Whether it's a little excess skin around the belly from having children or having a lot of excess skin around the midsection from losing a lot of weight, sometimes regular exercise and diet just won't cut it. To remove the extra bulge around the belly, a tummy tuck is typically the best way to address the problem.
Co-host Dr. Drew Ordon explains that in a tummy tuck procedure, the physician will make an incision down below the bikini line so that the scar can be easily hidden. The doctor also makes another incision that spans the navel to the bikini line. The surgeon then lifts the skin making two flaps and exposing the abdominal muscles underneath. After repairing the muscles and bringing the two sides together with a permanent stitch, the skin is brought back down over the muscle and is stretched so that the excess can be cut away. The doctor will reposition the belly button as needed and close the incisions.
Tummy Tuck Results of Dr. Paul Vitenas, Jr.
According to Houston board certified plastic surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. E. Fred Aguilar, "Anyone who has extra skin resulting from either weight gain and then significant weight loss is an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck. Another ideal patient is a woman who has had a pregnancy or multiple pregnancies which have stretched their skin past the point of it's ability to tighten up on it's own."
A major surgical procedure, a tummy tuck is typically performed in 3 hours under general anesthesia. Choosing a qualified surgeon is very important, make sure they have years of experience performing tummy tucks. Downtime is significant: some swelling may linger near the incision for several months. Patients may resume to normal activities within a week to three weeks.
It is important to point out that for an individual who has a lot of excess skin, for example, patients who have undergone medical weight loss or any type of weight loss surgery, the option that may yield the best results could be the tummy tuck.
