Give the gift of DPS Gift Vouchers. Contact Us Today!

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Basics

Click here to join Dr. Tauber’s mailing list and get informative blog posts and helpful hints delivered to your inbox weekly.
Click here to contact Dr. Tauber to make an appointment for a free cosmetic consultation today!

What is a “FULL” tummy tuck?

The full tummy tuck (full abdominoplasty) operation is performed in an operating room under general anesthesia and begins with elevating a layer of belly skin and fat; separating it from the belly muscles all the way up to the ribs. During this dissection, the belly button is separated from the surround skin and left attached to the belly wall. The skin and fat is pulled down tight and the excess skin and fat is removed. The abdominal muscles are then sutured together to remove the laxity (plication). Finally, the belly button is brought out to the surface through a new hole in the skin (transposition) and the incisions are closed over drains.

Full Tummy Tuck Diagram

Full Tummy Tuck Surgery

How can I see what surgery may be right for me? – “The Mirror Test.”


An easy way to know if you need a full tummy tuck is to look for the following things while naked and standing in front of the mirror.

  • From the front, do you have stretch marks around your belly button? When you pinch your skin, is it thick and snappy or is it thin and crepey?
  • Front the side do you see skin that hangs, creating an extra fold(s) (perhaps you have to “tuck” this extra skin into your underwear or pants)? When you flex your belly muscles, does your belly still bulge?

If you answer “Yes!” to any of these questions, you will probably need a full tummy tuck.

How is recovery from a full tummy tuck?

As with any surgery, the pain after a full tummy tuck is usually worse in the 2-3 days immediately after surgery and tends to improve after that. Management of pain is usually through a combination of narcotic and non-narcotic pain medications taken by mouth, oral medications that lessen muscle spasm, and long acting local anesthetics injected during surgery or infused from a small pump.
Post-operatively, patients are placed into an abdominal binder with smoothing foam backing. Patients wear this until about a week after the drains are removed (usually around 3 weeks after surgery). Dr. Tauber then recommends patients transition to a Spanx OnCore Firm Control Open-Bust Bodysuit (available on Amazon) for smoothing compression for the next month.
The ability to return to work and everyday activities is variable and depends on many factors including the type of work, the pain tolerance of the patient, and the extent of the procedures. Most patients are ready to return to their lives in 2 weeks.
Dr. Tauber’s post-operative recommendations.
Click here to contact Dr. Tauber to make an appointment for a free cosmetic consultation today!

Click here to Subscribe to the DeLuca Plastic Surgery Newsletter. Get informative blog posts, helpful hints, and weekly specials delivered straight to your inbox.

Click Below to Follow Dr. Tauber

Instagram Snapchat Twitter Facebook


Share

 
#plasticsurgery #abdominoplasty #tummytuck #social

Contact Us For A Free Consultation

Contact Us
Click here to join Dr. Tauber's mailing list and get informative blog posts and helpful hints delivered to your inbox weekly. Click here to contact Dr. Tauber to make an appointment for a free cosmetic consultation today!

What is a breast lift?

A breast lift (mastopexy) is powerful procedure that can lift the nipple, reduce excess skin, and reshape the breasts to sit higher on the chest in a more youthful position. A breast lift is appropriate for patients with breasts that are adequately sized but saggy; but can also be done in combination with an implant to add volume (breast lift - augmentation), to adjust for asymmetry, or to improve unusually shaped breasts (tuberous breasts). The gold-standard method of assessing the need for a breast lift is the "pencil test." Standing in front of a mirror, lift the breast and lay a pencil in the fold under the breast and allow the breast to settle over the pencil. Look at the position of the nipple in relation to the pencil. [caption id="attachment_5884" align="aligncenter" width="450"]Pencil Test For Determining Degree of Breast Ptosis Pencil Test For Breast Ptosis[/caption] The lower the nipples and breast are below the pencil and the more excess skin you have, the greater the chance you will need a breast lift and the more of a breast lift you will need. If your nipple and a majority of your breast are at or above the pencil (Normal), you will likely get a great result from a breast augmentation alone. Larger implants can shift this equation slightly for patients that have borderline ptosis (Grade 1). The trade off with a breast lift, is a scar on the breast around the nipple with a possible extension down towards the breast crease creating a lollipop or possibly an inverted “T” pattern. The choice of incision is based on multiple factors including patient anatomy, surgeon preference, and patient preference. [caption id="attachment_5893" align="aligncenter" width="450"]Breast Lift Incisions: Peri-Areolar, Lollipop, and Inverted "T" Breast Lift Incisions: Peri-Areolar, Lollipop, and Inverted "T"[/caption]

What surgery is right for me?

A detailed examination will help delineate the best surgical treatment. The goal of a breast breast lift is to create an aesthetic breast with the size, shape, and projection that is desired by the patient. The decision about the type of surgery and, if needed, the size, shape, and position of the implants is based on the patient’s anatomy, the type and size of the implant, and patient's preferences. During your consultation, measurements of the breasts are used as a starting point to recommend a surgery and in-office sizing and digital three-dimensional computer simulations are used to help guide your implant choices.

Dr. David Tauber at DeLuca Plastic Surgery tailors the operation to each individual patient. Dr. Tauber's post-operative recommendations. Click here to contact Dr. Tauber to make an appointment for a free cosmetic consultation today! Click here to Subscribe to the DeLuca Plastic Surgery Newsletter. Get informative blog posts, helpful hints, and weekly specials delivered straight to your inbox.

Click Below to Follow Dr. Tauber
Instagram Snapchat Twitter Facebook
Follow @DMTauberMD Tweet
Share
  #plasticsurgery #breastlift #mastopexy #social