Regular exercise and a careful diet are not always enough to achieve a firmer, flatter tummy. If a contoured abdomen will help you love the way you look and feel, consider tummy tuck surgery.
MP Plastic Surgery helps tummy tuck patients by:
- Tightening the abdominal muscles.
- Eliminating excess, sagging skin.
- Achieving a smoother, leaner midsection.
Learn more about the procedure and how MP Plastic Surgery supports patients throughout the process.
What Does a Tummy Tuck Do? Abdominoplasty Explained
Tummy tuck patients come to the procedure from a variety of circumstances:
- Some people have a more prominent abdomen because of heredity.
- Women often want to restore their figure after pregnancy.
- People who have lost a significant amount of weight may want to get rid of a lower belly “pooch” or excess skin.
Note that tummy tuck surgery is not a weight-loss surgery but rather a body contouring procedure. It offers you the opportunity to eliminate excess skin and strengthen your abdomen. However, the confidence patients gain from their procedure often encourages them to recommit to exercise and diet.
If you aim to achieve a thinner profile, a more “fit” appearance, or greater confidence when wearing clothes that show off your mid-section, you may benefit from the surgery. An initial consultation with MP Plastic Surgery can help you get the information you need to make an informed decision.
What Are the Key Benefits of Getting a Tummy Tuck?
Undergoing a tummy tuck at MP Plastic Surgery can have both aesthetic and medical benefits. For one, it can leave you with a slimmer, more toned abdomen that rigorous exercise and a healthy diet alone are unable to achieve. It can also remove loose, sagging skin after weight loss, including skin that has been blemished by stretch marks.
From a medical standpoint, tummy tuck surgery can help repair abdominal muscle separation (diastasis recti) or ventral hernias following pregnancy and give you the start of a tighter core. It can also support improved posture and commitment to regular exercise and weight management.
Furthermore, a tummy tuck can make you feel more confident in how you look and feel. If having a small “pooch” of skin on your lower abdomen is something that keeps you from wearing the clothes you love and feeling comfortable in your own body, a tummy tuck may help.
Am I a Candidate to Receive a Tummy Tuck?
Men and women with excess skin on their abdomens can get a flat, shapely stomach with a tummy tuck. However, not all patients are ideal candidates for the procedure. There are several factors that your surgeon will discuss with every patient to determine whether or not they are a good fit for the procedure.
A Tummy is Good For Patients Who Are:
- In Good health – Undergoing any procedure that requires anesthesia means that the patient needs to be in good overall health, especially their lungs and heart. Anesthesia places a heavy toll on these organs that patients need to be able to withstand.
- Have A Stable weight – Patients should be within 20 pounds of their ideal weight going into the procedure. Many of our patients actually go on to lose weight after the procedure. But losing more than 30 pounds may cause more loose skin on the body.
- Have Reasonable expectations – Some patients come into our offices thinking that a tummy tuck is a weight-loss procedure or that they will get results within a few weeks. This is not the case. A tummy tuck will not help patients lose weight, and the results can take months to be noticeable as your body heals. Our doctors take great care to discuss all the risks of the procedure and patient expectations beforehand.
- Not family planning – Finally, women that are planning to get pregnant in the future may want to wait to get a tummy tuck. Pregnancy will obviously put a large strain on the belly and negate any positive benefits you get from the initial tummy tuck. Waiting until you have completed having children will help retain your results after your tummy tuck.
A Tummy Tuck is Not So Good For:
Now may not be the right time for you to get a tummy tuck if you know you want to have more children in the future, or you are not near your target weight goal. Getting pregnant can cause the abdominal muscles and skin to stretch, and weight loss of 30 pounds or more can leave you with additional loose skin. This can negate the results achieved through a tummy tuck and require you to undergo additional surgery later on.
Getting a Tummy Tuck After Pregnancy
Pregnancy causes a lot of changes in the body. After giving birth, many women find they have difficulty getting back to their pre-pregnancy body because their skin has lost some of its elasticity. A tummy tuck can help remove excess, sagging skin and tighten abdominal muscles, especially if they have separated due to diastasis recti. Your doctor can gently bring muscles back together to correct this separation and create a flatter, more toned midsection without loose skin. This may also get rid of some stretch marks as well if they are located on the skin that is removed.
Tummy Tuck After Having a C-Section
A C-section is major surgery, so before considering a tummy tuck, it is a good idea to allow your body to fully heal and recover, which can take six months to a year. You do not want to undergo another surgery before you have regained your strength and lost some of the baby weight. Once you have reached a stable weight, a tummy tuck can help get rid of the lower belly “pooch” that remains, trim away sagging skin, and repair any lasting muscle separation from your pregnancy. It may also be able to remove scar tissue from your C-section as well as stretch marks.
