Abdominoplasty, commonly called as tummy tuck, is a procedure to remove the excess fat from abdomen and in addition to improving the profile of the body, tightens the weakened abdominal muscles.

Indications for abdominoplasty

1. Truncal obesity- people who have an extremely high fat deposit around the abdominal area not responding to exercise or changes in diet. The fat around the abdomen is the most challenging for any person attempting to lose weight.
2. Sagging skin- persons who have lost weight after starting an exercise regimen and controlled diet often end up having sagging skin over the abdominal area. The fat tissue beneath the skin has depleted, but the skin has lost its tone. This sagging skin can be removed by this procedure.
3. Weak abdominal muscles- after pregnancy and delivery or due to aging process or after some surgical procedure, if the abdominal muscles have stretched and got weakened, they can be tightened by this procedure.
4. Bulging abdomen which is hereditary- in some people, though weight is within the normal limits, there is a tendency of fat deposition around the abdomen. This can be rectified by this procedure.

Procedure

After the cleaning and draping of the abdomen, a horizontal incision is made from hip to hip just above the pubic area and in cases of total abdominoplasty another incision is made across the navel. The skin of the area is lifted up and the excess fat is removed. The weakened muscles are tightened with the help of sutures. Once the fat is removed, excess skin from the area is also removed. The skin is stretched over the surgical wound to the point of incision and the incision is closed with the help of sutures.

As it is also a cosmetic procedure, the incision is so closed that there is no scar formation once the healing takes place.

For easy understanding here is a video which explains the process neatly using graphics and animation.

[youtube:http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=q0zbsh5JN7I]

Preparation for abdominoplasty

The preparation would be same as any other surgeries. The surgeon would evaluate you pre operatively and would tell you about the preparations required.

Recovery

Usually, the surgery is done on out patient basis, meaning you would be able to go home on the same day of the surgery. In certain cases where this procedure is done along with some other procedure, it may require hospitalization.

Complications

All surgeries carry a risk of complications. Certain complications that might occur are

1. excessive bleeding
2. complications of anesthesia
3. Infection.

Precautions in the immediate post operative period

There are certain precautions to be followed in the immediate post operative period.

1. You should not strain and stretch extensively.
2. You should not lift weights
3. You should not lie on your abdomen to sleep.
4. You might be required to wear an abdominal support for some weeks.

Results of abdominoplasty

The procedure has given good results till now. The results of abdominoplasty usually last for many years, if a good life style is maintained. Proper diet control and exercise is very essential for weight management. If there is fluctuation in the weight, there are chances that the fat deposit would show again. Even at a later age, when the abdomen gets sagging again, you may choose to undergo the procedure again.

Resuming daily activities

Depending on your condition, as per the directions of the surgeon, you may be able to resume the activities of your daily living very early after surgery. The recovery time in different people is different. In general, you might be able to get back to work in a few days. Moderate exercise can be started after a month, though the muscle strengthening exercises are not allowed for at least six months.

The surgery may be done for cosmetic reasons, but this cannot be done as a weight loss technique. Many people consider this a shortcut to losing the excess weight, but it is not to be done as that.

Permanent weight loss is possible only with life style changes including incorporating exercise regimen and proper diet patterns. Understand that losing weight is not for two days, but a life style change for all your life.

Also, tummy tuck is not a option to remove stretch marks, though with the removal of excess skin over the abdomen, they might improve.

Consult a plastic surgeon to assess whether you are a good candidate for the procedure and then only move forward.