Tummy tuck: correction methods



Fat people jokingly say that there must be a lot of good people. But in fact, its own big belly does not please its owners, whether it is a man or a woman. Sedentary lifestyle, fast foods contribute to the deposition of fat in this part of the body. In women, the formation of an excess tummy can cause pregnancy. As a result of a dramatic weight loss, the skin does not always shrink to its former position, but hangs down, forming the so-called apron.

In order to get in shape and become slim again, a person just needs to change his diet, lifestyle (bad habits, inadequate rest), play sports or just do a set of exercises every day. But with serious disorders (weakened muscle tone, sagging skin, and so on), it will not be possible to achieve significant results in reducing the abdomen. In this case, abdominoplasty comes to the rescue - the most reliable and effective technique for correcting this aesthetic defect.

• After childbirth
• Complications
• After operation
• Reviews

Plastic surgeons have a variety of tools and techniques of tummy tuck, each of which is most effective in a particular case. The choice of correction method is determined by the defect of the abdominal wall and the degree of its severity. For one person, a hardware procedure is sufficient, and for another, a complete surgical operation is needed.

Types of surgical correction of the abdomen:

1. Miniabdominoplasty . The operation is shown to persons who need a lower abdomen tightening. Sagging of the skin below the navel is eliminated by a horizontal incision along the bikini line (pubic area). In this case, the navel and the skin above it are not affected.
2. Endoscopic abdominoplasty . The correction of the contours of the abdomen is carried out using an endoscope and surgical instruments placed in small incisions in the region of the pubis and navel. This method of operation is considered to be less traumatic, since the blood vessels and nerves are damaged in a minimal amount. The operation leaves no significant scars, but this procedure is performed only for those who do not need to remove excess skin.
3. Abdominoplasty with the movement of the navel . In this operation, the excess skin on the lower part is removed through an incision in the pubic area, and the excess upper - through an incision in the navel. Navel moves to a new place. This tummy tuck is considered universal and is performed most often. The majority of patients are women who have received significant defects after childbirth : diastasis of the rectus abdominis, postoperative scars, skin stretch marks, and so on.
4. Medium abdominoplasty . The method is to correct the lower abdomen, but with the movement of the navel. The skin of the upper abdomen is not affected, therefore this technique is considered to be median between mini-abdominoplasty and abdominal correction with the movement of the navel.
5. Reversible abdominoplasty . It is performed, if necessary, correction only the upper abdomen. Most often carried out simultaneously with the plastic of the breast, as the incision for tightening muscles and removing excess skin is made in the skin folds under the breast.
6. Apronectomy . When removing excess skin and fatty deposits on the abdomen, an additional vertical incision is made. It is a type of mini abdominoplasty.
7. Abdominotorsorphia . This is an extended plastic of the abdomen, which also includes the hips and back. In this case, the surgeon cuts tissue for correction in the pubic area and on the side walls of the abdomen. Patients of this method are individuals who have weakened muscle tone of the entire body and skin sags around. This condition usually occurs after a significant weight loss.
8. Bodylifting . The skin is tightened around the entire circumference of the body: belly, back, thighs. The peculiarity of the procedure is that the patient additionally does a lifting of the buttocks, liposuction of the pubis, sides and abdomen, corset plastics of the muscles. This is a complex operation that lasts at least 5 hours. It significantly changes the shape of the patient's body, forming a thin waist and flat tummy.

Simultaneously with the tummy tuck, and in some cases a separate operation, the following defects are eliminated:

1. Diastasis of rectus or plastic hernia of the white line of the abdomen. The edges of the muscles often diverge during pregnancy. If in the first months after giving birth they did not regain their former position, then no physical culture can bring them back. In the case where the removal of excess skin is not indicated, endoscopic surgery is performed to eliminate the defect. The edges of the muscles are sutured with non-absorbable sutures, or an artificial prosthesis is placed between them, in which no tension of their own tissues occurs.
2. Umbilical hernia . Eliminated by suturing or imposing a synthetic prosthesis. The operation is performed by small punctures in the navel.
3. Vertical hernia . The defect occurs as a result of previous operations. Eliminated only by surgery. With a small hernia, the operation is performed under local anesthesia, and the tissues are stitched together. If the defect is strongly pronounced, then the operation is done under general anesthesia, using synthetic prostheses.
4. Inguinal hernia . The most common defect. In men, it is more common than in women. Plastic inguinal hernia is carried out similarly to previous defects. The incision area is the pubic region.

Surgical abdominal plastic surgery can be combined with other procedures that eliminate fatty deposits and tighten the skin. The result is a slim and taut tummy.