What Happens If I Get Pregnant After a Tummy Tuck?
One of the first questions asked before planning a tummy tuck is whether or not you plan to get pregnant. If you are striving for long-lasting results, you should schedule the procedure after you are finished having children. Getting pregnant after a tummy tuck can end up reversing the work that was done because your muscles and skin will once again be stretched, and they may not return to their pre-pregnancy tightness. You may end up with sagging skin on your lower belly, separated muscles, and an overall less toned mid-section, requiring another tummy tuck procedure to achieve the desired results.
How Old Do I have to Be to Get a Tummy Tuck?
While there are no specific age limits for a tummy tuck, you should be at least 18 before considering the procedure. You want your body to be fully developed before making changes. In addition, you should take into consideration what stage of life you are in and, for women, whether you want children in the future. Typically, patients are between their 20s and 60s.
Before and After
Check out our before and after tummy tuck gallery to see MP Plastic Surgery’s work for yourself.
What Factors Play Into the Cost of Getting a Tummy Tuck?
Another big concern for many of our patients is the cost of a tummy tuck. Men and women who do their own research on tummy tucks often come into their preliminary consultation with some confusion about what the total cost might be. This is because there are a few different factors that can influence the total cost of the procedure. Here are a few of them.
Surgeon’s Fees
Your surgeon will charge a fee for their time and expertise during the procedure. This is one of the costs that can vary greatly depending on the surgeon and the geographic area you live in.
Staff Costs
Another cost that gets included in the total sum is the cost of the staff that helps coordinate and organize the procedure.
Anesthesia
Perhaps one of the largest fees for the procedure is the cost of anesthesia. First of all, anesthesia must be administered by a special doctor called an anesthesiologist. This doctor has undergone extensive additional training to operate the equipment and monitor the health of the patient while they are sedated. Anesthesia is typically billed. This means that patients who get a tummy tuck along with additional procedures may have a higher cost than a patient who only has one procedure.
Hospital Fees
Surgeons often perform their procedures at an outpatient center or a local hospital. Our doctors have surgical privileges at several hospitals in the Fort Worth area. These hospitals and surgical centers charge a fee for their facility and equipment use.
Postoperative Garments
One of the most critical factors in determining the quality of your final results is how well you follow our postoperative instructions. Wearing compression garments is essential to your healing quickly and in an aesthetically pleasing way. These garments are usually paid for by the patient.
Prescription Medications
After the procedure, patients will often require medications to help manage any pain as they heal. The cost of these medications may vary depending on your health insurance.
Time Off From Work
If your job does not provide paid time off, patients will need to factor missed wages into the cost of their procedure as well.
Tummy Tuck Procedure Process Explained
Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck can help flatten and firm your abdominal region by removing excess fat and skin and tightening weakened or separated muscles. During surgery, an incision is made across your lower abdomen from one hip bone to the other, following along your pubic hairline. The skin is lifted, and any muscle repair that is needed, such as suturing together separated muscles, is performed. Then, any excess skin is removed so that when the incision is closed, it creates a smoother, flatter contour. Sometimes an incision is made near your belly button to remove excess skin on your upper abdomen, and liposuction is used to eliminate stubborn pockets of fat.
The Consultation
In your initial consultation, you will discuss your goals and have a chance to ask questions about the procedure. Our team will gather information to ensure that you are a good candidate and prepare a plan for your surgery.
Our doctors strive to provide excellent outcomes for patients by personalizing each tummy tuck. They adjust their techniques to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing results possible with the smallest possible incisions. A board-certified anesthesiologist will oversee your anesthesia to ensure your comfort.
What is a Tummy Tuck Like During Surgery?
In the surgery:
- Your doctor will make a horizontal incision just above the pubic bone.
- They will tighten the abdominal muscles with permanent, internal sutures and remove excess sagging skin.
- Your surgeon may also recommend that you have liposuction to create a natural and slimmer contour throughout your abdomen and hips.
While abdominoplasty does leave a scar, it should fade over time. Our doctors carefully place the incision so your scar can be easily hidden by a bikini bottom or below underwear.
What is a Tummy Tuck Like During Surgery? Is it Painful?
This procedure is performed under general anesthesia, so you will not feel any pain. The incision is made low enough that a bikini bottom or underwear can hide the scar, and it will fade over time. Once the surgery is completed, pain relievers may be used to minimize any discomfort during healing. The area will be sore for a few days, and your physical activity will be limited, so you will want to have someone available to help you at home while you recover.
