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Tummy Tuck(Abdominoplasty)

Now Available:
A New Body
by
Dr. Ersek and Dr. Schaeferle

Find the most extensive collection available of before and after photos. Find answers to your common cosmetic plastic surgery questions.

View Before and After Photos

Every woman wants a flat, even, firm tummy, but few succeed. Pregnancies,weight gain and weight loss take a tremendous toll on a woman's body, especially in the stomach area. Repeatedly stretched and scarred, most women's bellies are loose, oversized and out of shape. Often, the situation can't be improved much even with a strenuous exercise program. But, there is a solution.

A tummy tuck can help. It can remove the excess skin and tighten up the underlying musculature giving you a flatter, firmer, tighter stomach and thinner waist as well.

There are several popular approaches. The most common involves an incision across the lower abdomen, a little above the pubic area, and beneath the bikini line. An incision is also made around the belly button to free it from the surrounding skin. The skin is separated from the abdominal wall and lifted up above the rib cage. Next the surgeon pulls loose tissue from the left and right of the abdomen together, towards the center, and sutures it together. This tightens muscles, provides a stronger abdominal wall and makes the waist smaller.

The skin is then lowered and the excess is removed. A new opening is made for the belly button at the proper position (the old location is now much too low). The incisions are closed with sutures and a firm elastic dressing is placed over the area. After the first couple of days, the elastic dressing will be replaced with an abdominal supporter. You may have tower a light support garment for several months.

After surgery, you will have some soreness and discomfort which can be controlled with medication. You will need to remain in bed for two or three days with your hips bent to reduce the strain on your abdominal area.You will be up and around after that, but you should avoid overactivity and straining for four to six weeks. You will probably be able to return to work in two to four weeks.

By removing the sagging, excess skin and accumulated fatty tissue, you'll immediately enjoy a flatter, firmer abdomen and thinner waist. Although every effort is made to minimize scarring, the scars will be permanent but will fade over time. Within three to six months your scars will get flatter, become lighter in color and improve considerably.