The midsection is a difficult place to tighten and tone, even with the most stringent diet and exercise. Fortunately, the abdominoplasty (or “tummy tuck”) procedure is designed to target the abdomen and sculpt a sleek and slim silhouette. If you are bothered by a protruding tummy or saggy skin around your stomach, consider tummy tuck in Chicago. Dr. Szczerba and Dr. Kapadia work closely with patients to achieve beautiful, natural-looking results. They take their time to develop a treatment plan that the patient feels comfortable with surgery, recovery, the cost, risks and benefits — at any time. Learn more about tummy tuck and our state-of-the-art Chicago cosmetic surgery facilities by exploring the information below.
Surgery Candidates
Tummy tuck is a great option for individuals with excess skin and fat in the abdominal area that protrudes or sags. An ideal Chicago tummy tuck candidate is a person in good health and at a stable weight. Tummy tuck patients should not smoke or plan to become pregnant in the near future. In fact, it is a good idea to wait until you are done having children to have a tummy tuck.
Tummy tuck patients should keep in mind that this procedure is not a weight loss surgery. It will not eliminate significant excess weight or substitute for a healthy lifestyle. Instead, tummy tuck will tighten and tone those body areas that diet and exercise cannot target. This is why many people choose to have a tummy tuck after they have lost significant amount of weight through non-surgical or surgical means.
The Procedure
Before the procedure, anesthesia will be administered by one of our board-certified anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists. Then, a horizontal incision above the pubic line. The length of the incision depends on the particular treatment plan and the amount of correction needed. For example, if only a small amount of fat and skin needs to be removed, the incision will remain short; if a more extensive amount of fat and skin needs to be removed, then the incision could extend around the circumference of the abdomen. Through the incision, the plastic surgeon will tighten the abdominal musculature and eliminate excess fat and skin. The surgeon may remove skin that has excessive stretch marks, and reposition the belly button. Liposuction may be employed to eliminate the excess fat if necessary. The incision will be closed and the area will be bandaged.
Recovery
Immediately after surgery, most of our abdominoplasty patients notice swelling and bruising around the waist; this tends to disappear within several weeks. Minor residual swelling might remain for a couple of months. Incisions will be pink or red and will fade over time as well. It is important that tummy tuck patients get as much rest as possible after surgery. Stretching, straining and lifting should be avoided until the doctor advises it is safe to do so. Light exercise is encouraged after surgery, but high impact exercise is not recommended for at least several weeks after the procedure.
Benefits and Risks of Tummy Tuck Surgery
Tummy tuck can transform a protruding belly into a sleek, slim midsection. The procedure removes excess skin and fat along with stretch marks of the lower abdomen. Tummy tuck surgery also tightens abdominal muscles that have separated. There are some surgical risks, including excessive bleeding, infection, complications from the anesthesia, and the development of fluid accumulation under the skin. These risks (and how to minimize them) will be discussed with Dr. Szczerba during the initial consultation.
Male Abdominoplasty
The distinction between full and mini-abdominoplasty is how the belly button is treated. Removing only lower abdominal skin is a mini-abdominoplasty. This is a good option if only the lower abdomen has loose skin. If the upper abdomen is loose too, then you should consider a full abdominoplasty.
Unlike women, men usually do not need an abdominal wall tightening, and there are other technical differences between male and female body contouring. The scars are placed at slightly different areas because of underlying anatomy.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
If you would like to schedule a consultation to speak with our plastic surgeons about the procedure, please contact Chicago Aesthetic Surgery Institute. In addition to helping Chicago abdominoplasty patients realize their aesthetic goals, Dr. Szczerba is also very experienced with Chicago mommy makeover, liposuction and laser liposuction providers. Other body contouring procedures their patients request more often include Brazilian butt lift and body lift.