When excess abdominal skin and small pockets of unwanted fat plague you, a tummy tuck could be your best opportunity for a solution. Below, we’ll outline both how a tummy tuck can provide amazing benefits and how the surgery is limited.
But first, what is a tummy tuck?
What Is a Tummy Tuck?
According to San Francisco Bay Area plastic surgeon Dr. David A. Sieber, “A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty will restore your youthful figure, lifting and trimming the excess skin and muscle in your abdomen to transform your body into something you’ve always desired.”
Essentially, the procedure first involves being put under with general anesthesia. From there, the main incision will be made between the belly button and the pubic hairline. In some cases, an additional incision will be necessary. The muscles will then be tightened, and the extra skin will be trimmed off before the incisions are closed.
What a Tummy Tuck Can and Can’t Do
If you are considering a tummy tuck, it’s important to understand what to expect from your procedure. Below, we’ve outlined a list of things that a tummy tuck both can and can’t do.
A tummy tuck can get rid of sagging, excess skin.
The primary thing that a tummy tuck does is remove sagging, excess skin. Anyone can experience excess skin on their abdomen or elsewhere on their body, but certainly, excess skin on your stomach is particularly annoying. It can get in the way when you are exercising, being intimate with your partner, and just generally on a daily basis.
Your tummy tuck will rectify all of these issues by getting rid of the extra skin and creating a firmer, smoother profile.
A tummy tuck can’t get rid of all stretch marks.
Some patients will approach their surgeon asking about stretch marks. While no one likes stretch marks, the sad news is that tummy tucks don't all automatically make them disappear. In some cases, a tummy tuck may certainly be able to remove certain stretch marks, but more often than not, it’s just a few.
A tummy tuck can make your abdomen flatter and smoother.
Naturally, this is one of the big draws of a tummy tuck. Nearly everyone wants a flatter, smoother stomach, and for many, the tummy tuck is the best solution available.
A tummy tuck can help you achieve a flatter stomach in several different ways. First and foremost, any excess skin will be removed, and this will go a long way towards making your abdomen smoother and more attractive. Next, the underlying muscles will be repaired. These are often damaged due to extreme weight gain and/or pregnancy. And finally, excess fat can be removed via liposuction as well.
A tummy tuck can’t be performed without scars.
Unfortunately, incisions are a part of the tummy tuck procedure. You can't undergo a tummy tuck without incisions. Inevitably, where there are incisions, there are scars. Therefore, anyone who undergoes a tummy tuck is going to come out on the other side with a few scars.
The good news is that you can mitigate the appearance of your tummy tuck scars by working with Dr. Sieber or a similar plastic surgeon to hide them as much as possible. All incisions will be placed in discreet locations, and you will also be given instructions on how to properly care for them. This is something big that you’ll want to pay close attention to as properly-cared-for scars tend to be all you need.
A tummy tuck can help fix diastasis recti.
If you’re a mother, you’ve undoubtedly heard the term diastasis recti before. What it means is the “separation of the muscles.” Pregnancy is likely the biggest culprit when it comes to diastasis recti because the stomach muscles expand so much to accommodate the baby. During a tummy tuck, your surgeon can fix separated muscles.
A tummy tuck can’t help you lose a significant amount of weight.
While a tummy tuck will certainly help your abs look smoother, tighter, and tauter, it will not help you actually lose weight. If weight loss is something you want to achieve, you’ll need to do this before starting to think about surgery. Most of the best candidates for tummy tuck surgery are just five to 10 pounds away from their goal weight.
A tummy tuck can boost your self-confidence.
Many individuals who have undergone significant weight loss find that a tummy tuck is exactly what they need to reinvent themselves completely. The reason is that significant weight gain can often lead to the skin being stretched beyond its normal amount of elasticity.
Even after an individual has dieted, exercised, and/or undergone weight-loss surgery, there is no way to get the skin taut again without surgery. This leaves many individuals feeling down about their appearance.
Fortunately, a tummy tuck is the perfect way to boost your self-confidence again. If you are a mother who’s done having children or someone who’s recently lost a lot of weight, you deserve to look and feel your best. A tummy tuck can help get you there.
A tummy tuck can’t stop you from ever gaining weight in your abdomen again.
Tummy tucks are primarily concerned with removing excess skin and fixing separated abdominal muscles. On the other hand, many plastic surgeons will also perform liposuction alongside a tummy tuck. This means that if you have a bit of excess fat in your abdomen, you can have it removed via liposuction during the same surgery as your tummy tuck.
The result will be a firmer, smoother abdomen. Unfortunately, for some patients, this firmer, smoother, abdomen doesn't last. If you don’t focus on your diet and exercise regimen, it can be all too easy to gain some of the fat you lost back. In this way, a tummy tuck is not always a guarantee.
Tummy tucks are frequently performed as part of a Mommy Makeover procedure or a post-weight loss transformation. No matter your reason for getting a tummy tuck, you can rest assured that it will be a transformative procedure.
The vast majority of individuals who undergo tummy tucks are entirely happy with the choice they made. If you are interested in learning more about this procedure and what it can do for you, book a consultation appointment with a reputable and experienced plastic surgeon today.
