Tummy Tuck Testimonial

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As you know, the objective of a tummy tuck surgery is to remove excess tissues of fat and skin from your midsection. Depending on your profile and amount of removal needed, this can be quite the ambitious surgery, designed for women who feel they need to repair their bodies after childbirth or after a considerable amount of weight loss has left their skin loose and hanging.

Also known as an abdominoplasty, the surgery is usually combined with liposuction and tightens the abdominal muscles to help you regain that flat, strong stomach.

But don’t just take my word for it. Listen to this testimonial from Alison, a young woman who had decided to pursue a tummy tuck fourteen years after having twins. She goes on to say that she had finally lost weight, but grew tired of her excessive and loose hanging skin, calling it “quite ugly.”

Alison describes the process from beginning, booking a “simple and straightforward” consultation with her plastic surgeon, right down to the final stages of recovery, where she found herself back at work, yet still feeling a bit sore and tired, six weeks post-surgery.

Furthermore, the best thing about this is her sheer delight in having had the surgery performed. “I wouldn’t change it for the world,” she says, calling it, “the best thing I ever did.”

Let’s take a look

Alison doesn’t go into detail on how much tissue deposit she had removed, or whether she had a mini-tummy tuck or full-tummy tuck. However, as you may guess, a full-tummy tuck procedure is for patients with more than just minimal amounts of fat needing to be removed, resulting in a longer and more invasive, yet equally satisfying surgery.

Preparing for a Tummy Tuck Recovery

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As you can probably figure out, undergoing a tummy tuck procedure—full abdominoplasty or mini-abdominoplasty, requires some preparation work. Like for any procedure, your plastic surgeon will have some definitive requirements that you should consider wholeheartedly. The aim of any plastic surgery is to undergo a treatment and postoperative recovery process that is free of complication and as stress-free as possible.

What you want to do in your preparation time is to concentrate on your doctor’s instructions about which pre-operative medications to avoid, which blood work you need to provide, and other things necessary—such as quitting smoking.

Still, it is normal that you will feel some anxiety. The best way to handle this is to prepare for your recovery period. Abdominoplasty procedures tend to be more invasive than other surgeries, and your recovery period might be a bit intense, therefore, investing some time during your prep period to your recovery will not only have your mind focused on something else, but will save you a lot of hassle post-tummy tuck.

Here is a checklist of things to do before your tummy tuck:

  • Get all the groceries you’ll need post operatively. This includes food you can cook now and freeze or store to eat after, and also “recovery foods” like soups, baby food, Jell-O and pudding. Keep in mind to purchase anything that may help relieve you from nausea.
  • Keep your house clean and tidy. You do not want to exert your body after your surgery and will not be able to clean, nor will you want to be immobile in a messy environment. This involves taking out the trash and having your laundry done and put away.
  • Take care of any heavy lifting that may be required, as this is something that will need to be avoided for quite some time after your tummy tuck.
  • Pay all bills and run any errands now, so you don’t need to worry about any of it when you are healing. Remember, you want to have the most worry free recovery possible.
  • Plan ahead and secure some literature, movies, video games and other entertainment that will keep you in good spirits.
  • Make sure you have all medications and prescriptions filled before surgery, and have them all ready, separated and organized to your liking. The best way to do this is to keep them in daily containers.
  • If you have pets, make sure you can still tend to them or have someone else do it for you. However, it is recommended you go for walks in your recovery time, so taking your dog out a couple times a day might still be recommended by your surgeon.
  • Place everything at hip-height. You may not be able to bend down or lift-up for a few days after your surgery.
  • Place buckets or pails around your house (at your bed, your couch) in case you become ill from medication. You do not want to be running to the restroom as this may make you feel worse.
  • Basically, plan ahead: have pillows, extra comforters and blankets, your favorite comfy-clothes, a hearty supply of bottled water, moisturizer, tissues, flashlights, nightlights—anything you can think of to secure your home for a speedy recovery.

Finally, one thing you need to prepare for is transportation home from the surgeon’s clinic or hospital after your surgery. If you can, rely on a good friend or family member to drive, and also someone you can call in case of an emergency.

Abdominoplasty in Top Five Plastic Surgeries of 2011

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If you are nervously considering seeking plastic surgery you may want to take a look at this.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) recently released its 15th annual statistics and it turns out that, amongst women, abdominoplasty procedures were the third most popular plastic surgery procedure performed in the USA in 2011.

In fact, the amount of tummy tucks increased by about 5000 from the year before and contributes to the yearly trend of growing public approval mixed with the rising total number of surgeries performed. That’s not all. Since ASAPS began tracking statistics in 1997, procedures in cosmetic surgery have risen by a staggering 197 percent!

