Executive Level E1, Excen Centre, 119 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest 2065 Tel: 02 9817 7585 www.mycosmeticclinic.net AFFORDABILITY WITH EXCELLENCE Liposuction Breast Augmentation Abdominoplasty Eyelids Surgery Face Lift Neck Lift Thread Lift Eyebrow Lift Anti- wrinkle Injections Facial Fillers ABDOMINOPLASTY - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) 1. What is Abdominoplasty /Tummy Tuck surgery? Abdominoplasty, also known as tummy tuck, is the surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat of the abdomen and possibly tighten the underlying fascia and muscles. The result is a tighter looking abdominal area. Some patients require a repositioning of the umbilicus or belly button. 2. How do I know if I am a good candidate for a Tummy Tuck procedure? Although only a qualified Cosmetic surgeon can determine if you are a good candidate for Tummy Tuck surgery, there are certain criteria: You must be in good physical health to be able to undergo surgery. You must have no wound healing disorders. You must be in a good state of mental health to undergo this procedure. You must be willing to accept having a scar, whether visible or hidden. You must not be pregnant. You must be at or near your target body fat percentage and not be significantly overweight. You must be in a financial position to pay for your surgery and any additional unforeseen costs which may arise from possible complications.
3. How many techniques are there and how do I know which one is best for me? Many patients fall under two categories: skin-only Abdominoplasty (which include Mini Tummy Tucks) and those requiring a Full Tummy Tuck (FTT), which involves reconstruction and tightening of the underlying fascia and muscles. However there are several incision methods and surgical techniques which may include endoscopic rectus diastasis correction, Reverse Abdominoplasty and vertical Scar Abdominoplasty. Only after a complete physical examination, will your doctor will be able to determine which option will be best for your own case. 4. How do I know whether or not I will need only a Mini Tummy Tuck or a Full Tummy Tuck (FTT)? Only your doctor will be able to determine which technique is best for your needs, however if you have considerable pooch and your abdominal fascia and muscles or stretched, you will normally require a FTT. If you have tight muscles but a little loose skin, you may qualify for a Modified or Mini Tummy Tuck. 5. How do I know if I need muscle repair? As above, if you have been pregnant or have been overweight for some time, the fascia covering your abdominal muscles may have stretched. No amount of exercise and diet will correct this. If you are at a healthy body fat percentage and the fascia is stretched, the pooch that you see is normally the visceral fat and organs pressing against the overlying fascia. After a full physical examination, your surgeon will be able to determine if you need muscle repair. 6. Does non-surgical tummy tuck method work? The skin tightening effects of non-surgical methods, such as radiofrequency and lasers, cannot give you significant improvement nor do their benefits last. They also have no effect on the underlying muscles and fascia. 7. What are the risks of Abdominoplasty surgery? The most common risks of tummy tuck surgery are infection, hematoma, seroma, incision opening, wound healing problems, scar asymmetry, "dog ears" and anaesthesia risks. Please see the consent form for more information.
8. What type of anaesthesia will I have for my Tummy Tuck? For Mini Tummy Tucks, your procedure can be performed under Local anaesthesia and Light Sleep IV Sedation. For that requiring muscle repair, many surgeons prefer to use General Anaesthesia due to the involuntary contraction of the abdominal muscles in patients who are not deeply anesthetized. However it can also be performed under IV sedation. Please speak to your surgeon about which method of anaesthesia he prefers for this surgery. 9. How long will it take to perform my Tummy Tuck surgery? The length of operating room time will vary on the amount of correction needed by the patient. For a Mini Tummy Tuck, surgical time may only be 1-2 hours. However, for patients requiring muscle repair or if a patient is choosing to undergo complementary procedures, the surgical time will increase anywhere from 3 to 6 hours. 10. Can I get liposuction or a breast reduction / breast lift / breast implants at the same time as my Tummy Tuck? This is usually decided on a case basis. if a surgeon feels that the patient can undergo more time under anaesthesia safely or if the patient's risk of abnormal blood clotting is relatively low, the surgeon may choose to add liposuction to the roster. Patients do commonly get Tummy Tuck, complementary liposuction around the treatment area (flanks and hips) for contouring, and a breast lift procedure. However, excessive liposuction with a tummy tuck procedure will increase risks of blood clotting or fat embolism. This is entirely dependent upon the surgeon and your own health. Please be advised that the more traumas you put your body through and the more areas treated, your risks will increase. 11. What should I expect during my Tummy Tuck recovery? How much does it hurt? You will be sore, swollen and bruised, you will also not be able to stand up straight, or lie flat for a while. Abdominoplasty requires commit to the healing phase and recovery protocol adherence. A Full Tummy Tuck is an invasive procedure; however the recovery and discomfort will be worth it once you are healed. 12. Will I need to stay overnight in the hospital? Depending upon the amount to tissue that has been removed, or your state of health, you may be instructed to stay over night. If you have long hours of surgery or slow recovery for anaesthesia or had more than one procedure, you also may be required to stay.
