Friday, April 8, 2016

Basics Relating To Tummy Tucks Somerville Residents Should Know

By Betty Roberts


Tummy tuck (or abdominoplasty) is a procedure that is used to create a tauter abdomen. It is an option that is considered when diet and exercise have failed to yield the desired results. In general, it entails the surgical removal of excess fat and skin leaving behind tighter abdominal muscles. If they plan on having tummy tucks Somerville residents need to understand a few things about the procedure.

Abdominoplasty is a procedure that is available for both men and women. While it is different from liposuction, it is common for both procedures to be performed concurrently. The typical candidate is an individual with central obesity or a woman who has just been through pregnancy and has a lot of redundant skin in the abdominal region. The major requirement is that one be in a good state of health.

What is required as part of preparation will be communicated by your surgeon. Generally, however, the requirements are similar to those that apply to any major operation. Smoking should be stopped two weeks before the procedure at the very latest. This is because smoking contains nicotine that delays wound healing and by extension, recovery. If you are on blood thinners or aspirin, you will also need to stop them at the same time.

There are two main techniques that are used here: complete abdominoplasty and mini (partial) abdominoplasty. In complete abdominoplasty, a more extensive procedure is performed and more fat is removed. In the partial procedure, smaller incisions are used since the aim is to remove just a small amount of fat. The region of interest in this case is the low abdomen (below the navel).

The surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia which means that you will be unconscious throughout the whole exercise. The surgery lasts for between one and five hours depending on the extent of fat removal. After the required amount of fat has been removed the wound is closed using sutures. Surgical tubes may be inserted into the wound to allow for drainage of tissue fluid. An overnight stay in hospital is usually needed in most cases to allow for postoperative observation.

As is the case with other surgeries, there are some possible complications that you need to familiarize yourself with. Pain is a common experience in the immediate postoperative period and may continue to be experienced for a few days. This is why pain relievers are a necessity. There is also a risk for having wound infection hence it is important that antibiotics be used as well. Other common complications include fatigue, numbness and swelling.

There may be a need for other operations in some cases. One of the indications of subsequent operations is poorly healed wounds resulting in prominent unsightly scars. When this happens there is more skin loss than excepted. This complication is likely to be seen in persons who are genetically predisposed to getting keloids on healing wounds. Whether you have this risk or not, bear in mind that the resultant scars never disappear for good.

There are a few situations in which having abdominoplasty would be inappropriate. If you have plans of becoming pregnant, for example, the general advice is that you postpone the procedure until after deliver. This is because the stretch experienced during the period is likely to reverse the gains made by the operation. Persons that wish to lose large amounts of fat should consider other alternatives.




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