Abdominoplasty has become a preoccupation for both men and women, as it has witnessed a tremendous development in the recent period. It gave the desired results in a short time. Since most men and women from the countries of the East suffer from an increase in the size of the abdomen and its sagging and its appearance in a bad appearance, which spoils the appearance and negatively affects the general appearance, Therefore, many resort to tummy tuck surgery to get rid of these problems and get a flat and tight abdomen. The taut abdomen gives an attractive, streamlined and beautiful shape.
When thinking about resorting to a tummy tuck, several questions come to mind about the operation and whether it will suit my body. What are the steps of the process? What will happen after the operation… To the last of these questions, which we will answer in the following lines.
What is a mini tummy tuck?
Mini tummy tuck operations are called the term Tummy Tuck , and they are mini tummy tucks. Through this process, it is possible to get rid of the excess skin – which increases with pregnancy and childbirth, as the skin is stretched, Or it may happen after diet operations where the body has lost a large amount of fat and sagging skin occurs that does not respond to exercise in most cases.
Some people may also have a hernia in the navel or in the abdominal area, or a hernia that passes through an incision in the abdominal area. The only treatment for these cases is tummy tuck operations, where the muscle mass in the abdominal area is tightened from the bottom of the breasts to the pubic area to remove excess skin and fat in the middle and lower abdomen.
Are tummy tucks suitable as a treatment for local obesity?
Many believe that tummy tuck operations are synonymous with liposuction, or that it is a treatment for local obesity in the abdomen. But this belief is, of course, wrong, because this process only treats excess or saggy skin after a large amount of weight loss, where the skin is greatly sagging and loses its elasticity and it becomes necessary to perform this operation.
When do some people resort to a tummy tuck?
Some people resort to such operations after directing the doctor, of course, to the need to perform this operation to treat the obvious sagging skin in some necessary cases, namely:
After extreme weight loss:
Some people may be obese and after doing a harsh diet to lose a large amount of weight, we find that the skin has lost its elasticity and does not return to its normal position again, and here it is necessary to tighten the loose skin and improve its appearance to return to the normal shape again.
Abdominal hernia
Some people with abdominal hernias or umbilical hernias resort to such operations to treat loose and excess skin .
Repeated pregnancy and childbirth:
With repeated pregnancy and childbirth, the abdominal skin may expand significantly, Large skin tags are formed that remain after birth and do not disappear, which requires the patient to perform a tummy tuck operation to tighten these skin tags, In addition, weakness may occur in the abdominal wall, which requires tightening and strengthening the muscles.
What is the appropriate time to undergo tummy tuck operations?
- If the reason for the operation is sagging skin after dieting and losing weight – you must first make sure of the stability of the weight and the stability of the weight permanently and the completion of the diet until we obtain highly guaranteed results.
- In cases of repeated pregnancy and childbirth, the operation should be performed after the organization of the reproductive process has ended, and there should be no intention to have children again so that the outcome of the operation continues for a long period.
- Smokers must stop smoking for a period of no less than two weeks before the operation to avoid complications after the operation, such as skin necrosis.
What are the types of tummy tuck operations?
Abdominoplasty is divided into two types:
- Full tummy tuck: In this type, excess fat and skin are removed from the lower abdomen, in addition to tightening the sagging abdominal muscles along the entire length of the abdomen.
- Simple tummy tuck: In this type, the excess skin is removed in the lower abdomen, especially the area below the navel. In most cases, the abdominal muscles in these people are strong and suffer only from the excess skin only, where the excess skin is removed through a small opening in the lower abdomen and tightening the skin.
What are the stages of tummy tuck operation?
This type of operation must be carried out in a medical center or hospital that is well-equipped and has intensive care.
Operation duration: The duration of the operation usually ranges from two to four hours
After the operation : You must stay in the hospital after the completion of the operation for a period of not less than three days during which the patient is under the supervision of the doctor.
Process steps:
- At first, the doctor determines the shape of the abdomen to know the location of the tummy tuck operation, and the patient may need to perform liposuction as well, so the doctor determines the areas where he will perform liposuction.
- The place of the operation is well sterilized, and before that, of course, the patient is subjected to general anesthesia.
- The doctor makes a horizontal incision in the lower abdominal wall. It is very similar to caesarean section, but is relatively longer.