Let’s take a closer look. Overall, 18% percent of cosmetic procedures were surgical. Here’s how the top 5 rounds up:

  • Liposuction – in 2011 this highly effective treatment had the no. 2 spot, but now more men and women are turning to liposuction to fight those annoying fat pockets situated around the body that don’t seem to disappear with exercise. The popularity can be attributed to the accessibility of the surgery, as well as the quick recovery time and successful results.
  • Breast Augmentation – this was no. 1 in 2009 & 2010, and slipped to no. 2 even though the actual amount of breast augmentations, breast implant surgery, breast enhancement with breast implants and/or breast reconstruction has risen.
  • Abdominoplasty – the intense nature of this surgery depends mainly on the amount of excess fat you’d like to have removed, weighing your options between a full tummy tuck or a mini tummy tuck—something that needs to be addressed with your plastic surgeon.
  • Eyelid Surgery – this popular procedure replenishes a youthful glow by tackling the wrinkles, lines, dark circles and creases that form around the eyes from years of our busy and hectic schedules finally taking a toll on us.
  • Breast Lift – many women who seek a breast lift find they are already satisfied with the size of their breast and would like to just firm them for a renewed and youthful contour, however other women choose to combine their breast lift with a breast augmentation for a fuller and rounder appearance.
In addition to the above, ASAPS also released the top five non-surgical procedures in 2011. They are as follows:
  • Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox) – this highly successful injectable not only reduces wrinkles and frown lines, but is also now a popular treatment for other ailments that include chronic migraines, excessive sweating, muscle spasms and upper motor neuron syndromes.
  • Hyaluronic Acid – this temporary filler is most popular second to Botox and can last up to 9 months due to its effect on binding moisture thus providing fullness between the skin cells.
  • Laser Hair Removal – not surprisingly in the top 3 of the mildly invasive categories, as this is one of the most common and widely accepted cosmetic procedures out there, removing hair from your body everywhere from legs to the face.
  • Microdermabrasion – this non-surgical cosmetic procedure aims to remove facial skin cells that are damaged and sun damaged, leaving you with a fresh and healthy youthful glow.
  • IPL Laser Treatment – commonly combined with a blepharoplasty or facelift procedures, skin-resurfacing treatments include different types of chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laser resurfacing in order to help heal wrinkled, blotchy and scarred facial skin.

As you can tell, there are now several different options available to you. All it takes is a quick consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon to realize a whole new life may be waiting for you.

Tummy Tuck and Brazilian Butt Lift Before and After

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When pursuing plastic surgery it’s because usually one particular ‘problem area’ on your body becomes your main focus. You’d like to correct the spot for a variety of reasons, most of which include beneficial results to your health as well as increasing positivity to your confidence and self-perception.

In any case, sometimes your plastic surgeon will recommend that tackling just your problem area might result in a body profile that isn’t necessarily more balanced. You may not realize this, but you may be even more satisfied with your results if you combine your procedure with another.

For instance, women often have a boob job performed with the added insertion of breast implants for not just a tighter and perkier chest, but also a larger chest. Usually what happens is that after a certain amount of years, gravity results in not just a loss of elasticity, but the breakdown of breast tissue as well.

The same can be said about abdominoplasty procedures. Often times, a surgeon will also have you thinking about increasing the volume and shape of your butt. If for years now you’ve dealt with a large, sagging midsection, then chances are your derriere could use a lift as well. Taking care of one problem area on your body doesn’t always mean the other will go away as well.

In essence, a Brazilian butt lift takes the fat removed from your tummy tuck procedure and transfers it to your behind. The outcome is a flat, healthy midsection, with a rounder and a curvier butt. The combination results in a more evenly contoured and aesthetically pleasing body profile. See for yourself.

The autologous fat transfer aims to tackle what is commonly referred to as ‘pregnancy butt,’ permanent post-pregnancy changes to your body that make your butt appear either larger, shapeless and flat, or smaller, flat and saggy.

A tummy tuck with a Brazilian Butt lift might be a great option for you if you find yourself desiring these specfic changes to your body.

What Exactly is a Tummy Tuck?

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So you’re probably wondering what this is all about. If you’re not at all familiar with this popular plastic surgery procedure then you may want to read on.

First of all, a tummy tuck is also called an abdominoplasty. This procedure can be quite intense, as well as invasive, however it has also become one of the most successful methods for a woman to regain elasticity at her abdomen when traditional methods such as exercise are no longer able to help.

If you feel you are forever stuck with post-pregnancy belly weight then perhaps a consultation with a plastic surgeon might be an ideal consideration for you. After all, an appointment is in no way a commitment, but merely a question and answer session with a highly trained practitioner who can help assess what it takes to obtain your desirable results.

