The Tummy Tuck: What You Need to Know

Some parts of our bodies are magnets for fat and the stomach is a favorite spot. When exercise and diet don’t get rid of this flab, it’s the logical next step to think of a surgical procedure. If you’re thinking on these lines, you could find yourself in the company of people who might have experienced extreme weight loss; had surgeries or recently given birth. These events cause abdominal skin and muscle to lose their suppleness, leading these folk to look at excess skin removal. Whether you are looking to remove fat or at excess skin removal after extreme weight loss, the ‘tummy tuck’ is common ground. Sounds cute and harmless, right? Officially, the tummy tuck is an 'abdominoplasty': a major surgery performed under anesthesia.
 
What surgery entails
A tummy tuck is less drastic than Bariatric surgery (which is performed to yield extreme weight loss) or liposuction. People who opt for a tummy tuck are usually just a little step away from their ideal body weight or just need some excess skin removal after extreme weight loss. The tummy tuck can be performed in varying degrees ranging from a complete tummy tuck (up to five hours) to a mini tummy tuck which can be completed in one to two hours. What surgeons do is to aim for excess skin removal and fat removal from around the middle and lower abdomen through an incision, and then tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall with sutures. The tummy tuck is sometimes combined with other procedures such as a liposuction or breast lift depending on the reasons for surgery.
 
What it might suck out of your wallet
The cost of a tummy tuck generally depends on your physical condition as well as how much weight removal or excess skin removal is needed. $4000 to US $20,000 is the typical range: these rates could be higher if you need particular post-operative procedures or extra care. The bad news is that it is unlikely you’ll find insurance for this procedure – excess skin removal after extreme weight loss isn't considered essential treatment!
 
Trust your tuck to safe hands
There are enough horror stories about tummy tucks, liposuction and bariatric surgery floating around the Internet for you to know that researching your surgeon well beforehand will help reduce the risks of something going wrong during surgery. As with liposuction or bariatric surgery, you need to check the surgeon's accreditation and credentials and also the number of years spent in the industry before deciding on ‘the one’ for your tummy tuck.
 
What might go wrong
It's unlikely that the tummy tuck will have any major side-effects but there are certain risk factors. Permanent scarring could result from this procedure. Other risk factors include the chance that sutures could rupture, healing could be slow, infection could result and your body might have adverse reactions to the anesthesia.
 
How your body reacts
Advertisements for most tummy tucks make it seem like you hop into a surgery room and then hop out again - but the truth is that there is a significant amount of discomfort after a tummy tuck. It's not unusual to have some numbness and bruising and the typical recovery period spans between one and four weeks, so be prepared to take time off from work! Full recovery takes about three to six months and it is best that you don't go berserk using weights at your gym or over-exercise during this period: use the time to help your body recover.

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