In order to get a firm grasp of those problems, one needs to understand how a person might develop what has come to be called a "sagging tummy". A build up of fat in cells of the abdomen can stretch fibers in the abdominal skin. Sometimes the skin will then loose its elasticity. The skin around the abdomen thus starts to sag. The tummy tuck has been designed to rid a patient of a sagging tummy.



Now plastic surgery typically allows a patient to enjoy the departure of skin and fat that served no useful function. Yet that same surgery can also create a scar. In the case of a tummy tuck, the resulting scar can place certain restrictions on the patient's future clothing choices. The patient would need to wear only apparel that could cover the scar on his or her abdomen.

An awareness of the above fact might make any patient pause and reflect before requesting surgical removal of portions of the abdomen. Certain groups of individuals have added reason to think twice about agreeing to such cosmetic surgery. Certain groups of individuals can invite added problems by giving in to their desire for a tummy tuck.

Individuals who plan to loose weight in the near future have good reason to postpone any type of plastic surgery, including abdominoplasty. Healing from any such surgery would take place slowly, if the healing patient saw the post-surgical period as a good time to go on a diet. Yet such patients do not stand alone in the ring holding those who should not contemplate abdominoplasty.

A woman who plans a future pregnancy should not look to cosmetic surgery as a way to improve the curves in her non-pregnant body. She might initially like her look after such surgery, but she might have to pay for the absence of excess skin, if she again carries a child for nine months. Patients with an abdominal scar from an earlier surgery should also hold-off on a visit to a plastic surgeon.

Even when a patient seems to be an excellent candidate for cosmetic surgery on the abdomen that patient's doctor must warn the patient about certain risks. Any surgery, including plastic surgery, can lead to infection or blood clots. A patient who wants to avoid such problems will listen carefully to his or her doctor's recommendations.

A patient's failure to heed the doctor's recommendations can slow the rate at which the patient recovers from the abdominoplasty. For that reason, the patient should refrain from exposing the abdominal skin to direct sun in the period right before the surgery. Any attempt by the patient to stay fixed on a desire for nicotine can also leave the patient unprepared for a tummy tuck procedure.