What is a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) - Cosmetic Surgery

Dieting and weight loss is the best way to regain your figure. Fat builds up through overeating and a lack of activity, and when you diet and exercise, you have the potential of bringing back a sexier body that resembles the way you looked in your youth.

After losing a great deal of weight, however, you are left with the skin that your body created in order to support that weight. That skin does not tighten on its own, and it is not uncommon for small fat deposits to build up in that skin that do not go away. That is why many people elect to get a tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, as a way of tightening their skin again to reduce the signs of gravity and take away the reminder of the weight you used to have.

How Do Tummy Tucks Work?

Tummy tucks work by first cutting the skin beneath your abdomen so that the muscle is fully exposed. This allows the surgeon to then pull and measure the skin so that it perfectly covers your abdomen without any additional skin. After carefully adjusting your abdomen and tightening your muscles to give them a firmer appearance, the surgeon will then take any extra skin, fat and tissue and remove it. The skin is then sewn back into place firmer than before.

There are also different types of tummy tucks. Complete abdominoplasty is the procedure outlined above, while partial abdominoplasty performs a simplified version of the surgery involving fewer incisions but often without the abdominal tightening. There is also an “extended abdonimoplasty” which performs the same procedure as the complete abdominoplasty except extending it across the thighs to improve tightness. In addition to all of these cosmetic procedures, tummy tucks are often combined with liposuction to improve the amount of fat removal.

Who is a Tummy Tuck For?

Tummy tucks are generally designed for men and women that have lost a great deal of weight and need to remove any excess skin buildup. It is also useful for women that have completed a pregnancy and men and women that cannot seem to remove skin and fat buildup from their midsection. It is also a fairly safe procedure (though it does carry some risks), so healthy individuals that require this type of skin tightening should discuss the option with a plastic surgeon in New Orleans area.