So What is a Tummy Tuck?

That’s a good question to start with. This procedure aims to tighten the abdomen that had been stretched due to weight fluctuations and/or multiple pregnancies. You and your surgeon will discuss the procedure and decide whether a full abdominoplasty or mini-abdominoplasty is required.

How Does a Tummy Tuck Work?

Well, basically, excess fat, tissue and skin, are all removed through carefully located incisions, all which are placed around your navel. The goal is to leave you with a midsection more like the one you remember from your youth: flat, firm and more proportional to the rest of your body. And let’s face it… you’re not alone in wanting that!

This surgery can be a bit intense, however, and your recovery period heavily depends on the extent of your procedure.

How Much Does a Tummy Tuck Cost?

What you need to understand is that each cosmetic surgery is unique to the individual on whom it is performed, therefore your final tummy tuck cost has variables attached to it that should be thoroughly discussed with your surgeon.

The overhead and location of the clinic, as well as your surgeon’s experience will vary from city to city but all factor into your final bill, which will also be based on the degree of your surgery.

Recently, in the last few years, medical tourism has become a popular off shoot of plastic surgery, as it offers a qualified medical team at half the cost.

Top Five Reasons to Get a Tummy Tuck Procedure

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Whether you choose to undergo a complete abdominoplasty or mini abdominoplasty procedure, the reasoning behind committing to this extensive and invasive procedure is always quite personal. Everyone’s plastic surgery is always specific to their needs and desires and has to be thought through thoroughly and exclusively.

A tummy tuck is not to be considered as a weight loss method or alternative to a proper diet and exercise. Instead, this successful procedure helps women restore the elasticity in the skin of their midsection. It involves the removal of excess fat tissues and skin to create a more defined profile.

If you are considering undergoing a tummy tuck then maybe you’d like to see how you compare. Here are some popular reasons to seek out this surgery:

  • To change the appearance of loose and sagging skin that has lost elasticity. An abdominoplasty will restore shape by tightening the inner girdle, creating a flat and smooth stomach.
  • Sometimes dieting and exercise alone will not eliminate excess skin that has been prominent in the midsection for a number of years.
  • A tummy tuck will get rid of stretch marks from pregnancy or weight loss, as well as scars from any surgery in the area.
  • To tighten the midsection and revive the skin, thus improving the overall appearance.
  • To improve your overall sense of self-consciousness, your self-image, and to help achieve a body that is youthful and one you can be proud of and show off freely.

Make no mistake once you recover from your abdominoplasty surgery a new you will emerge. Not only will you be slimmer and sexier, but also your entire perspective of how you take care of yourself will change. You will now find yourself wanting to maintain this new, flat midsection, and you will without doubt become a more active and healthier person.

Plus you’ll need a new wardrobe. Bonus!

Celebrity Profile: Mariah Carey Plastic Surgery

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As you probably know, Mariah Carey is no stranger to cosmetic surgery. The 41-year-old mother of newborn twins has had a few plastic surgery procedures performed in the past. Most notably, a breast augmentation with breast implants following her divorce to music mogul Tommy Mottola a few years back, and, in addition to that, laser liposuction to curve out her new bust.

However, rumors are surfacing that Mariah Carey has recently undergone a mommy makeover procedure. The Jenny Craig spokesperson gave birth to twins just seven months ago and her new post-pregnancy body is raising some eyebrows.

Mariah just 7 months after giving birth

The debate is on whether Mariah Carey has had a tummy tuck surgery to help accentuate her newly fit gym body, or whether the singer, who claims to have lost 60-70 pounds in the past 7 months, did it all with exercise and the strict Jenny Craig diet.

Needless to say, a woman’s body will rarely bounce back to where it was pre-pregnancy due to the simple fact that usually it is not possible for abdominal muscles that have separated to regain the tightness they once had. So has Mariah Carey had an abdominoplasty?

An abdominoplasty will remove excess fat, after which the abdominal muscles are tightened back into the midsection’s hourglass curve. Some surgeons suggest Mariah lost the weight naturally—through exercise and a proper diet, and that this is exemplified by the straightness of her abdomen.

However, it is still possible a mini-abdominoplasty helped Mariah Carey with her weight loss, simply because acquiring such a flat stomach after a twin pregnancy with fertility treatments is quite unlikely.

Furthermore, several surgeons agree that the unusual round shape of Mariah Carey’s belly button is the obvious tell tale of a tummy tuck. The fact that within just 7 months, Mariah has completely flattened and tightened her stomach, with no visible excess skin or stretch marks anywhere, leaves surgeons across the country nodding their heads in agreement.

