improve your body after pregnancy or losing a significant amount of weight, you may be a good candidate for a body contouring procedure.
Attain a Tighter Tummy
Many factors can lead to a stretched-out tummy that creates hanging folds of skin. We know it can be almost impossible to correct — abdominoplasty is generally the primary way to overcome this. If you are embarrassed by the hanging skin on your abdomen, no matter how minimal or severe, skin tightening surgery by Dr. Sessions in La Mesa, CA can allow you to get the look you desire. Contact us at Sessions Plastic Surgery Centre to schedule your consultation and learn more.
