Tummy tuck or Lipectomy

Abdominoplasty , also called abdominal lipectomy , is a surgical procedure whose purpose is to remove the excess skin and fat from the lower middle part of the abdomen, reinforcing the abdominal wall musculature.. Abominoplasty is recommended for people who, after dieting and exercising, do not manage to reduce the volume of their abdomen, or who, in the opposite case, have suffered a significant weight loss or a pregnancy and the skin of the abdomen has become too flaccid lax. The general appearance is usually an excessive volume of the abdomen that sometimes rests on the pubis - what is colloquially called "skirt" - and flanks that protrude and hang above the belt line. These fat deposits can also be removed with a small liposuction during the surgical procedure.

What is the abdominoplasty intervention?

For the reconstruction of the abdomen , the extraction of fat and excess skin is carried out first, and then the so-called plication of the rectus muscles is practiced. This procedure consists in tensing the muscles of the abdomen that have been distended after pregnancy or other causes. The remaining skin is then overlaid and tensed over the corrected abdomen, and a circular incision is made over the inner navel to create a "new" skin navel at the level of the "new" waist. Finally, the sutures are closed. In this way, you get a harder and firmer abdominal wall and a thinner waist .

There are several surgical techniques to practice abdominoplasty depending on the severity of each patient: sometimes a vertical incision is made from the navel to where the pubic hair begins, or also from hip to hip below the bikini line, depending on the case; and when the abdominoplasty is simpler, only the horizontal cut is made on the pelvis (mini-tummy tuck).

Abdominoplasty requires in all cases general anesthesia , and a postoperative period that begins with a bandage that the patient must wear for a week. Then, this protection is replaced by a strip that has to be worn day and night while at least three more weeks pass.

What results can be expected from the abdominoplasty intervention?

During the first week after the operation, it is usual to feel tightness and tension in the abdomen, and throughout the first months it is quite normal to also notice a certain insensibility and swelling. Little by little, and with the passage of time, a definitive result is achieved. This is not fully achieved until after one year after the operation .

As for the scar , taking into account the cut has been made on the pubis, a standard panties or a bikini not too low -or in the case of men a slip or conventional underpants- will help to hide the scar without problem. In addition to the expertise of the surgeon, the healing capacity of the patient is very important and, if the evolution is correct, the trace that remains after performing a tummy tuck will be, in most cases, a discreet line hidden under clothing that over time disappears.