What Should I Expect in Terms of Recovery After a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck is one of the more involved cosmetic surgery procedures as it includes muscle repair. While everyone heals at an individual rate, you can expect to resume light daily activities after about 2 weeks, depending on the extent of surgery.
Most patients return to work in 2-3 weeks. You should be able to begin more strenuous exercise for 6 weeks or so after surgery. After a full recovery, you can expect a body contour that is slimmer and stronger without excess abdominal skin or sag.
Other Things to Consider Before Getting A Tummy Tuck
There are several considerations to keep in mind before getting a tummy tuck, such as whether or not you want to have children in the future, whether you are at a manageable weight or plan to continue losing, and whether you want to combine a tummy tuck with another procedure such as liposuction.
What Is Mini-Tummy Tuck?
If you have a modest amount of excess skin—primarily on the lower belly—and your abdominal muscles do not require extensive repair, you may be a good candidate for a partial abdominoplasty or mini-tummy tuck.
In the mini-tummy tuck, your doctor uses a shorter incision and focuses on eliminating excess skin and fat rather than tightening the muscles. This means a smaller scar and a faster recovery. Our surgeons always strive to use the least invasive surgery necessary to achieve the desired results, so they will advise you about this option during your consultation.
Can a Tummy Tuck Correct Diastasis Recti?
The changes that happen to a mom’s body during pregnancy can be dramatic and also long-lasting. In addition to stretch marks, stubborn fat, and sagging breasts, another common problem is diastasis recti.
What Is Diastasis Recti?
What happens with this condition is that as the uterus expands and pushes the belly out, the stomach muscles will start to stretch. But after repeated pregnancies or if the belly extends too much, the two bands of muscles on either side of the belly button will start to separate.
Many moms are left with a bulge in their belly after pregnancy that no amount of dieting and exercise can erase. This issue is caused by the actual muscles underneath separating. Even the most rigorous sit-up regimen won’t be able to pull them back together.
Can a Tummy Tuck Fix Diastasis Recti?
One of the best ways to treat diastasis recti is with a tummy tuck. Moms that undergo a tummy tuck will be able to get a flat, shapely tummy. The doctor actually sutures those stretched abdominal muscles back together to restore their former shape during the procedure. Plus, if you have excess skin, a tummy tuck can also remove that as well.
Can a Tummy Tuck Remove Stretch Marks?
Moms often end up with unsightly stretch marks after their pregnancies. Many of our patients avoid getting into bathing suits or showing their tummy because of them. One of the most frequent questions we get about tummy tucks is whether they can eliminate stretch marks on the abdomen.
During the procedure, the doctor removes much of the excess skin from the tummy. In many cases, this allows him to remove the skin affected by stretch marks leaving patients with a tight, smooth belly that is usually from stretch marks.
How Long Will My Results Last After Having a Tummy Tuck Procedure Done?
As long as you maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise, the results of your tummy tuck can be long-lasting, and the internal sutures used to repair your abdominal muscles should remain in place. A tummy tuck often encourages individuals to commit to a healthier lifestyle because they want to see lasting results. However, it is important to note that pregnancy and substantial weight gain or loss can alter abdominal contour by stretching the skin and muscles out of shape or leaving loose skin behind.
Consider Getting the Mommy Makeover
Many women opt for a mommy makeover to restore their bodies to their pre-pregnancy figure. This process combines a tummy tuck with other procedures such as a breast lift or breast augmentation, liposuction, or a butt lift. Undergoing multiple procedures simultaneously reduces recovery time and allows procedures to complement one another and work together to achieve desired results.
Some Other Resources We’ve Put Together on Tummy Tucks
Choose MP Plastic Surgery For Tummy Tuck Surgery
The first step is to give our offices a call where you can expect to be greeted by one of our friendly and well-trained staff. We look forward to talking with you about your concerns and answering as many questions as we can.
The next step in the process is to schedule your preliminary consultation. During this low-pressure meeting, you will get to know your doctor, talk with them about your goals for the procedure, and discuss any concerns you may have. Your doctor may also perform an examination as they starts to formulate your customized treatment plan.
Many of our patients do their own research before coming in for their consultation. We highly encourage this. If you have pictures of how you would like to look or read anything confusing that you would like to understand more clearly, make sure to write down your questions and bring the pictures with you. This will help the process along and ensure that you are comfortable at every step.
Schedule tummy tuck surgery with MP Plastic Surgery at (817) 529-9199.