The desire to get a flat tummy by women is increasing day by day.
Women have opted to go under the knife to achieve this desirable goal.
A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure to improve the shape and appearance of the abdomen.
To show the procedure is gaining popularity, the health summit reveals that nearly 140,000 tummy tucks are performed each year in the U.S.
This has made the procedure the sixth-most common cosmetic surgery.
Dr Raza Momeni from Summit Health reveals things people should know about Tummy Tucks
Do not consider surgery until your weight is stable.
There is no ideal weight for a tummy tuck procedure, as long as the candidate is healthy.
But patients need to be at a point where they do not plan to lose or gain more than 10 per cent of their body weight.
People with a BMI over 35 should consider plastic surgery very cautiously because the risk of complications increases.
Do not crash diet before the procedure
Some people think they should starve themselves before a tummy tuck to shed a few extra pounds.
This results in a worse outcome Dr Momeni says.
“A lot of times patients lose weight right before the procedure, thinking they are going to get a better result,” he says.
“The surgery actually can turn out worse after crash diets, because their body is deficient in proteins and essential nutrients.”
Scars can be hidden and well-managed
A tummy tuck procedure uses a horizontal incision that can be covered up along the waistline, under the waistband of bathing suits.
In most cases, Dr Momeni says they can use a C-section incision if one is present, so patients only end up with one scar.
“In addition to hiding our incisions, we carefully manage the scar healing process, so patients have the best possible result,” he adds.
Recovery is not as extensive as it used to be.
Tummy tucks have evolved tremendously over the past 20 years.
Patients used to stay overnight in the hospital for several days.
Today, the procedure can be performed in two to three hours at an outpatient ambulatory surgical centre.
Tummy tucks can be combined with other procedures.
Many individuals seeking plastic surgery are looking to have multiple body areas improved.
A tummy tuck can be done at the same time as other cosmetic enhancements.
For example, patients who have a tummy tuck after extensive weight loss often want to have excess skin removed from other areas of their body like the arms or neck.
In women who have been pregnant, the surgery is commonly combined with a breast lift, reduction, or augmentation.