Abdominoplasty After Pregnancy

How does tummy tuck and pregnancy affect me? An abdominoplasty after pregnancy can be a way for a woman to restore figure after pregnancy, as in many cases, diet and exercise aren’t enough. Having children means making sacrifices. For many women, especially women who deliver their baby via cesarean section, their pre-pregnancy figure is the most obvious thing that is sacrificed. In many cases, these changes cannot be reversed through diet and exercise alone. In cases like these, an abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, can dramatically improve the appearance of their abdominal area and help restore the figure that they had before their pregnancy. Liposuction can also be performed at the same time if stubborn excess fat has remained after childbirth.

Effects accumulate over multiple pregnancies. Muscle tone and skin elasticity can change dramatically. A tummy tuck may then be especially beneficial, restoring a more youthful appearance to their midsection. Inelastic skin can be removed, as well as excess fat, and some stretch marks may be removed with the excess skin.

The Abdominoplasty Procedure

Abdominoplasty procedures vary in scope. They are frequently divided into categories based on the severity of the procedure. A complete abdominoplasty can take one to five hours. A partial abdominoplasty, or mini-tuck, normally can be finished in an hour or two.

The procedure for a complete, or full, abdominoplasty typically starts with an incision made from hip to hip just above the pubic area. Then, another incision is made to free the navel from the surrounding skin. The skin is then detached from the abdominal wall to reveal the muscles and fascia to be tightened. The muscle fascia wall is tightened with sutures. After that, the surgeon removes the excess and closing the defect tighten the remaining skin and fat. The belly button stalk is then brought out through a new hole and sutured into place, and liposuction is often used to refine the transition zones of the abdominal sculpture. Typically the patient will have dressing and sometimes a compression garment applied and any excess fluid from the site drained.

Mini Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

A partial, or mini, abdominoplasty involves smaller incisions. The skin and fat of the lower abdomen are detached in a more limited fashion from the muscle fascia. The skin is stretched down and excess skin removed. The belly button stalk may be divided from the muscle below and the belly button moved lower on the abdominal wall. A portion of the abdominal muscle fascia wall is then tightened, and liposuction is often used to contour the transition zone. After all that, the flap is stitched back into place.