Tummy Tuck: Choosing the Best Technique For Your Needs
Unsightly skin and fat around the midsection can be very embarrassing. Maybe you have lost a massive amount of weight and now have loose sagging stomach skin marring your otherwise newly slim figure. Or maybe you have dieted and exercised as much as humanly possible and your love handles just won’t respond. Maybe your body has survived a pregnancy or two and you are ready to get your abs back to pre-baby shape. Whatever the case, a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty may be a great solution to your problem.
Once you have decided on this plastic procedure, the next step is to decide which surgery technique is best for you. There are three techniques, including the traditional, the mini tummy tuck and the endoscopic abdominoplasty.
The Traditional Method
With the traditional abdominoplasty technique, the incision is made along the hip bones and down along the public bone. Another incision is made around the navel to remove it and reposition it later. The skin is loosened from the underlying tissues and the abdominal muscles are stitched together and tightened.
Liposuction is often employed at this point in the tummy tuck to eliminate stubborn fat pockets. After the muscles and tissues are all in the desired spot, the skin is stretched downward, the excess is removed.
The navel is sewn back into the skin in the appropriate place and then the main incision is closed. This technique is tried and true and has been successful for years. The main disadvantage to this method is that the scars are longer and more visible than they are with the other methods.
The Mini Tummy Tuck
The mini tummy tuck is very similar to the traditional method, but it is on a smaller scale and intended for those who are within 10 to 20 percent of their ideal weight. This procedure does not deal with the entire abdominal section, but just with the area between the navel and the pubic bone. The incision is much smaller and does not run up the hip bones like the traditional technique.
Generally the navel is left intact in its original position. The surgeon still tightens and repositions the tissues and muscles, after which she will pull the stomach skin tight and cut off the extra. The stomach is then sutured together again at the incision. The down time for this surgery is much shorter, but the effects are not as dramatic as those of the traditional method.
The Endoscopic Abdominoplasty
This is another tummy tuck procedure is that is best for those who are pretty close to their ideal weight but just seem to carry the extra weight all in their torso. In fact, it tends to be best suited to those who still have good stomach skin elasticity but have loosened abdominal muscles.
Small incisions are made along the pubic bone or around the navel and a tiny camera is inserted into the abdominal area. The camera guides all of the work being done -muscles tightening, liposuction, etc, which is why the incisions can be so small. An endoscopic abdominoplasty does not remove extra skin though, it just firms up the tissues and muscles underneath. So, if you are a considering a tummy tuck, be sure to talk to your plastic surgeon about which method you think is the best fit for your body.
If you have sagging skin around your abdomen, the best solution is to get a tummy tuck. Monroe MI plastic surgeon will explain each of the three types of tummy tucks and help you determine the surgery that is right for you. Schedule a consultation when you visit http://www.kellyplasticsurgery.com.