The tummy tuck is the best procedure to remove excess fat and skin and to tighten underlying muscles in the abdomen. It also gets rid of loose or wrinkled skin and stretch marks. Women (and men) can benefit from this extremely effective body contouring surgery.
Pregnancy, weight gain and weight loss have a devastating impact on a woman’s abdomen. Only rarely can dieting and exercise fully restore the abdomen wall to its flat desirable shape after the skin and muscles have been stretched to their limit. After losing weight men can also have difficulties regaining their youthful flat abdomen.
Liposuction is ideal to contour the abdomen for those who have good skin tone and excess fat that is resistant to diet and exercise, but the tummy tuck is a better procedure for women and men who have loose abdominal skin following pregnancy and weight loss.
Announcing the brand new LipoPulse Laser Tummy Tuck.
Better than the standard tummy tuck! All incision made with a laser for better results. You can get the advantages of Laser Liposuction combined with all cutting done with a laser. Our price is much cheaper because we include everything and do not need a hospital or hospital stay. If go to the hospital you will pay from $15,000 to $20,000 total with hospital, anesthesia, surgeon and hospital stay. We can safely do the procedure awake in our fully accredited Fifth Avenue Surgical Suite- minimizing expenses and increasing safety. We offer you the specialized care you deserve. You need to be healthy and not have any major medical problems or take medicine.
Totally NEW safe office tummy tuck that’s performed under “awake” local anesthesia!
Head to Head comparison for New vs. Old Tummy Tuck
New Bikini Tummy tuck scar vs old tummy tuck scarTypes of Tummy Tuck Abdominal wall deformities have 3 components:
• Wrinkly or loose skin with stretch marks. This is usually the result of pregnancy, aging, or marked weight loss
• Excess fat tissue, usually more prominent in the lower abdomen
• Rectus Muscle Diastasis. The muscles of the anterior abdominal have separated. Exercise does not help in this situation (once the muscle relaxes, they separate and the tummy bulges out.)
Full tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, addresses the 3 defective components (skin, fat, and muscle) so it benefits most patients who want a flat stomach and skin as tight as possible. Results, especially when combined with liposuction of the flanks, are dramatic. The procedure can be done totally under local anesthesia (tumescent technique). A relatively long incision in the bikini line just above the pubic area is made. A second incision may be needed around the belly button.
The fascia is then sutured in order to tighten loose or stretched out muscles located below the fascia. This step creates a tighter abdominal wall and a thinner waist. The skin is stretched down and the excess skin and fat are removed. A new opening is cut on the skin for the repositioning of the belly button. Usually drains are inserted to eliminate fluid and blood buildup. Every effort is made to hide the scars in the bikini area. The incision is then closed, and a firm dressing is then placed on the abdomen. Liposuction to remove excess fat from hips and flanks are often performed in conjunction with the tummy tuck for a better body contour.
We use a revolutionary minimally invasive approach to tummy tuck that is safely and effectively performed as an office procedure totally under local tumescent anesthesia. The technique called Abdominolipoplasty combines two procedures: liposuction of the abdomen and the tummy tuck. By avoiding the use of general anesthesia or heavy sedation, this new procedure offers an improved postoperative recovery. With this technique used by Drs. Jovanovic the amount of fat one can remove is greater, improving abdominal contour by thinning the fat layer considerably more than one can with the traditional tummy tuck while decreasing the risks of skin necrosis because the blood supply remains intact. The management of the belly button and the tightening of the muscles also can be performed with this procedure as well.
Recovery
The Abdominolipoplasty Procedure
The traditional abdominoplasty procedures (full tummy tuck, mini-tummy tuck and dermolipectomy) are associated with a relatively high complication rate because of the required large undermining of the anterior abdominal flap that involves extensive trauma and compromise to the blood supply of the abdominal flap. General anesthesia or heavy twilight sedation is frequently required to complete the surgery because of the extensive tissue dissection and manipulation.
