Abdominoplasty is the surgical operation, which aims to remove fat and excess skin, in the middle and lower part of the abdomen and to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall.
It is an operation that is applied mainly to women, but quite often also to men after a large weight loss. Especially for women after pregnancy, the skin of the abdomen relaxes and despite exercise, diet and various local treatments, an excess remains. Also, in women with frequent fluctuations in weight, the skin of the abdomen becomes loose.
Depending on the extent of the problem and the relaxation of the skin, we can proceed with a mini or regular abdominoplasty.
This will be decided together with your doctor depending on the extent of the problem. With the Mini Tummy Tuck, a problem located from the navel down is treated, while with the regular Tummy Tuck, a greater relaxation of the entire abdomen is treated. Also, in the second case, the navel needs to be “moved” to a new position, higher on the abdominal wall, while in mini abdominoplasty this is not necessary.
In the majority of abdominoplasty cases, a “tightening” of the abdominal muscles along the midline is also done, with the result that we no longer “bloat” and the circumference of the waist is thinner.
Before the operation, a complete medical history will be taken by the doctor and the necessary tests will be performed. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and usually requires an overnight stay in hospital. The incision is similar to a caesarean section in the case of a mini tummy tuck and is extended to a longer length depending on excess skin and laxity. In any case, it is hidden by the bikini. The operation lasts 2-3 hours and upon leaving the surgery you will wear a special corset. 2 drainage bottles are placed to remove extra fluid from the wound. The patient gets out of bed the same day and the drains are removed after 24 to 72 hours depending on the supply. Drains are necessary because there is an increased production of reactive fluid as in any injury to our body. We do not want fluid to remain in the wound as it increases recovery time and patient discomfort. The sutures are absorbable and the incision is barely visible after 6 months. Abstain from work for 1-2 weeks after surgery and avoid heavy lifting for 3-4 weeks. The special belt is worn for 4 weeks and you can return to the gym after the month. There is no problem for future pregnancy.
Possible complications of abdominoplasty: As in all operations the main complications are the collection of blood in the wound after the operation and infection. In particular, in this specific operation, what we rarely encounter is difficulty in healing the wound, especially when the skin after repeated pregnancies, the great relaxation is very thin and the collection of serous fluid that can persist for some days after the operation. Both complications are easily treatable and do not affect the final result.