Tummy Tuck San Francisco

Abdominoplasty, or as it is colloquially known, the tummy tuck, is a cosmetic surgery procedure developed to help patients combat the battle of the bulge- by eliminating the excessive fat and skin tissue that sits around their abdominals as well as tightening the abdominal muscles that have loosened over time. Contrary to popular belief, the tummy tuck is not a method to be used for weight loss.The tummy tuck procedure is actually for patients who have already lost a significant amount of weight- enough weight that the patient is already pretty much at his or her goal weight. This is because the tummy tuck is a corrective cosmetic surgery; it ameliorates any physical disfigurement left by significant weight loss, including weight loss after a pregnancy.

When people lose a dramatic amount of weight, chances are he or she will find out that certain areas of the body, especially the abdominal area, will stubbornly hold onto extra fat and tissue deposits that have accumulated there.  When a person gains weight, essentially all parts of the abdominal area, including the abdominal muscles and skin, will stretch- and as that person loses weight, that muscle and skin will attempt to bounce back to its original form, but because skin loses its elasticity as people get older, getting a flat, firm abdomen will become harder and harder to do the longer the person has been overweight. These types of skin, fat, and muscle issues are what tummy tuck procedures aim to fix.

What happens during a tummy tuck?

After the patient has been anesthetized, the first thing the cosmetic surgeon will do is make a horizontal incision in the area between your belly button and your pubic region through which the surgeon will remove excess abdominal fat and tissue as well as tighten the abdominal muscles. The length of the incision will depend on just how extensive the tummy tuck procedure will be for a given patient as well as the unique physiology of the patient. A second incision will be made around the belly button, in order to displace the top layer of abdominal skin from the underlying abdominal wall, facilitating the removal of excess fat and skin from the upper abdominal areas as well as the tightening of the muscles of the abdomen.

After tightening the underlying abdominal muscles with sutures, the cosmetic surgeon will remove the excess abdominal fat, usually through liposuction. After a healthily satisfactory amount of excess fat has been removed, any excessive abdominal skin that stretches past the incision is cut off, eliminating stretch marks on that area in the process.

Once the excess abdominal skin has been removed, the surgeon will drain any fluids that have accumulated and suture up the incision site, usually applying a compression pad afterwards to the areas with the incisions.

Depending on the extent of the tummy tuck, the entire tummy tuck procedure can take anywhere from one to five hours to complete. Although some patients may experience some kind of complication that requires them to stay at the hospital for a night or two, the majority of patients will not have to stay overnight at the hospital and be well enough to go home the same day that they have the tummy tuck.