Now that the holidays are over and a New Year has begun, many of us are wishing we had gone a little lighter on the celebrating during that festive time of year. If you can relate, perhaps now is the time to tuck away that holiday guilt with a tuck procedure to enhance your body contour. The winter months are often the perfect time to indulge in plastic surgery that will help you greet the upcoming warm weather season with confidence. Is a tummy tuck the body boost you are looking for?
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What is a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that tightens abdominal muscles while removing excess skin and tissue from the midsection. While it can produce a more streamlined body contour, it is not designed to be a weight loss procedure. However, a few extra holiday pounds may be addressed beautifully with a tummy tuck, particularly if liposuction is included in the procedure.
Tummy tucks are usually recommended for patients that have lost a significant amount of weight and have residual loose skin marring their results and keeping them out of their smaller clothing sizes. The procedure can also be beneficial for women that have been through multiple pregnancies that have led to separation of the abdominal muscles. Men also benefit from tummy tucks if they have significant amounts of loose skin and tissue around the middle that are getting in the way of their overall body profile.
Benefits of a Tummy Tuck
There are numerous advantages a tummy tuck can provide:
- Reduces bulges in the midsection to create a flatter abdominal area
- Removes stretch marks appearing between the naval and pubic bone
- Reverses muscle laxity after multiple pregnancies
- Eliminates loose, hanging skin after significant weight loss
- Allows clothing to fit more comfortably and attractively
- Restores self-confidence in your appearance
Procedure Facts
A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that can be performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on the patient’s preference, medical history and specific procedure to be completed. The surgery is usually performed in a hospital setting under general anesthesia or epidural anesthesia that numbs the patient from the waist down. Surgery typically takes around two hours to complete.
Most patients take around 10-14 days off work and other activities to recover from a tummy tuck. Compression garments are usually worn during this time to limit swelling and promote healing to the area. The full results of a tummy tuck often take a number of months to develop as swelling and bruising subside and the body slowly adapts to its new contour. However, once those results appear, they will be long-lasting as long as a healthy weight is maintained after surgery.
Is a Tummy Tuck Right for You?
If you are contemplating a tummy tuck, now is the time to schedule your procedure so you have time to recover before summer. The first step will be a consultation with your plastic surgeon to determine whether a tummy tuck is the right procedure for you and will give you the results you are hoping for. To learn more or make an appointment for your consultation, contact Dr. Sherman’s office at [primary_phone].