Abdominoplasty, commonly known as tummy tuck, is one of the popular body contouring cosmetic surgery procedures today. As a major surgery, tummy tuck will involve a number of steps, which may sometimes vary according to the type of surgical technique selected to perform the procedure. During the pre-op consultation, the surgeon will discuss the steps with the patient.
Patients who have clear insights about how the tummy tuck surgery will be performed will often have better confidence levels and will make correct decisions about the surgery. It helps to mitigate the pre-surgery anxiety once a patient is aware about the steps involved in the procedure.
Fantastic and sagacious cosmetic surgeon Dr. Landon McLain provides tummy tuck to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and surrounding communities.
Incision Placement
Once the patient has been placed under anesthesia inside the surgery room, the first step will be to place the incisions in pre-decided locations in the abdominal region. The surgeon will keep the incisions as discreet as possible, but their length and number may vary according to the extent of surgery required. A circumferential tummy tuck will require an incision around the waist line, including the back, while a mini tummy tuck may only require a small incision under the navel.
Repositioning the Navel
Repositioning of the belly button may be a part of a traditional tummy tuck surgery. Once the surgeon has lifted and tightened the abdominal area, it may be necessary to raise the navel to a new, youthful position to make it look natural.
Either the original navel will be detached from its place and repositioned, or in a few cases, a new navel may be sculpted, while the older remains unchanged. Only a skilled surgeon should perform the sculpting of the new navel to make it appear natural.
Tightening of Abdominal Muscles
If the muscles in the abdomen have loosened due to aging or pregnancy, this additional step will be included in the tummy tuck procedure. The surgeon will separate the skin from the abdominal walls through the incisions. They will pull the sagging muscles closer together and suture them into a new position to create a better toned abdomen. Tightening of the abdominal muscles will make the waistline look narrower.
Removing Excess Skin
After the abdominal muscle tightening is completed, the surgeon will pull the skin downward to make it taut. Loose skin will be then trimmed away. The surgeon may perform abdominal liposuction in a few cases at this stage to eliminate stubborn fat tissue before the skin is pulled tight. Dr. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and other cities and communities in this part of The Yellowhammer State for tummy tuck surgery.
Closing the Incisions
Although tummy tuck is not designed to remove stretch marks, but some improvement may be achieved with traditional tummy tuck surgery. Once the procedure is over, the surgeon will close the incisions with sutures. Temporary drain tubes will be placed beneath the skin in the incision sites. The area will be initially wrapped in bandages, and later replaced with a compression garment.
McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here.
Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.