• Edge removal
• Chest Curvature
• Vertebroplasty
• Lipoplasty
• Underwater spine traction
• Lipolytic
• Navel plastics
• RF lifting
• RF body lifting
• Miniabdominoplasty
• Laser lipolysis

Alternative methods of tummy tuck:

1. Liposuction There are different variations of this procedure: ultrasound, tumescent, laser, vibration. The essence of the operation is the destruction of fat cells and their subsequent removal from the body with the help of medical vacuum equipment (electric suction). Instruments are inserted under the skin through small incisions.
2. Laser correction of stretch marks . The defect occurs as a result of significant stretching of the skin during pregnancy, obesity, during puberty, etc. The operation is performed under local anesthesia. With laser polishing, the beam acts on the upper layers of the dermis. When this happens, the removal of damaged areas. Fractional thermolysis affects the skin more deeply, causing microdamages, which promotes the active regeneration of cells, which, as a result, restore skin areas without defects.
3. Tredlefacing with mazonites . A great option for lifting not only the face, but also the abdomen. Usually done on the upper area where the skin after childbirth can become flabby. Mesothreads are introduced under the dermis, creating a kind of skeleton that holds fabrics in tone. This activates the production of its own collagen. The skin rejuvenates and becomes elastic.

Tummy tuck: indications for surgery

Sagging belly occurs for various reasons. In men, this is due to obesity, in women, not only with excess weight, but also a weakening of muscle and skin tone after pregnancy. Depending on the severity of the defect, a tummy tuck can be done on your own or only with the help of an operation.

Separate discussion deserves the theme of obesity. It occurs as a result of metabolic disorders, which is a consequence of serious pathologies of the functioning of the body. This disease must be treated on a mandatory basis, since any manipulations to reduce the abdomen are meaningless. Even after a difficult operation, adipose tissue will be delayed again, and the skin will sag, negating all the efforts of the surgeon.

What a perfect tummy looks like:

• The anterior abdominal wall is soft but elastic, has a slight depression above the navel and is slightly convex below.
• The lateral surface is dense, the waist is well outlined by a bend.
• The edges of the rectus muscles have a small groove (recess).

If there are any deviations from the described anatomical features of the appearance of the abdomen, then you need to take a set of measures to return it to a healthy state. The most common cause of lack of aesthetics of this part of the body is reduced muscle and skin tone.

To tighten the abdomen naturally you need to follow a number of simple rules:

• Eat right . In the diet should be protein and a sufficient amount of fat. These substances affect cell renewal, elastin and collagen production. It is necessary to strictly control the consumption of food, not to overeat, to abandon fast foods and other harmful products.
• Do exercises, exercise, yoga . In order to tone the muscles and replace the fat layer with them, sufficient physical activity is necessary. This is easily achieved with daily exercises.
• Perform procedures aimed at the flow of blood to the stomach . The activities performed for this purpose at home include massage, tightening masks and creams, a contrast shower, wraps, scrubs.

It is possible to tighten the saggy tummy at home if changes in the abdominal wall are not critical. These recommendations must be followed in the period of active weight loss, so you can avoid sagging skin. If a large abdomen is a consequence of ptosis, diastasis of rectus abdominis muscles, obesity, and so on, then more radical measures are required, since exercise and proper nutrition are useless in this case.

Indications for abdominal lift surgery:

• Excess fat in the abdomen, not amenable to correction diets, exercises or non-surgical methods of correction.
• Abdominal wall prolapse (ptosis).
• Contraindications to liposuction due to the low level of collagen-elastic properties of the skin (the skin does not restore elasticity in a natural way).
• Diastasis of rectus abdominis or general muscle strain.
• Drooping of the skin due to a sharp weight loss or after childbirth, stretch marks on the skin as a result of rapid weight gain or during pregnancy.
• Rough postoperative scars, greatly reducing the aesthetic data of the abdomen.

In ptosis, the thickness of the fat layer is of great importance. If it is more than 5 centimeters, then between the subcutaneous tissue and the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall may form a fluid, which is called gray. This situation worsens the aesthetic effect of abdominoplasty, so the patient is first prescribed liposuction, and after a while an operation is performed to tighten the abdomen.

A significant stretch of the abdominal wall corresponds to the following degrees of skin ptosis:

1. Moderate stretching of the dermis of the lower abdomen, no skin fold.
2. A skin-fat fold is formed in the lower abdomen.
3. A fold of leather looks like an apron, a width of no more than 10 centimeters.
4. Skin "apron", a width of 11 centimeters and more hangs not only in front, but also on the side areas of the abdomen.

Straight muscle diastasis after childbirth can be reversible. But if this did not happen in the first months, then the muscles do not return to their former position. In this case, we can already talk about the severity of the defect. The gap between the muscles varies from 2 to 20 centimeters or more. If the discrepancy is small, then the surgeon simply stitches the muscles. In case of a pronounced defect, synthetic prostheses are used.

Abdominal plastic surgery of the abdomen: preparation, course of the operation and rehabilitation

Before agreeing to an operation to reduce the abdomen, you should carefully weigh everything and consider more benign options. If other methods do not help and you can get the desired changes only with the help of abdominoplasty, then you need to come to terms with the idea that scars will remain after the operation.

In addition, such surgery is dangerous complications and has a long and painful recovery period. To avoid serious health problems, a thorough examination of the patient is carried out to exclude diseases in which the operation is contraindicated.

