What You Should Know About Tummy Tucks

Abdominoplasty, known more commonly as a tummy tuck, is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. During the surgery, a long incision is made from hipbone to hipbone, and then a second incision is made to separate the belly button from surrounding tissue. 

Next, the plastic surgeon separates the skin from the abdominal wall and lifts a large skin flap to reveal the vertical muscles in your abdomen. The surgeon then tightens these muscles by pulling them closer together and stitching them into their new position. This provides a firmer abdominal wall and narrows the waistline. 

The best candidates for a tummy tuck are men or women who are in relatively good shape but struggle with fatty tissue or sagging abdominal skin that won’t respond to diet or exercise. The surgery is particularly helpful to women post-pregnancy, who may have stretched abdominal muscles and skin beyond the point where they can return to normal. It can also address the loss of skin elasticity that comes from significant weight loss and/or gain. 

Pros

• It’s for life: Unless you experience significant weight gain and/or loss, the results of a tummy tuck are permanent.
• Visible results: Your abdominal area will appear noticeably slimmer after the surgery.

Cons 

• Scarring: The incision required by the surgery leaves behind a significant scar.
• It’s a significant time investment. A complete tummy tuck usually takes up to four hours for the surgery alone.
• Long recovery: Resumption of normal activities can take up to six weeks.
• It’s painful: The surgery requires general anesthesia, and during recovery most patients need to take pain medication.
• Post-surgical drain: During recovery, a drainage tube is inserted to prevent the buildup of fluids, which can be painful and is inconvenient to live with.
• Risk of infection: As with all invasive surgeries, tummy tucks come with a risk of infection and other complications that may impede healing.
• Cost: This is an expensive surgery, averaging around five figures. Because it’s cosmetic, it is not covered by insurance providers.

Non-Surgical Alternatives To Tummy Tucks 

If that long list of cons discourages you from pursuing your best body, there’s good news. Body contouring procedures, such as fat treatments, can deliver great results without the pain, cost, scarring, and recovery time of a tummy tuck. Fat treatments induce a process called lipolysis to break down lipids in the fat cells, shrinking and destroying them. Diode laser technology, especially when paired with separate radio frequency treatments, combat hard-to-beat fat, reduce cellulite, and create a leaner appearance painlessly and without the recovery time a more invasive procedure would require.

You should definitely consider fat treatments first if: 

• You’ve been considering other procedures but want to test the waters with a non-surgical, low downtime option first;
• You’ve tried diet and exercise and want to boost your progress by targeting localized fat on the abdomen or flanks;
• There’s a special occasion on the horizon you’d like to look your best for;
• You just want to feel more confident and comfortable in your own skin

The treatments are comfortable, safe, and 25 minutes long. Many people see visible results 1-3 months after just one session, and unlike with a surgical procedure, you can return to work right after. As you can see, there are a lot of pros when it comes to fat treatments, and very few cons.

To discuss your body goals and discover the best options for you, speak to a certified aesthetics technician. They have the expertise to weigh the benefits of fat treatments over surgical procedures and answer any questions you may have. Most importantly, they’ll be able to customize a plan to ensure you get the results you’re looking for. You can find a clinic near you by using the search field below: