What is Abdominoplasty Surgery?
Abdominoplasty; slackness can occur in the abdomen as a result of pregnancies, weight gain and aging. This makes the abdomen look saggy and unattractive. Many people are bothered by this slackness in the abdominal area and try to correct it with sports. However, doing sports is not effective in recovering sagging in the abdominal area. Excess skin occurs in the area and this excess skin must be removed with surgical procedures.
Abdominoplasty is the process of removing loose skin and excess fat from the abdomen. The skin in the abdomen expands due to weight gain and the weight gained during pregnancy. Later, with the termination of pregnancy or excessive weight loss, the extended skin remains the same while the internal fat dissolves. This makes the abdomen unattractive.
The more pregnancies women experience or the more frequently they experience weight gain and loss, the more these deformations and problems increase. In such cases, the skin in more areas needs recovery. All this sagging and slack skin is eliminated by surgical procedure to eliminate the deformities in the abdominal area. How is Abdominoplasty Surgery Performed?
Progress is made according to the preferred method for surgery. If the patient has had a previous cesarean section, the same scar area is operated again. Even if there is no previous incision, it is ensured that the opened incision remains below the bikini line. In other words, no trace is visible after the procedure. In addition, the following procedural steps are performed according to the surgical methods;
If a mini tummy tuck is to be performed, an incision equal to the cesarean section is made. After the incision is made, excess fat and stretchmarked, sagging skin is removed.
During the procedure, liposuction is applied to slim the waist. The skin tissue of the patient is removed and the slackness in the abdomen is repaired. After the excess skin is removed, the skin is stitched back into place.
When a full tummy tuck is preferred, the enlarged belly button is first reduced and shaped. Subsequently, the slack muscle tissues that slide to the sides in the abdominal area are tightened and the procedure is completed by applying aesthetic stitches.
A drain is used in this procedure to prevent edema. In addition, a corset is worn to regulate the muscle shape and ensure full recovery in the abdominal area.
When a full tummy tuck procedure is preferred, liposuction is applied to the area before the procedure if there are excessive fat deposits in the area. Excess tissue in the area is removed and a full recovery is achieved with both the slimming of the waist and the skin removal procedure.
The doctor decides where the incision will be made, depending on the situation. At this point, the condition and degree of deformities in the patient’s abdomen play an important role.
Why is Abdominoplasty Needed?
Deformities can occur in the abdominal area for many reasons. Pregnancy or excessive weight gain and loss especially increase this situation. It is an effective procedure that you can choose when you want to have a more beautiful abdominal appearance after pregnancy. In general, the reasons for needing this operation are as follows;
Elimination of deformities in the abdomen after pregnancy
Elimination of sagging and deformities in the abdomen as a result of weight gain and loss
Slackness of connective tissues due to aging and the body’s inability to resist gravity Negative impact of excess skin in the abdominal area on health
Although some people have a generally fit appearance, there may have excess fat in the abdomen. When such people get rid of excess fat in the abdomen, excess skin remains. In such cases, the two operations can be applied in combination.
Who Is Suitable For Abdominoplasty?
More people resort to this procedure in recent years because of increasing aesthetic concerns and more weight gain and loss. With the increase in aesthetic concerns, the interest in this type of operation, which makes the body look beautiful, has also increased. Many people who want it can easily undergo this operation. However;
Those under the age of 18
People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
People whose health condition does not allow them to undergo the procedure cannot have the operation.
Apart from the people listed above, people with minimal excess skin in the abdomen can get rid of this situation just by eliminating their abdominal fat. In our country, the condition of many women is not so simple and excess skin in the abdomen is much more common. In such cases, the excess skin in the abdomen needs to be removed and the area tightened.
Recovery Process in Abdominoplasty
First of all, you need to stay in the hospital for 1-2 days, since general anesthesia is applied. During this period, a drain is inserted to prevent edema in the abdominal area. These drains will be removed when you are discharged. It is very normal for the patient to have swelling and edema in the abdomen for a few days. A corset is worn to minimize these and recover quickly.
Patients have difficulty standing upright after abdominoplasty surgery. During the first week, the person should walk but not stand upright while doing this. Walking in this process will prevent complications such as clotting.
Situations such as sneezing and coughing after the operation can cause discomfort as they increase abdominal pressure. In such cases, you should isolate yourself for the first week, especially taking care not to get sick.
During the recovery period, you can take a shower 4 days after the operation. However, you should stay away from places such as Turkish bath, sauna or pool. You should pay attention to walking for the first 3-4 weeks to accelerate the healing process. Since walking increases blood circulation, therefore recovery speed will increase. In addition, edema will be prevented.
It may take a few weeks to start heavy sports and physical activities after the tummy tuck procedure. If you have a desk job you can use sick leave up to 10 days, if you have a more strenuous job it would be better to take a few weeks off.
Pre-Surgery Considerations
The procedure will be much easier if some points are taken into consideration before the tummy tuck surgery. The factors you pay attention to before also prevent complications that may occur during the operation. The factors to consider in this process are;
First of all, you need to find a good doctor who will perform the operation. Do not forget that even in the simplest aesthetic and surgical intervention, the experience and expertise of the doctor is paramount. You should decide on the most appropriate operation for you together with your doctor.
You should not use anticoagulants such as aspirin before the operation.
Excessive use of pain relievers must also be avoided.
You should avoid consuming anything for 8 hours before the operation since general anesthesia will be applied. Before that, you should consume foods that will sooth your stomach and not cause discomfort. If you are taking vitamin pills, you need to be careful.
You must stop smoking and consuming alcohol at least 3 days before the operation. You need to stay away from foods and drinks that cause constipation.
Make sure that you are ready for this operation both physically and psychologically.
In addition to the above-mentioned matters, you must inform your doctor if you are on regular medication before tummy or navel aesthetics.
Post-Surgery Considerations
Patients should pay attention to some points after the surgery. This will accelerate the healing process and prevent infection and similar problems. Your doctor will inform you about this as necessary after the operation. Nevertheless, we will give you information about what you should pay attention to after the surgery. Namely;
Strictly follow your doctor’s recommendations and take the prescribed medications fully and regularly.
Avoid sudden movements for several weeks after surgery.
Do not wear tight clothes during the healing process and immediately after the surgery. Protect your abdomen and sutures from impacts.
Be sure to get help when bending, straightening and lying down. Don’t strain your sutures by trying to move on your own.
Remember to drink enough fluids.
Be careful with physical movements. Take regular walks without pushing yourself too hard.
Eat as directed by your doctor and avoid foods that will make you constipated or gassy.
Do not hesitate to seek psychological support when necessary.
Make sure to go to your follow-up appointments regularly and ensure that possible problems are intervened quickly.
The recovery process after abdominal surgery is very similar to the process experienced by women after a cesarean section. Women who have had that operation before can more or less predict the process. In this process, the more you pay attention to yourself and follow instructions, the more comfortable the process will be.
Is Abdominoplasty Surgery Painful?
It is also important whether tummy tuck surgery is painful or whether people feel any discomfort during the operation. Many people generally avoid this operation because they think that they will feel pain during the operation.
However, since general anesthesia is applied during the operation, the patient is not even aware of it. In some cases, local anesthesia is applied, in which case pain is not felt. Unfortunately, there may be some discomfort during the recovery period after the operation. This discomfort varies from person to person.
Your doctor will give you painkillers to reduce the discomfort after the operation. In addition, walking in a bent position will reduce the discomfort.
Methods Used in Abdominoplasty
Surgical interventions preferred for tummy tucks are also divided into different types. The type of method to be applied varies according to the sagging and deformities in the abdominal area of the person.
Which method or surgical intervention will be applied is decided together with the doctor. The methods used in tummy tuck surgery are as follows:
Mini Tummy Tuck (mini abdominoplasty) Aesthetics
This procedure is preferred when the deformities and sagging in the abdominal area are not excessive. Some people have less deformities in the abdomen after both weight gain and loss and pregnancy.
This is also a common situation in skin slackness due to aging. The deformities experienced by these people are also usually located below the navel level.
A small incision is made for the operation in mini tummy tuck procedures. A small scar similar to the one made by a cesarean section is left. There is no need to make any incisions around the belly button.
As a result of this operation, which lasts an average of 90 minutes, the excess skin is removed from the area. In addition, the waist area of the patient is slimmed with liposuction to create a beautiful appearance.
Full Abdominoplasty
We usually apply this operation to patients who have severely deformed abdomen as a result of separation and divergence of the muscles around the belly button. This operation is mostly used in cases of excessive weight loss and in people who have gained excess weight during pregnancy.
During the operation, the muscles separated from each other in the abdominal area are brought closer to each other and the excess skin is removed. Since it is a more comprehensive operation, it is performed under general anesthesia and the procedure takes 3-4 hours on average.
Vertical or horizontal incisions are made in the abdomen of the patient from the upper part of the groin and belly button during the surgery. Slackness above and below the belly button, excess fat tissues and stretch marks are successfully removed with the procedure.
Since it is a very comprehensive procedure, a very good appearance awaits you.
Scarless Abdominoplasty (Endoscopic Abdominoplasty)
The endoscopic tummy tuck procedure, which is a similar procedure to the mini tummy tuck operation, is preferred to remove slight sagging in the abdomen.
It is a method preferred by people who do not have serious sagging in the abdomen but whose muscles have separated during pregnancy. During the operation, the patient’s belly button is entered and the muscles in the area are repaired. Since no incision is made during the procedure, no scar is formed.
During the procedure, vaser liposuction is also performed in the abdominal area and slimming is achieved. The procedure is not suitable for people with excess skin in the abdomen.
Is General Anesthesia Applied?
General anesthesia is applied regardless of which method is preferred for abdominoplasty or regardless of its scope. It is not a high risk operation, but still, general anesthesia is applied to ensure that the patient is comfortable.
Especially in full abdominoplasty, the patient may panic because more incisions are made. General anesthesia is preferred so that the patient is comfortable and does not feel any pain from the operation.
How Long Does Abdominoplasty Take?
The tummy tuck operation varies according to the surgery to be performed. It is a process that takes between 1.52 hours on average. Mini tummy tuck operations are often completed in as little as 90 minutes.
Full tummy tuck surgery can start from 2 hours and take 3-4 hours depending on the situation. Engaging help from a specialist doctor for such aesthetic procedures will ensure that the process is much more comfortable and any possible complications are minimized.
What Are the Risks of the Surgery?
The question of whether tummy tuck surgery is risky or what the risks are, is something that those who are considering the operation should know. Abdominoplasty has been a highly preferred procedure in our country in recent years.
Many people achieve successful results with this operation, which is performed by expert aesthetic and plastic surgeons. Of course, there are some complications and risks. The most common complications are infection, bleeding, clotting, fluid accumulation and worsening of the surgical scar. In such cases;
Antibiotics are recommended for people to prevent infection. If there is an infection or abscess formation, they are corrected by emptying them.
Compression stockings are recommended so that the patient does not face this problem in case of clotting. In addition, the problem can also be prevented by regular walking.
If the patients are not diabetic and do not smoke, it is very unlikely that the surgical scars will turn into bad wounds. If this happens, the patient can be additionally treated spot treatment.
As with any surgical intervention, there are some risks in tummy tuck procedures. First of all, it is a procedure performed under general anesthesia and some complications can develop as a result. In this process, the more you follow your doctor’s recommendations, the smoother the process. You should definitely keep in touch with your doctor and get support from him when necessary.
Pregnancy after Tummy Tuck Aesthetics
Individuals who have not experienced pregnancy yet may face the problem of stretching and sagging in the abdomen as a result of excessive weight loss. In such cases, there is no need to give up the procedure just because there is a possibility of getting pregnant.
However, pregnancy planning should also be done well because you have to wait at least 1 year to get pregnant after the surgery.
When you become pregnant after tummy tuck surgery, you will experience slackness in your abdomen. Of course, this slackness and sagging will not be as much as before the operation. However, it should not be forgotten that slackness and sagging will recur. Abdominoplasty After Pregnancy
Post-pregnancy tummy tuck surgery refers to the most preferred periods in our country. After pregnancy, there are stretch marks, deformities and sagging in the abdominal area. Since a lot of weight is gained in this process, it is very normal for the area to slacken.
With the end of the pregnancy, if the patient wants to have a tummy tuck operation, first of all, she has to lose the weight she gained during the pregnancy. If the weight gained during pregnancy is still standing, the procedure will not be appropriate.
