10 Facts about tummy tucks

After losing a lot of weight, after a pregnancy or due to genetics, the skin around the abdominal area can become loose and drop due to the loss of elasticity. As a result, this can cause confidence issues but can be resolved by undergoing a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty.
A tummy tuck also is known as abdominoplasty, is a procedure that consists of removing the excess skin from the abdominal area of the body to then flatten and tighten it.
In this blog post, we will be covering 10 facts about tummy tuck as well as the different types of tummy tucks available.

1. There are different types of tummy tucks.

Different types of tummy tucks can be performed depending on the amount of excess skin and fat that needs to be removed from the treatment area:

• Full Abdominoplasty– This is the traditional tummy tuck ideal for patients who need a lot of skin and fat to be removed. This procedure not only removes the excess skin and fat but also can repair the torn muscles on the affected area.
• Extended Abdominoplasty– This technique is recommended for patients who want to remove excess fat and skin from their lower back, flanks or upper hip areas. This technique can also repair the torn muscles if required.
• Mini Abdominoplasty– This type of tummy tuck is indicated for patients who have a small amount of excess skin on the area between the belly button and the pubic region and the skin has a crinkly appearance. This procedure tightens the area and repairs the torn muscles when necessary.
• Brazilian Tummy Tuck– This type of tummy tuck is for those patients whose primary concern is their excess skin rather than the fat. This procedure combines, tummy tuck and liposuction to remove the excess fat around the waist, flanks and abdomen to achieve a more contoured look. The benefit of including the liposuction is that the healing process and the complications are reduced compared to a full abdominoplasty.

2. The scar will fade away.

Many patients are concerned about the scar after their tummy tuck.
The scar resulting from a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty fades away over time and usually takes around a year to fade. In the first few months the redness will be apparent however this will reduced as the days go by. Your surgeon will also recommend some creams to further reduce the visibility and redness of the scar.
You can see some images of one of our patients at The Private Clinic, Stella who underwent a tummy tuck and achieved fabulous results.
 

3. The recovery from an Abdominoplasty procedure will take a few weeks.

The downtime required after a tummy tuck procedure is around three weeks.
After the surgery, you will be required to stay overnight at the hospital to ensure there are no complications.
Once you have been discharged from the hospital, to maintain the abdominal area straight, you will be required to wear for two weeks an abdominal support garment and will be advised to take painkillers to mitigate any pain.

4. A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is not a weight loss procedure.

Tummy tucks are a procedure to remove the excess skin after losing a lot of weight, after pregnancy or due to ageing to achieve a flatter and firmer abdomen.
Before you undergo an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, at The Private Clinic, we recommend you achieve your ideal weight as any changes in weight can affect the results and will require additional surgery to rectify the results. If you are thinking about getting pregnant after a tummy tuck you need to be aware that the skin might stretch again and you will require a revision surgery to recover the lost results.

5. Men undergo tummy tucks too.

Tummy tucks are a popular procedure among women due to pregnancies, however many men undergo this procedure too to remove the excess skin after losing a large amount of weight and repair the torn muscles.

6. Tummy Tucks can be performed under local or general anaesthetic.

The tummy tuck or abdominoplasty procedure is typically done under general anaesthetic. However, the procedure can be performed under local anaesthetic with sedation depending on the procedure and the patient. You can consult this with your surgeon.

7. The C-Tuck.

The “C tuck” is a procedure where a tummy tuck is undergone after a C-section.
The “C-tuck” is a procedure that is not recommended to any patients as it’s preferred that the patient rests and heals before undergoing any other surgical procedure.
The muscles after a pregnancy are stretched and to achieve the best results from a tummy tuck, the muscles must be contracted back down. This is the reason why it is recommended waiting around a year before undergoing a tummy tuck and be at the best possible health condition before the procedure.

8. Recovery from a tummy tuck procedure.

The recovery from a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty requires around 3 weeks.
You can expect the following aftercare after undergoing a tummy tuck procedure:

• Wear an abdominal support garment for 2 weeks.
• Take antibiotics and pain medication for 2 weeks after the procedure.
• Swelling around the treated area. We recommend using a cold compress to reduce the swelling. Always consult your doctor before this to ensure there is no problem to do so.

Always follow your doctor’s recommendations for aftercare and ensure you attend the follow-up consultations.

9. A tummy tuck can remove love handles.

Standard tummy tucks do not target the love handles; however, an extended tummy tuck can remove the fat around that area. If you are looking into just removing the fat and you do not have excess skin, VaserLipo or liposuction would be a better option.

10. Choosing The Private Clinic.

At The Private Clinic, our highly specialised reconstructive surgeon’s experts in tummy tucks or abdominoplasty are able to provide fantastic results and achieve your desired goals.
At The Private Clinic, we aim to always provide the very best service from informative consultations to high-quality aftercare, providing first-class treatment with every step of the way.
Our acclaimed plastic surgeon’s experts in abdominoplasty are:

• Mr William Van Niekerk, MB ChB, MSc, MRCS, FRCS (Plast), FCMI, RAF (qs). GMC Number: 4362791
• Ms Helena Antoniadou, MBBS, MD & Surg (Hons), FRCS (Eng). GMC Number: 3700956
• Mr Maisam Fazel, MA(Cantab), MB BChir, MSEd, FRCS. GMC Number : 4767420
• Mr Giuseppe Di Taranto, MD. GMC Number: 7614248
• Sandip Hindocha – Consultant Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon, MD, MPhil, MBChB, MRCS, MFFLM, FRCS (Plast). GMC Number: 6122218
• Ms Rieka Taghizadeh, MBChb, MRCS (Glas), FRCS (Plast), GMC Number: 4743910
• Mr George Samouris, MD. GMC Number: 7064009

Get in touch

To find out more about the tummy tuck procedure or to book a tummy tuck consultation at any of our clinics please call 0333 920 2471 or use our online tummy tuck contact form to request a call back. Consultations available in London, Birmingham, and Northampton.