What Is a Tummy Tuck Procedure?

A tummy tuck is surgery that removes excess fat and skin from the abdomen, or belly area. During the procedure, which doctors call abdominoplasty, the surgeon will also tighten muscles in the wall of your abdomen. The goal of a tummy tuck is to give you a flatter abdomen.

A tummy tuck is not the same as liposuction. But your doctor may recommend that you have liposuction along with a tummy tuck.

This is a major surgery, so if you’re considering it, you should know the facts before you decide whether to go forward.

What Does a Tummy Tuck Do?

A tummy tuck can give you a smoother and flatter abdomen. You may have extra skin and fat around your abdomen for several reasons, including:

• You’re aging and it happened naturally.
• You had surgery that caused it.
• You have been pregnant.
• Your weight has changed a lot.

It’s important to know that the purpose of a tummy tuck is not to lose weight. But a tummy tuck can benefit your health in other ways. Some other reasons you may be interested in a tummy tuck include:

To relieve back pain. Losing a lot of weight or having a baby can weaken your stomach muscles, which can cause back pain. A tummy tuck can tighten up your stomach muscles and give your back more support.

To improve a common bladder problem. A tummy tuck can reduce symptoms of stress urinary incontinence. This common problem can cause you to leak urine if you sneeze, cough, laugh, or do anything else that puts pressure on your bladder or urethra (the tube pee travels through).

To fix a certain type of hernia. A hernia happens when one of your internal organs pushes through the tissue in your abdomen (or groin) and forms a visible bulge. Your doctor may recommend a tummy tuck if you have a ventral hernia, which happens when your intestines or ab muscles push through the wall of your abdomen. The procedure can address muscle weakness that’s causing the problem.

To have better posture. The procedure gives you tighter ab muscles, which support your spine so can you stand straight and tall.

Tummy tuck vs. liposuction

Both of these procedures can give you a flatter abdomen, but they achieve that goal in different ways. There are different types of tummy tucks, but in a typical procedure, the surgeon uses a scalpel to remove excess skin and fat. Then they stitch your skin back together so that it’s firm and taut. In a liposuction procedure, the surgeon makes a small cut in the abdomen. Then, they insert a tool called a cannula to break up fat deposits. The surgeon then removes the fat deposits using a special vacuum or syringe. Your surgeon may recommend both procedures.

Panniculectomy vs. tummy tuck

A panniculectomy is similar to a tummy tuck but has one significant difference. In both procedures, a surgeon removes excess skin and fat from your abdomen. But during a tummy tuck, the surgeon also tightens your abdominal muscles. That step is not usually done as part of a panniculectomy.

Who Are the Best Candidates for a Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck is a treatment option for people who are otherwise in good health but have excess skin and fat in the abdomen that they would like to get rid of. Candidates for a tummy tuck include people who:

• Want a smoother abdomen to improve their appearance
• Have had several pregnancies and may find the procedure useful for tightening their abdominal muscles and reducing skin
• Don’t plan to become pregnant
• Have lost a significant amount of weight, which has left loose skin hanging from their belly
• Plan to maintain a stable weight after the treatment
• Are nonsmokers or are smokers who are willing to quit for good
• Have realistic expectations about the procedure

Who Should Not Consider a Tummy Tuck?

If you plan to get pregnant, you may want to postpone a tummy tuck until you’re done having children. During surgery, your vertical muscles are tightened, and future pregnancies can separate those muscles.

Are you planning to lose a lot of weight? Then a tummy tuck also is not for you. A tummy tuck should be a last resort after you’ve tried everything else. It should not be used as an alternative to weight loss.

You should also consider the appearance of scars after a tummy tuck. Ask your doctor about scar placement and length before you have this surgery.

Credit: webmd

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