After pregnancy, women should also wait for at least 6 months. You should also have stopped breastfeeding during this period. As it is known, it is not right for people to undergo any surgical operation during the breastfeeding period.
Another factor that those who are considering operations such as skin removal surgery should pay attention to is when to get pregnant again. If you are planning to get pregnant again in the near future, you will not get enough efficiency. It will be much better to get the next pregnancy over with and have the operation after completing the process.
Tummy Tuck After Sleeve Gastrectomy
A tummy tuck is very much needed after sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Weight is lost quickly after sleeve gastrectomy. Due to this weight loss, annoying excess skin appears in the abdomen.
Therefore, a tummy tuck procedure may arise as a necessity after sleeve gastrectomy surgery. However, after this operation, you must stop losing weight completely for the tummy tuck process. Therefore, you need to get rid of all your excess weight first.
After the sleeve gastrectomy operation, the patient shall wait for 1 year to lose sufficient weight. If the patient still continues to lose weight after 1 year after the operation, the tummy tuck will have to wait until the ideal weight is reached. Abdominal aesthetics can be easily performed when the ideal weight is reached.
Does the operation leave scars?
The scar condition after abdominoplasty varies from person to person. In general, it is ensured that the area where the procedure is performed remains below the bikini line. In addition, people should pay attention to some important points to ensure that the scar heals.
Smoking is an important problem that prevents the healing of wounds. In the first months, the scars have a reddish-pink appearance, but after a period of 6 months, the scars fade into a paler color.
The scars can become very vague when 1 year has passed after the operation. The scars are usually similar to cesarean section scars. For those who have already had a cesarean section before, the procedure is done in the same area and no other incision is made again.
Can a Tummy Tuck and Liposuction Be Done Together?
Liposuction is often performed together with the tummy tuck operation. Both can be done together in a single procedure. It is recommended that they are done together to get a better waist line and avoid slackness and sagging again later.
Thanks to liposuction, excess fat deposits and skin in the abdomen are removed, and then an excellent result can be obtained with a tummy tuck Is
Non-Surgical Abdominoplasty Possible?
It is a frequently asked question by patients who do not want surgical intervention. Since there is not much damage to the abdomen in mild weight loss or low weight gain during pregnancy, surgical intervention may not be necessary.
However, in this process, the person should do sports at a sufficient level, eat healthy foods and use supplement products. However, excess skin inevitably appears when large amounts of weight loss occurs.
In this case, this excess skin must be removed. In other words, surgical intervention is essential in abdominal deformations that occur as a result of excessive weight loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can postpartum stretch marks be eliminated with a tummy tuck?
All stretch marks that occur after birth or due to weight loss can be eliminated with this operation. All stretch marks under the navel can be corrected with tummy tuck surgery, regardless of the cause.
Can abdominal hernia be eliminated with a tummy tuck?
In tummy tuck operations, while the muscles in the abdomen are repaired, hernias in the abdomen are also corrected. In addition to the abdominal area, hernias in the midsection can also be corrected with this operation.
There is no additional risk factor for hernia.
Is the surgery performed in summer?
Abdominoplasty is a procedure that can be applied in all seasons. Of course, it can be preferred in the summer season. Unfortunately, the operation scars should be prevented from contact with the sun. In this process, sunscreen with a factor of at least 50 should be used. In addition, surgical scars in the summer can be uncomfortable as they will itch more in the heat.
Can laser application be used on the formed scars?
Laser application is often preferred to remove scars after the operation. With IPL laser applications, the color of the scars in the area is completely faded. However, it is still useful to consult a doctor before applying.
Abdominoplasty Prices 2024
The price of tummy tuck surgery varies according to the preferred methods and the deformities in the patient’s abdomen. As a result, the process does not proceed the same in full tummy tuck and mini tummy tuck. Therefore, the fee charged for these procedures is different. Furthermore, if the tummy tuck operation includes extra fat removal, the price is calculated accordingly.
In short, our doctor must examine you first to quote a procedure price and decide how to proceed. A tummy tuck surgery price will be quoted according to the condition of your abdominal area.
You can contact us at 0552 584 84 10 and 0216 747 95 00 to make an appointment and get more information about tummy tuck surgery prices. Contact us immediately to get information about Abdominoplasty Surgery Prices 2024.