- Then the doctor suctions the fat from the places where the liposuction is to be performed. Where the opening begins from the beginning of the pelvic bone on the right side until the beginning of the pelvic bone on the left side, This is the opening or incision of the skin and fat together. Then the navel is separated from the skin so that the doctor can pull the skin from the area above the navel.
- After that, the doctor separates the skin and fat from the front abdominal muscles and adjacent to the abdominal wall.
- If there is any umbilical hernia, the doctor will remove it and then bring the anterior longitudinal muscles of the abdomen closer through some fixed stitches, This is then done in two layers to strengthen the abdominal wall muscles.
- The excess skin is then stretched. And remove it – then the surgeon makes an incision in the skin until the navel is removed from it to install it in a new place in the skin, provided that it is in the same place before the operation.
- After the previous stage, the doctor begins to close all the wounds with surgical sutures, and some surgeons may replace the sutures with surgical staples, During the process of closing the wounds, a drainage catheter or a drainage tube or what is called a tube is placed to help drain the remaining fluids or drain any blood pools that may exist in the abdomen during liposuction or tummy tuck, As the presence of these fluids or gatherings may cause a problem later, This tubercle remains for a period after the operation (about a week) or until all fluids in the abdomen are gone.
- After closing all wounds, they are covered with sterile medical dressing until the wound has healed well.
- After the operation is completely completed, the patient wears a corset or the so-called (medical corset), where it is worn for a period ranging between two months or more to prevent any accumulation of fluids under the skin and until the skin is given the desired shape.
Recovery period – what happens after the operation:
After the patient has recovered, he must relax and rest for at least 10 days. After this period, the normal life is gradually resumed, provided that one refrain from engaging in any violent activity, violent exercise, or doing any strenuous physical activity for a period of no less than two or three months after the operation.
The patient can exercise walking after two weeks of the operation.
When will the results of the tummy tuck procedure appear? .
The final results of a tummy tuck may not appear immediately after the operation, but may appear within a period of one or two weeks. When able to stand upright.
The tummy tuck operation may take about one to five hours, and on the first day the patient needs a companion to help him move.
• When the patient goes home, he must filter the secretions on a daily basis for a whole week.
• Continuous wearing of the compression belt.
• The patient needs complete rest for two weeks, And walk inside the room to avoid clots.
• The patient refrains from carrying heavy objects for eight weeks and can return to normal life after two weeks at most.
The patient may suffer from some swelling and bruising that will gradually disappear.
The patient cannot engage in sports and swimming until two months have passed since the operation and by order of the attending physician.
• Lie on the back and raise the legs up to help the venous return from the skin incisions and from the legs and avoid any swelling
• And stay away from foods that cause gas and bloating
• And drink plenty of fluids
• Staying away from processed foods and trying to control weight with exercise and calories entering the body
When is it possible to get pregnant after the procedure??
A year after the operation, you can become pregnant, but you must follow up with the gynecologist.
Will the flabbiness return if you gain weight again??
This will not happen in the areas where the tightening was done, but maybe in other areas.
Cases in which the doctor refuses to perform a tummy tuck.??
There are no specific cases in which a tummy tuck procedure is prohibited. Unless the patient suffers from health problems such as high blood sugar and pressure, as well as blood flow, with the possibility of performing the operation if these problems are controlled, taking into account the strict care of the patient.
Dr. رامي العناني , a consultant plastic surgeon and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, confirmed that many women around the world suffer from sagging skin in the abdominal area with weak muscles in the same area, as a result of repeated pregnancy and childbirth. Especially mothers who give birth by caesarean section, And this inflation in the abdominal area is more frequent and therefore it was necessary to find a solution to fix these defects.
Al-Anani explained that the method that has been developed globally for this treatment is called (Tami Tack), which is done by tightening all flabby skin and breaking up fat and sides, in addition to strengthening the abdominal muscles so that the woman goes back to her previous time to get an ideal position for the abdomen. The process takes from two to three hours and a period of time. A recovery that does not exceed a week with wearing a compressor to maintain the shape, I hope for a month after the operation. After this procedure, it is treated as if it had not undergone any operation. One of its advantages is that the patient feels better immediately after the operation and continues to improve within 3 months after that, and the scars are almost negligible.