What is Tummy Tuck?

Tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is the correction of stubborn fat tissues and sagging skin in the abdomen that exist despite diet and exercise with plastic surgery. In tummy tuck operation, which is one of the most preferred body aesthetic operations by women, excess fat and sagging skin in the abdominal region are removed and the weakened connective tissue and muscles are tightened and restructured to make the abdominal region more aesthetic. These surgeries can be performed locally or partially.

Abdominoplasty, which is frequently preferred by people who complain of excessive fat in the belly area, sagging abdominal skin or weak abdominal wall, is definitely not a weight loss method. With tummy tuck aesthetics, it is aimed to remove the fat in the abdominal region, to correct the cracks in the part under the belly button and to remove the sagging that occurs here.

Preparations Before Tummy Tuck

It is important that you first consult with your doctor about this operation, which can be preferred by both women and men, and before you decide on the operation, it is important to get information about which tummy tuck surgery is suitable, whether you meet the necessary conditions, and the healing process and risk. The pre-operative process starts with the patient's request for the operation to the physician.

The most principal issues that we face in the next process are:

Surgeon selection

Since tummy tuck surgery is a meticulous procedure, experienced surgeons should perform it to obtain a successful result and to prevent unnecessary correction operations. You can also get information about the technique to be used by interviewing your doctor before the operation.

Things to consider

In this process, there are some rules recommended by your doctor, which you must follow and obey. These are:

Do not consume anything, including water, the night before the surgery.
If you smoke, you should stop or reduce smoking a while before the surgery by consulting your doctor.
Pay attention to a healthy diet and not to consume alcohol in the last week before the operation.
Inform your physician of the medicines, herbs and supplements you have been using recently. For example, some drugs (such as aspirin) may cause post-operative bleeding. For this reason, you should strictly follow your doctor's recommendations.
You should not do heavy exercises the day before the tummy tuck.
Wearing wide and comfortable clothes and shoes on the day of the tummy tuck, will make the post-operative process more comfortable.

Extra precautions

You may need to be accompanied by a relative or friend who will stay with you for the first 24 hours after the surgery and drive for you.

You may need to minimize your responsibilities at home and at work. For this, you can prepare a meal in advance, complete your heavy work (e.g., cleaning chores) a few days in advance, or ask someone close to you to help for a brief time.

You can make a small list in advance of what you may need extra on the day of surgery. Entering the surgery by providing all of them will facilitate the post-operative process.

How Long Does Tummy Tuck Take?

Abdominoplasty takes an average of 1 to 3 hours under general anesthesia, depending on the procedure to be performed. Usually, the patient is discharged after surgery or the patient can be accommodated overnight.

After Tummy Tuck

Recovery time after tummy tuck surgery varies depending on the person and the type of surgery. The recovery time of the patients after the operation varies according to the technique applied by the surgeon (which method is preferred without partial or complete tummy tuck) and how qualified your surgeon is. The average recovery time of the patient in tummy tuck surgeries can vary from two weeks to two months.

Here are some recommendations for patients who want to recover in a brief time and continue their daily lives:

What to Do After the Surgery

Listen carefully to the advice your doctor will give you. Instructions about your recovery process are explained in detail by your doctor. Your doctor will tell you what is inconvenient for you to do for a few weeks after the surgery, depending on your age, health status and physical characteristics.
The patient should avoid strenuous activities for a certain period and should not carry heavy loads or items that may harm your abdomen.
It may be recommended that the patient use a corset (abdominal binder) for a while after the surgery.
Thanks to this corset, both the abdominal muscles will heal faster and the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen will be prevented.
Swelling may be seen in the area after the surgical procedure. You can reduce the pain that may occur by using painkillers.
Paying attention to the patient's weight status after abdominoplasty will ensure that the results are longer lasting. For this, a balanced diet should be applied, and regular exercise should be done.

Tummy Tuck Results

After tummy tuck surgery, you will have the abdomen that make you happy, increase your self-confidence and have the belly you dream of.

In Which Situations Can Tummy Tuck Be Done?

Abdominoplasty is performed in cases where there is loss of elasticity in the skin in the abdomen and excessive lubrication due to certain reasons in this region. These reasons:

Deformations due to aging,
Excessive weight loss or weight gain,
Genetic factors (body type, metabolism, etc.),
Post-pregnancy period,
The effects of past surgeries.

Who Can Be Performed Tummy Tuck?

Abdominal stretching is one of the most performed surgical operations in the world, especially for the reasons mentioned above.

Abdominoplasty, which is performed for body shaping and correction of body contours, can be applied to people over the age of eighteen who are suitable for surgery, have realistic expectations, and want to improve their physical appearance.

Who Cannot Have Tummy Tuck?

For patients who are considering and wanting to have a child, tummy tuck aesthetics should be postponed until after the birth. This is because the vertical muscles in the abdomen are stretched during abdominoplasty and these muscles can separate during pregnancy.

At the same time
Those with chronic and serious diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes,
Smokers,
Those who have had other abdominal surgeries before.

Abdominoplasty is not recommended for patients with these conditions.

In addition, it is recommended that patients with a body mass index (BMI) of thirty and above first reduce to the ideal weight with diet and then choose a tummy tuck operation.

Is There an Age Limit for Tummy Tuck?

Tummy tuck is not considered appropriate for patients younger than 18 years of age due to the ongoing developmental period.

Is There Any Trace Left in Tummy Tuck?

As in any plastic surgery, scars remain in tummy tuck surgery. However, these traces fade over time and are planned to be invisible in underwear.

What are the Differences Between Tummy Tuck Methods?

Tummy tuck operations are divided into partial and complete abdominoplasty.

Partial or mini tummy tuck surgery is a less invasive operation than a complete tummy tuck. This method is more suitable for patients who have partial fat only under the navel, that is, in the lower part of the abdomen. During this procedure, there is usually no change in the location of the belly button. This operation has a faster recovery process and can be operated with a smaller incision.

In complete tummy tuck operations, all parts of the abdomen are treated. In this process, skin, tissue and muscles are shaped to obtain a tauter abdominal area. Since the excess skin tissue will be removed, the location of the belly button is changed and reattached to a position where it will look more natural. Unlike the mini tummy tuck operation, the incision scar will be larger. Although the incision marks in the bikini area are permanent, they will fade over time and take the appearance of a pink line. This operation can take between two hours and five hours. Abdominoplasty operations are performed under general anesthesia.

If you also want to have tummy tuck aesthetics or get information about the abdominoplasty process, you can consult your doctor and get an opinion from your doctor about the surgery by passing the examination.