A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure designed to tighten and reshape your abdominal area, giving you a slimmer midsection. This procedure can help tighten abdominal muscles, eliminate sagging excess skin and correct a protruding belly.
While a tummy tuck is pretty straightforward and your surgeon will walk you through the process, these four tummy tuck secrets answer some of your tummy tuck need to know questions.
Don’t Expect to Lose a Bunch of Weight
The first thing to understand about a tummy tuck is that it will not significantly drop the number on your scale as it is not a form of weight loss. While you may drop a couple of pounds after the procedure, a tummy tuck is designed for those at or near their ideal body weight.
A tummy tuck is a contouring procedure, and while the weight won’t drop, the tape measure around your waist is likely to shrink and so will your pant size.
Your Surgeon May Suggest Adding Liposuction
Do not be surprised if your plastic surgeon recommends adding liposuction during your tummy tuck consultation. This is a common combo procedure as a tummy tuck alone can create unnatural bulges on the hips or reduce your definition.
Adding liposuction allows the plastic surgeon to better reshape and contour your midsection, giving you the curves and results you desire. By combining the procedure, you have only one recovery time and get the benefits of both.
You Will Need Help at Home and May not Stand Upright at First
A tummy tuck can help reduce back pain and urinary incontinence after childbirth.A tummy tuck is typically an outpatient procedure. This means you will go home for recovery after your procedure. It is a good idea to prepare for this by having someone stay home with you for the first few days to a week. Because the tummy tuck addresses your abdominal muscles, you will likely have difficulty moving and standing upright.
You may need assistance to stand and sit for the first few days and will likely be advised not to lift anything for the first four to six weeks. Making a designated recovery space and having someone to help around the house can make all the difference while you recover.
A Tummy Tuck Can Offer More Than Just Cosmetic Benefits
A tummy tuck is designed to improve your curves and reduce your waistline, but it can also have medical benefits. After you have children, back pain and urinary incontinence can occur. This is often due to rectus diastasis, or a space between the rectus muscles that occurs after childbirth.
Because a tummy tuck addresses and repairs abdominal muscles, many women experience reduced back pain, reduced bloating and improved core stability. Not only can a tummy tuck help you achieve the curves you desire, it may actually make you feel better every day.
Dr. Scot Martin concentrates on breast enhancement and body contouring at his practice in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A nationally recognized plastic surgeon, Dr. Martin is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
He looks forward to meeting you and helping you become the best version of yourself possible.
