Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty procedures are commonly performed to tighten up the abdominal wall. Typically after multiple pregnancies, women have developed a laxity of the abdominal wall that can not be improved with diet and exercise.

Any underlying hernias are repaired at the same time that the abdominal wall is repaired. Repair of the abdominal wall is accomplished with plication sutures that bring the rectus muscles together in the midline.

Typically after 4 weeks, patients are able to visualize the improvement in their abdominal contour. Patients who undergo abdominoplasty procedures have a high satisfaction rate.

 

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Abdominoplasty: The Umbilical Contour

Abdominoplasty procedures are commonly performed to improve the abdominal contour. It is important when contouring the abdomen, to pay attention to the belly button. Not only is belly button position important, but so is the overall shape and how it heals. Healing can be unpredictable with several factors such as genetic make-up, diet, etc. having significant factors..

I prefer to use interrupted half-buried Nylon sutures to place the belly button. I find the Nylon sutures to be the least reactive and when placing them in a half-buried fashion, it tends to prevent the formation of track marks on the skin.

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Abdominoplasty to Restore the Lower Abdomen

Abdominoplasty is a commonly performed procedure. Typically patients come to our offices who have been exercising for quite some time, but who have difficulty tightening their lower abdomen. After childbirth, the lower abdomen can become significantly loose and distended. Often times, the lower abdomen will not "tighten-up" despite sit-ups or crunches.

Abdominoplasty procedures can be helpful to tighten the lower abdomen. During an abdominoplasty, a muscle plication is performed where the lower abdominal muscles are brought back into their normal position.

Patients are often very happy following an abdominoplasty as their lower abdomen is often returned to their "pre-baby" appearance.

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Abdominoplasty Surgery

Abdominoplasty procedures are commonly performed operations. It is common for patients to present in our office who are physically fit, spend significant time in the gym, but have difficulty losing a specific are of fat or skin above their belt-line. Despite strict diet and exercise, the skin and fat seem to never dissipate.

Abdominoplasty can be a good way for these patients to lose the extra skin and fat above their belt line. Often after a tummy tuck operation, patients continue to lose weight because they are more motivated to go to the gym, feel more comfortable in exercise clothing, and often the muscle placation from the tummy tuck causes patients to feel full after eating. It is important that patients continue to consume a diet rich in protein following aesthetic surgical procedures.


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Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty and hernia repairs are procedures that are commonly performed simultaneously. Umbilical hernias, ventral hernias, and C-section hernias can be accessed through standard abdominoplasty incisions to gain access to the above mentioned hernias.


The lower abdominal incision allows excellent exposure of the hernias and then for excision of the excess skin and fat. The body undergoes significant transformation following abdominoplasty. Not only does the patient continue to experience significant weight loss post-operatively, but also the posture of the body tends to improve.

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Improving Abdominal Contour with Abdominoplasty

The abdominal contour can often be improved with hernia repair and tummy tuck operations when used in combination. Typically, I tell patients that after they undergo tummy tuck and hernia repair operations, that they will often feel very full soon after eating meals.

Prior to the tummy tuck operation, when the abdominal domain is expanded, there is more room in the abdomen for food. After the operation, the abdominal muscles are tightened and there is less room in the abdomen for patients to digest food. As a result, patients tend to get full sooner after surgery. It is important that patients eat protein such as chicken, fish, meat, or beans, prior to eating their carbohydrates.


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Managing Supra-Umbilical Scars in Abdominoplasty

It is typically said that supra-umbilical scars or "scars above the belly-button" can impair healing in abdominoplasty incisions. I have found that often this problem can be circumvented by excising the abdominal scar completely. Often the midline scar can be revised and/or excised and closed, which is a technique often used in body contouring to remove excess skin from the trunk in the vertical direction in addition to the horizontal direction.

It is common after abdominoplasty for patient to experience "early satiety" after meals as there is less abdominal domain. Typically, patients get full during their meals much more quickly. Because of this, patients tend to lose a significant amount of weight post-operatively following their meals. I encourage patients to consume at least 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight following surgery.

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