Examination before performing abdominal tummy tuck:

• plastic surgeon consultation;
• consultation of an anesthesiologist;
• examination by a therapist;
• dental examination;
• other doctors in the direction;
• electrocardiographic examination;
• passage of fluorography;
• Analysis of urine;
• general blood analysis;
• blood chemistry;
• blood sampling to exclude hepatitis, HIV infection, syphilis.

Contraindications to abdominoplasty:

• diabetes;
• cardiopulmonary insufficiency;
• bleeding disorders;
• endocrine-related obesity;
• pregnancy planning for a year;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• varicose veins in the legs;
• oncology;
• mental disorders;
• allergy to anesthetics.

During the consultation, the plastic surgeon determines which operation the patient needs: complete abdominoplasty, mini abdominoplasty, or another type of correction. To do this, he conducts instrumental studies, makes calculations, identifies relevant pathologies, for example, a hernia. After a full examination and exclusion of contraindications, he gives the patient recommendations on preparing for surgery and actions during the rehabilitation period .

Preparation for surgery

The patient must be specially prepared for the surgical lifting of the abdomen. Usually, preparation for an operation starts in a month or even more.

What should the patient do to help the body survive the operation easier and avoid complications:

• refuse drugs that thin the blood;
• eliminate overeating, eat as directed by the doctor;
• include in the diet of foods containing large amounts of vitamins and minerals;
• daily exercise or give the body another physical activity;
• stop smoking;
• fully rest, sleep at least 8 hours.

Abdominal plastic surgery of the abdomen is performed in a hospital under general anesthesia with artificial ventilation of the lungs. The duration of the operation is from 2 to 5 hours. This indicator depends on the type of operation and the volume of the operated area.

Course of operation

The surgeon makes a markup on the patient's abdomen. It marks the incision points and areas of the skin to be removed. If miniabdominoplasty is performed, the doctor performs all the manipulations on the lower abdomen. When you move the navel to a new location, the surgeon makes the markup on the top.

For example, consider how full abdominoplasty is performed.

• After the anesthesia has acted, the surgeon cuts through the skin and subcutaneous tissue in the bikini area, gently holds the flaking of the skin-fat flap up to the xiphoid process and costal arches. When the tissue is moved to the desired position, the doctor carefully cuts the navel.
• Next, the surgeon performs manipulations to eliminate abdominal wall pathologies: diastasis, hernias. It sews the edges of the muscles with non-absorbable threads or inserts an artificial prosthesis. That is, restores the normal anatomy of the anterior abdominal wall.
• The next stage, the doctor excises the excess skin and soft tissue. Skin grafts are removed in strict accordance with the previously applied markup. Having completed the manipulations with the excess skin, the surgeon cuts the appropriately sized umbilical ring. The navel is placed in a new place and fixed with stitches.
• At the last stage, the doctor sews up tissue. It applies self-absorbing sutures in two rows to better adapt the edges of wounds. Next, make another seam intracutaneously. For this it uses a thin non-absorbable thread "Prolen". The wounds are washed with saline, dioxidine and establishes drainage.

Rehabilitation period

The first 2-3 days the patient is in the hospital under the supervision of a surgeon. These days the position of the body is horizontal, the upper and lower parts are slightly elevated.

The patient is given appropriate medications and dressings are made. To prevent vein thrombosis, special stockings are worn on the legs.

After being discharged home, the patient regularly visits the doctor. At first, he should walk slightly leaning forward.

The stitches are removed on the fourteenth day. From the moment of discharge and the next one or two months (depending on the complexity of the operation), it is necessary to wear special compression garments.

Abdominal reduction surgery involves a painful recovery period. Therefore, painkillers are prescribed to the patient. To eliminate the inflammatory processes should be taken antibiotics.

Possible complications:

• Hematoma . The treatment consists of cauterization of the bleeding vessel.
• Necrosis of tissues . Complications can occur if the thickness of the fabric being sewn is too large. With this pathology, the doctor conducts an audit of the wound and takes appropriate measures.
• Suppuration . Occurs as a result of wound infection. It is treated with antibacterial ointments and antibiotics.
• Increased abdominal pressure . It is considered the most severe complication. Occurs due to overload of the pulmonary circulation. This disease occurs less frequently if the patient was actively exercising and reduced his weight before the operation.
• The accumulation of fluid (seroma) in the operated area . It occurs as a result of the fact that the edges of the wound do not fit well. To eliminate this complication, one should not neglect the wearing of compression underwear.

The cost of abdominoplasty varies considerably. The price of a plastic abdomen depends on the type of operation, the severity of the defect, the presence of concomitant pathologies (hernia). An important factor is the qualification of the surgeon, which also determines the final cost of abdominoplasty.

Since the surgical tummy tuck is complicated and the patient has a very important aesthetic result, it is helpful to read the reviews of completed operations and see the photos (before and after) that people like to post on the Internet.