Who needs abdominoplasty?



Although women are the majority of abdominoplasty candidates, anybody who has an abdominal protrusion which will not be affected by diet or exercise is likely to think about this procedure. Loose skin in the abdominal area causes some to look into the possibility of undergoing this surgery as well. Often as a result of the tightness of the abdominal skin from pregnancy, women will seek out this surgery to correct the problem after exercise and diet fail to correct the situation.

The Dangers of Abdominoplasty

When performed by a skilled, qualified surgeon, there is very little risk of complications and is a total success in most patients. However, it should be understood that any surgical procedure does come with some risks of complications. The patient considering an abdominoplasty procedure must of course be aware of these risks before having the surgery.

Infection and blood clots are possible, though very rare complications sometimes seen from an abdominoplasty. These complications are treatable, but will result in a longer hospital stay following the operation. Healing is better in some patients than in others, with scar formation happening in a small number of patients. If the scars are prominent, a second operation may be needed. If you are considering undergoing this procedure and you smoke, quit! Smoking can exacerbate any complications from the operation.

Hoe To Plan and Prepare for an Abdominoplasty Procedure

First, the surgeon must evaluate the skin tone of the patient and the size and location of fat deposits in the patient's abdomen. After having looked at these factors, the surgeon will recommend either a partial or full abdominoplasty based on their findings. If fat deposits are to be found only below the navel, then a partial abdominoplasty will likely be their recommendation. If they are more extensive, or simply to result in a better end result for the patient, the surgeon will recommend either a full abdominoplasty or a partial abdominoplasty in tandem with liposuction.

You will be given some guidelines in regard to diet and other habits (i.e. - smoking and drinking) to be followed prior to undergoing the procedure. If you develop an illness or an infection, your surgery will probably be postponed until a later date. The complete abdominoplasty procedure takes between two and five hours, depending on the patient and a partial abdominoplasty one to two hours.

A complete abdominoplasty entails an incision being made from hip to hip, right above the pubis. A second incision will be made near the navel to facilitate the procedure. A partial abdominoplasty requires a much smaller incision, with a second incision often not being needed.