Abdominoplasty is a procedure that improves the contour and
appearance of the abdomen by tightening the underlying muscle
framework, and removing excess fat and loose skin and
many stretch marks.
Pregnancy causes enlargement of your uterus with significant
stretching of the tissues of your abdomen. After delivery, you can exercise to
recover the tone in the muscles themselves, but the fascial tissues, which
interconnect the muscles, do not respond to this effort. Stretching or
looseness of the lower abdominal tissues creates bulging, which you cannot
correct with exercise.
As fat is lost beneath the skin of your abdomen, especially
after significant weight loss, the tissues may become much looser and may
actually hang downward. Skin also does not respond to any type of exercise;
however, excess loose skin can be removed during abdominoplasty.
Even in individuals who are not overweight, localized
deposits of fat can occur in areas of the abdomen, producing an undesirable
contour. If fat deposits are the only contour problem, they may be correctable
with liposuction alone. However, if stretched musculature or loose skin is
present, abdominoplasty is necessary to achieve the best result.
Abdominoplasty can achieve the following: It reshapes the
underlying framework of the abdomen to firm the abdominal wall, removes excess
fat deposits that may be present, eliminates excess loose skin to produce a
flatter, more youthful abdomen and removes some (and occasionally all)
"stretch marks".
During your consultation, Dr. Morris will ask you about the
areas of your abdomen that concern you. He will specifically explain which
components of an abdominoplasty will be necessary to achieve the best contour,
and describe the type of changes you may hopefully achieve.
Limitations
and Risks
How much your abdomen can be reshaped depends on several
factors. The quality of your tissues is very important, and is a factor over
which we have little control. If you are significantly overweight, you will get
a much better correction if you achieve a more ideal body weight before your
abdominoplasty. There is a limit to the amount of fat and skin that can be
safely removed during the procedure.
To reshape the underlying muscular framework and remove
excess skin, incisions are necessary. Incisions are placed low on the abdomen,
and their length depends on the amount of correction you require. In most
cases, it is necessary to reshape your umbilicus (belly button). Dr. Morris
will discuss the specifics of the incisions during your consultation.
Any incision will produce a scar. The quality of these scars
depends on several factors - most importantly your own specific healing
characteristics. You should think of scars as a worthwhile trade-off for the
often dramatic improvement in the shape of your abdomen.
Abdominoplasty cannot change the underlying skeleton and is
limited by how much the muscles can be tailored. Limitations are present. Risks
associated with abdominoplasty are generally very small. We want to provide you
the best information so that you'll be well informed in making your decision.
Dr. Morris will discuss any specific limitations during your
consultation. This procedure can produce extremely dramatic results and
has an exceptionally high ranking for procedures producing the greatest patient
satisfaction.
The
Operation
Incisions for abdominoplasty are placed low on your abdomen
to allow them to be concealed. The length of the incision depends on the degree
of looseness in your skin and how much will need to be removed. Dr. Morris will
discuss your unique situation with you.
The skin and fat are first lifted off the underlying
musculature of the abdomen. If the fascia (the tissue that interconnects the
muscles) is stretched, he will tighten it by placing multiple rows of sutures.
In essence, the underlying framework of the abdomen is reshaped. The skin and
fat are then pulled downward, and the excess is removed. Due to the amount of
skin that generally must be removed, it is usually necessary to make an
incision around the umbilicus (belly button).
All of your incisions will be carefully closed with sutures
placed with the utmost care so that we maximize the chance for very fine-line
scars. Usually, you'll be able to shower or bathe a few days after surgery. To
minimize fluid collection and swelling, and to improve your comfort in the
treated areas, we'll ask you to wear an elastic garment (which we provide) for
two weeks or more after surgery.
Recovery
Following abdominoplasty procedures, most patients have
moderate discomfort the first 48-72 hours, decreasing rapidly thereafter. The
degree of discomfort depends largely on the extent of surgery required to
reshape your abdomen and your personal pain tolerance. We will prescribe
medication to keep you as comfortable as possible. Your abdomen will feel
tighter as the result of the procedure. The feeling of tightness will decrease
over 1-3 weeks as swelling abates and the tissues become accustomed to their
new position.
Because of the dramatic changes this procedure provides, the
discomfort level is, for most patients, greater than most other procedures. For
this reason Dr. Morris prefers that you stay in the hospital the first night
for observation, and proper pain control. He will prescribe a pain pump which
allows you to administer to yourself small doses of pain medication as you need
it. This medication runs directly into your IV line, avoiding the need for
shots or injections to control your discomfort.
Many patients only need minimal narcotic pain medicines due
to the fact that Dr. Morris offers the ON-Q® PainBuster® Post-Op Pain Relief
System. This system helps reduce postoperative discomfort via two very
tiny tubes that are placed on the surface of your tightened muscles, delivering
a constant supply of a local anesthetic solution. The system is in place
3-4 days and the tubes are painlessly removed by the patient at home. The
use of this system has replaced pain control as the primary reason for the
overnight stay with simply convenience and nursing assistance until you get
acclimated to moving around on your own.
It is important to be up and about the day following your
procedure. How much activity we recommend depends upon the specific procedure
required to reshape your abdomen.
The
Stages of Recovery
For abdominoplasty procedures, the average....