Additional Benefits
Performing the procedure totally under local tumescent anesthesia adds additional benefits over the traditional tummy tuck:
• Minimal bleeding due to the vasoconstriction created by the tumescent anesthesia. A traditional tummy tuck can be associated with profuse bleeding and even the need for blood transfusions and requires meticulous hemostasis throughout the procedure using electrocautery (which by itself creates blood vessel and tissue heat damage).
• The patient is wide awake and can ambulate, eat and drink during the surgery. That is virtually unheard of with standard tummy tuck. Following liposuction and before the tummy tuck, the patient is inspected in a standing position to draw the shape and size of the skin to be removed. This step eliminates guessing and improves the odds to achieve a body shape, contour line and a symmetrical skin incision. When the surgery is performed under general anesthesia or heavy sedation, the patient must stay lying down throughout the surgery which forces the surgeon to guess the shape and size of the skin removal.
• The operating time is significantly reduced because no bleeding is involved.
• The technique eliminates puckers of skin on either end of the scar (dog ears) because liposuction allows the creation of similar fat thickness in the superior and inferior borders of the flap.
• The postoperative period is similar as in the standard liposuction of the abdomen. The patient is able to stand up from the operating table, ambulate and dress herself/himself at the end of the procedure. This recovery is virtually unheard of with a standard tummy tuck under general anesthesia or heavy sedation. Due to its long-lasting effects, tumescent anesthesia offers a minimum of 12 hours pain control following the surgery.
• This new approach creates a more youthful abdominal silhouette and more harmonious results while avoiding complications and the prolonged recovery time associated with the traditional tummy tuck.
Mini Tummy Tuck
Best suited for patients who have a pouch below the belly button
A mini tummy tuck or partial abdominoplasty is best suited for patients who have a pouch below the belly button who do not have significant stretch marks, saggy skin, or a hooded belly button. The procedure is less invasive than a full tummy tuck. While a full tummy tuck involves an incision around the belly button and across the lower abdomen, a mini tummy tuck leaves the belly button intact and requires a smaller incision. The excess of skin and fat are removed and tightening of the muscles is performed. Liposuction is frequently employed with this procedure to remove excess fat above and below the belly button to enhance body contour.
Dermolipectomy
Skin and fat from the abdomen without muscle tightening
A dermolipectomy is a procedure that removes skin and fat from the abdomen but does not tighten the muscles. It is indicated for slender women who have wrinkly or excess skin but good muscle tone. The scar is the same as a tummy tuck.
Limitations of a Tummy Tuck
The tummy tuck procedure will not remove stretch marks
The tummy tuck procedure will not remove stretch marks of your mid or upper abdomen (but it will shift them lower on your abdomen). There will be a scar extending across the lowest part of your abdomen, just above the bikini line. Also, there will be a second scar around your belly button, if the belly button requires transposition. These scars are commonly hidden by underwear or a swimming suit. The scars may worsen during the first 3 to 6 months as it heals, but this is normal. It takes approximately 9 months to a year before scars flatten out and lighten in color. Regardless, you are most likely to look and feel better with a flat abdomen and scars than you are with a bulging belly. Serious complications after tummy tuck surgery are uncommon. However, there are risks with any surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure.
The ideal candidate for tummy tuck surgery should meet most of the following criteria:
• Is close to their ideal body weight (within 30%)
• Wants to remove specific areas of loose skin or fat that is diet and exercise resistant
• Weight has been stable for 6 months or more
• Has good skin tone and elasticity
• Is emotionally stable
• Understands the risks of abdominoplasty surgery and scarring.
• If you do not meet all of these criteria, but meet some of them, you may still be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. The traditional tummy tuck procedure is most suited for those who are close to their ideal body weight, but if you have a lot of fat in an isolated area, you may still be a good candidate.
If you intend to lose a lot of weight, wait until after your weight loss to schedule abdominoplasty surgery. If you plan on future pregnancies, you should wait to have surgery until you are done having children as pregnancy will stretch the abdomen again.
You are at increased risk for complications if you have diabetes, poor circulation, heart, lung, or liver disease, smoke, have a family history of blood clots, take certain medications, or if you are obese and probably should not have an abdominoplasty procedure.