Is there more to Mariah’s flat tummy than the Jenny Craig diet and vigorous exercise? It could all just be a case of a botchy photo shop. Either way, Mimi’s keeping  mum on the subject.

Tummy Tuck History

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Here is something to keep in mind about a tummy tuck. Also referred to as an abdominoplasty, this particular procedure remains one of the most ambitious in cosmetic surgery. The procedure itself is quite intense and your final tummy tuck cost will depend on the amount of excess fat you wish to remove, as well as whether or not you combine your surgery with a breast enhancement or something else.

However, you’ll be glad to know that the utmost precision and care has been implied to abdominoplasties over the years as a means to help perfect the technique. After all, practice makes perfect, right? Rest assured, it is also one of the most commonly performed plastic surgeries, with contemporary tummy tuck procedures constantly advancing to the next level.

Let’s take a quick look at some interesting facts pertaining to the evolution of abdominoplasty:

  • The first surgery to attempt the correction of excess skin and

    surgeons have been perfecting tummy tucks for over a century

    fat around the abdomen dates back to the turn of the century—over 100 years ago.

  • Over the next seven decades, variations were revisited and reinvented numerous times, each time experimenting with different incision points.
  • Great improvements to the reduction of the waistline didn’t occur until the late 70s and liposuction was added to the procedure in the 80s, carrying abdominoplasty into the mid 90s in which the techniques greatly advanced to the level we are familiar with today.

A tummy tuck is a popular plastic surgery procedure in which excess fat and skin is removed to your waistline through incisions made along the hipbone. Due to the invasive nature of this procedure recovery periods tend to last moderately longer than other procedures.

Tummy Tuck Before and After

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Before you commit to your tummy tuck surgery it is essential you meet with a certified plastic surgeon for an exclusive consultation. Truth of the matter is that an abdominoplasty is one of the more extreme procedures in cosmetic surgery due to its intensity and invasiveness.

So what does this mean? Well, even despite the fervid extent of this particular process it still remains as one that clients are most satisfied with. However, make no mistake you will need to be well prepared for all aspects of this from the preparation stage all the way to the finished result and prolonged recovery period.

What does a tummy tuck consist of? Good question. With the administration of general anesthesia, incisions are made along your waist and, possibly, navel, after which excess fat, tissue and skin are then removed. Your plastic surgeon will use skin adhesives, sutures and clips to then close the skin.

There are two types of tummy tuck procedures that can be administered:

A complete abdominoplasty, in which incisions are made from hipbone to hipbone and at the navel.

complete abdominoplasty

In cases where only a mini abdominoplasty is performed, only one, much smaller incision is applied.

mini abdominoplasty

Recovery will vary from person to person and also on the amount of fat that was removed. Discuss with your surgeon important factors to be expected postoperatively. Your tummy tuck cost will depend a few different variables, but mostly on your surgeon’s credentials and the extent of surgery.

Tummy Tuck Recovery

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Despite what you may have heard, the recovery process for an abdominoplasty procedure is fairly straightforward. However, the length of your recovery will vary and is dependant on the extent of your surgery. Truth of the matter remains that a tummy tuck is definitely one of the more invasive procedures in cosmetic surgery.

As you probably know, there are two types of tummy tuck procedures you can choose from, a complete abdominoplasty and a mini-abdominoplasty. In a full abdominoplasty, the incision is placed along your waistline from hipbone to hipbone, and your skin is lifted and folded over before the excess fat is removed. As you can guess, the recovery period for this surgery might be a bit more intense than what you would expect from a mini-abdominoplasty.

Just remember, no two surgeries are alike and the bottom line is that you need to choose what is best for you. Lets take a quick look at some recovery basics you should expect.

What Should I Expect During My Tummy Tuck Recovery?

  • Your tummy tuck recovery depends on your general and physical health. If you exercise and have strong abdominal muscles then you can expect a faster downtime.
  • A complete abdominoplasty requires a stay at the hospital/clinic for up to three nights. (In a mini-abdominoplasty you can expect to go home the same day.)
  • As with most cosmetic surgeries you can expect some swelling, pain, discomfort and numbness to the operative area. The general anesthesia may cause you to experience nausea, grogginess and vomiting.
  • Medical aids, such as painkillers, a pain pump, drains (for the drainage of blood and other fluids) and a special compression garment might all be required to help with your recovery process.
  • Most physical activities, such as sex, exercise, and heavy lifting should be avoided.
  • Alteration to your diet will most likely be necessary.

Remember that infections in abdominoplasty recovery don’t tend to occur until about 4-6 weeks after surgery. Your doctor will provide you with careful postoperative instructions that are vital to your recovery.

As always, it is best to be well prepared, and your top priority should be a stress-free, worriless and relaxed recovery with no risks or complications.