13. Will my health insurance cover all or part of the cost of my Tummy Tuck? Some insurance company do pay a part of tummy tuck surgery or anaesthesia or hospital admission fees. Ask your insurance company if there is full or partial coverage available for your procedure. 14. Does the suture removal or drain removal hurt? Drain removal may cause discomfort. At the very least it has been described as feeling "odd". Suture removal may also cause discomfort. The incision line may be sensitive and the removal of the sutures or the accidental snipping of the skin during the clipping of the sutures before being pulled out can hurt. However, the majority of the recovery pain will have subsided and it only gets better from here! 15. How long will I have to stay slightly bent over? Will I ever stand up straight again? Although the majority of the inability to stand up straight lasts no more than 2 weeks, you will notice that even after this period of time, your knees may still be slightly bent to compensate. Sharp pains that seem to come out of nowhere will occur but are generally over rather quickly. The length of time one cannot stand up straight depends upon the tightness at the incision line and underlying muscles, as well as the amount of tissue removed and pain tolerance of the patient. If you have been tightened too much, and it may feel like it at first, this period of time may last even longer. 16. How long do I have to wait before I can have intercourse? Simply put, you will not want to have intercourse any time soon. Although some patients advise that the 3 week mark may be enough, you may not feel like it for a while. Based upon the fact that it hurts to stretch your stomach, lie flat, or move quickly, you just may not be "in the mood". Your recovery period will ultimately be determined by the invasiveness of your procedure and your own personal pain tolerance. However, please consult with your own surgeon before having intercourse, exercising, or raising your blood pressure and heart rate in any way, shape or form. 17. What treatments for my Tummy Tuck scar actually work? Although the resulting scar is truly dependent upon your own body and how you normally heal, Steri-Strips can flatten scars and keep them protected in the interim (although some patients may experience irritation). After suture removal and subsequent suture hole closing, you may wish to ask your surgeon about Silicone Sheeting. Silicone sheeting has a wonderful record in improving scars and from hindering keloids from forming.
18. Is Abdominoplasty a good way to lose weight? No, Abdominoplasty is not a good method for weight loss. Not only is it less effective for people who are obese, but also the results are less than ideal, and there are increased risks for the significantly overweight person. The best candidates are those who have attained their correct body weight, and yet still have the abdominal problems which do not respond to further weight loss or exercise. 19. Does Abdominoplasty take care of cellulite? There is nothing mystical or special about "cellulite", it is just fat, but it is fat located just under the skin, making a rippled look that is quite apparent. Abdominoplasty removes some of this cellulite fat also, but it is difficult to eliminate entirely. Weight loss by dieting is the best way. Sometimes, these skin irregularities can become more noticeable after Abdominoplasty. 20. Does Abdominoplasty take care of stretch marks? Stretch marks are scars. They are produced by distension of the skin, but only in situations in which there are various hormones circulating, as in pregnancy and puberty. Those stretch marks located on the lower abdomen will be removed with the extra skin. Those located on the upper abdomen will be shifted downward as the skin is brought downward. The stretch marks that remain are tightened and smoothed out somewhat. 21. Where are the scars after Abdominoplasty? There is sometimes a scar around the navel with full Abdominoplasty. There is almost always a low horizontal scar across the lower abdomen just above the hairline. Sometimes there is also a short vertical scar above the pubic area. 22. Can the problems come back after Abdominoplasty? Fat cannot come back unless one gains weight again, in which case all body areas will share in the weight gain. However, after Abdominoplasty the treated area has a permanently decreased capacity for additional fat, because so many of the fat cells have simply been removed. But there are still fat cells present, so some gain in that area is to be expected with weight gain. Skin stretches with the passage of time, and so as the years go by there will be more skin, and for the same reason the muscles will gradually stretch out again. Nevertheless, a better contour after surgery is in a sense permanent, in that no matter what the person's age, the benefits remain. 23. What is the recovery period after Abdominoplasty? Recovery time depends on the individual, but usually follows a general pattern. For the first five to seven days, the patients take fairly strong pain medicine, usually a mild narcotic. During this time they generally stay at
home, and they cannot drive a car or operate machinery. Near the one-week mark, when they are on milder medicine, they can start light exercise, such as walking, treadmill, stationary bike, but not impact exercises like running or aerobics. The second week, weights or exercise machines can be added, and then after three weeks, running and aerobics can be done. The point at which work can be resumed depends upon how the work activities fit into the progression described above, and this is individualized. We often recommend that an elastic binder be worn for varying lengths of time. 24. How do I schedule an initial consultation for abdominoplasty? Dr. Ansari is an experienced surgeon who is dedicated to helping patients achieve the results they desire. If you are interested in experiencing the benefits of abdominoplasty for yourself, contact My Cosmetic Clinic. You can call us on 0298177585 during working hours. You can book your appointment online via our website www.mycosmeticclinic.net or you can send an inquiry through our website and we will come in contact with you as soon as possible.