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Abdominoplasty is a plastic surgery that helps to get rid of a hanging flabby belly, allows you to tighten it and get a flat, beautiful tummy, remove the “apron” hanging down from the skin and fat. This operation restores the tone of the abdominal wall, and ultimately allows you to emphasize your sexuality. Abdominoplasty is considered one of the five popular plastic surgeries.
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Preparation for abdominoplasty
First of all, the preparation consists in examining the patient in order to find out the presence of contraindications for surgery and assess the risk of complications. The surgeon must assess the general condition of the patient and decide whether abdominoplasty is indicated in his case or not.
The first step is to take a thorough history. The doctor asks about past diseases, surgical interventions, as well as about the presence of allergies to any drugs. In addition, you should tell your doctor what medications you are currently taking. After that, a physical examination is performed, as well as an assessment of the amount of excess skin and fat in the abdominal wall.
To assess the extent of your stomach problem, the doctor examines your abdomen while lying down and standing up to assess the degree of drooping excess skin. Be sure to take a photo of the abdomen before the operation, in front and profile, in order to evaluate the results of the operation after abdominoplasty. It is also important, when consulting with a plastic surgeon, to discuss the desired result and what can be expected in your case.
Be sure to conduct laboratory tests before surgery, such as general blood and urine tests, biochemical blood tests, a blood test for sugar, clotting and ECG.
In addition, it is important to stop smoking two weeks before surgery and for the entire recovery period (if you smoke), as smokers are at higher risk of poor and prolonged wound healing. If you are taking drugs that affect clotting, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or anticoagulants, you should temporarily stop taking them, as they may increase the risk of bleeding after surgery.
Indications for abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty is a popular plastic surgery operation. However, it may not suit everyone. Ideally, the patient who is going to undergo abdominoplasty should not suffer from chronic diseases that can increase the risk of complications, both during and after the operation. Abdominoplasty is indicated in the case when the patient’s lower abdomen hangs down, which happens after a sharp weight loss, liposuction, and also after pregnancy and childbirth.
In addition, in patients undergoing liposuction, abdominoplasty is most often performed immediately so that the result of the operation is acceptable. If abdominoplasty is not performed after liposuction, the skin of the abdomen will hang down after the operation. In addition, abdominoplasty is indicated when a hanging and flabby abdomen is a consequence of the aging process. In this case, the muscles and skin lose their tone and elasticity.
The disadvantage of abdominoplasty is the scar remaining in the lower abdomen above the pubic region. But it is usually invisible, as it remains in the natural fold, and where it is hidden under clothing.
Who is not suitable for abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty is undesirable for patients who plan pregnancy and childbirth in the future, since the effect of the operation will simply be negated. Therefore, it is best to decide on this plastic procedure if you are sure that you no longer plan to become pregnant and bear a child. In addition, even in this case, a second abdominoplasty operation may already be problematic and not give the same effect as the previous operation. Abdominoplasty, like many other plastic surgeries, is not performed in patients with chronic diseases, which can increase the risk of complications during surgery and in the postoperative period.
How is an abdominoplasty performed?
The essence of abdominoplasty is that the doctor excised excess skin, which hangs ugly in the lower abdomen and tightens flabby, atonic, stretched abdominal muscles. This operation is usually performed under general anesthesia. The whole procedure lasts an average of 2 – 5 hours.
First, the surgeon makes a long transverse incision from one thigh to the other, along the bikini line, in the form of an arc. The abdominoplasty incision is made over the pubic area. After that, an incision is made around the navel to release the tissues of the abdominal wall.
Next, the surgeon separates the skin of the abdominal wall, gaining access to the rectus abdominis muscles. This muscle with age, if a person has not done gymnastics or physical education, especially after pregnancy and childbirth, is flabby and its tone is lowered. Therefore, the wall of the abdomen is so hanging. In abdominoplasty, the rectus abdominis muscles are sutured together, and this achieves the effect of tightening the abdominal wall. Excess skin, as in the case of, for example, a forehead or face lift, is excised and then the wound is sutured. Then the surgeon forms the navel in a new place.
