TRMen and women with sagging abdominal skin that do not respond to diet and exercise, but who have smooth body contours, are candidates for this surgery. This surgery is especially beneficial for women who have given birth several times, have cracked and sagging abdominal skin, and weakened abdominal muscles. Patients who intend to lose weight should postpone this surgery. It is also beneficial for women who intend to give birth to postpone this surgery until after the birth. An abdominoplasty surgery will improve your appearance and self-confidence, however, it will not provide you with a completely ideal appearance or eliminate other problems that require treatment.
Before deciding on surgery, you should think well about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon. During this period, your surgeon will have some demands from you. Especially if you smoke, you should take a break 4 weeks before and 2 weeks after the surgery. During this period, you should not stay in the sun too long. If you are using it, stop taking vitamin E and aspirin and avoid heavy diet regimens before surgery. A cold or another infection may cause the operation to be delayed.
Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure in which excess fat and sagging skin tissue in the middle and lower abdomen are removed and the abdominal muscles are tightened by stretching, it is not a treatment for obesity. Obese people should lose as much weight as they can before this surgery. With this surgery, the appearance of the fat belly and abdomen improves dramatically; however, the scar due to the surgery is permanent. There are many techniques used by plastic surgeons for abdominoplasty. Abdominoplasty can also be performed in conjunction with body contouring (aesthetic breast surgery, liposuction, etc.) or some other surgeries (uterus, ovarian surgeries, etc.).
Complete or partial abdominoplasty (mini abdominoplasty) surgeries are performed under hospital conditions.
In your first examination, your surgeon will learn about your general health status, the amount and distribution of fat in the abdomen, the sagging and excess of the abdominal skin and the quality of the skin. During this examination; You should give accurate and detailed information to the doctor about the diseases you have had, your current health problems (diabetes, etc.), your habits (smoking, alcohol, etc.) and the drugs you use (aspirin, tranquilizers, etc.). Another issue you should tell your doctor during this examination is why you want this surgery and what you expect from this surgery. Do not hesitate to openly discuss this issue. As a result of your expectations and examination findings, you may be a suitable patient for full or partial abdominoplaty alone or with liposuction, or liposuction alone is sufficient for you. During this examination, the type of anesthesia, how many days you will stay in the hospital and possible problems you may encounter after the surgery should be discussed.
Most of the surgeons in our country prefer general anesthesia for this operation. Others use local anesthesia along with painkillers and sedatives.
Full abdominoplasty may take 2-5 hours, partial abdominoplasty 1-2 hours depending on the extent of the surgery. An incision line that extends from one hip to the opposite hip but can be hidden in a swimsuit and a second round incision around the navel is often required. In partial abdominoplasty, the incision line is shorter and the navel area may not be changed. During the surgery, the skin of the abdomen is released from the muscles below it from the groin to the level of the ribs. If there is a weakness or hernia in the abdominal muscles, this place is reinforced, the excess skin is cut and removed from the body. These procedures performed in mini-abdominoplasty are more limited. After the operation, the wound is closed with either metal clamps or a single or hidden (intradermic) suture and covered with dressings. One or two tubes called drains can be placed under the skin to absorb the excess fluid that will be collected in the area.
In the first few days, there may be swelling in the abdomen and pain that can be controlled with painkillers. Drains are removed after 1-3 days on average, and stitches after 1-3 weeks. On average, you need to stay in the hospital for 1-3 days. It may take a few months for you to feel the same as before. You can return to work after 2-4 weeks. The scar may seem to worsen in the first 3-6 months, but this is normal, it may take 9 months to 1 year for the scars to flatten and fade. Although it does not completely disappear, the scar can be easily hidden even under this bikini line. Partial or full abdominoplasty procedures create excellent results for patients with abdominal muscle weakness or serial sagging. In most patients, excellent results can be maintained for years with regular exercise and diet.
What Are Alternative Treatments?
Vacuum-assisted liposuction can be considered as an alternative in normal-weight individuals if there is good quality tight skin and limited fat accumulation and the abdominal wall is intact. Diet and exercise programs can also be effective in reducing total body fat, but they are not effective on skin sagging. Unexpected but possible post-operative events, called risks and possible complications, also carry the risks of surgery in alternative treatments.
What Are the Risks of Abdominoplasty?
Hundreds of abdominoplasty surgeries are performed each year. If this surgery is performed by a plastic surgeon who is also specialized in body contouring, the result is usually satisfactory. Every surgical procedure has a certain amount of risk and it is important that you understand what is involved in abdominoplasty. Comparing the risks and benefits of surgery is essential in accepting the surgical procedure. Even if many women or men do not experience the following complications, discuss it with your plastic surgeon until you are sure you understand the risks, possible complications, and consequences. Complications such as infection and bleeding are rare in this surgery, which is performed by a plastic surgeon under good preoperative examination and evaluation and appropriate hospital conditions. The infection is treated with antibiotics and draining the abscess if it has formed, but it may prolong the hospital stay. Delayed or poor wound healing may occur and result in scarring. In these conditions, a second surgery may be required. Skin loss and complications in wound healing are more common in smokers.
HOW WE ARE PROGRESSING
Preliminary interview
After the preliminary meeting, we arrange an appointment for the procedure you want.
Examination
During your appointment, we inform you in detail and determine the time for the procedure.
Performing the Operation
Completion of the operation and post-operative check-ups