Patients interested in improvement of abdominal contours may consider abdominoplasty. This procedure involves tightening the supportive tissues of the abdominal wall and removing skin and fat. This may be considered by individuals that have had considerable weight loss, liposuction, or have stretching of the abdominal tissues due to bearing children.
Many times patients inquire as to the benefit of liposuction compared to abdominoplasty. Liposuction is best for patients with localized fat deposits with good skin elasticity without excessive skin or abdominal laxity. Abdominoplasty gives the best results in patients that have redundancy of skin and abdominal wall laxity. Many times patients have these procedures after they have completed their plans for children and would like to regain some of their contours.
Patients go home the same day returning to the office for follow-up visits as needed. This procedure takes some two to three weeks to return to most physical activities. The scar of an abdominoplasty is placed in the lower abdominal area in the distribution of an undergarment so that clothing can be worn to conceal the scar.
This type of operation can certainly be a motivating factor to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle since the tissues removed are very resistant to improvement by diet and exercise alone. Results are quite long lasting if patients maintain healthy lifestyles.
Things to Consider
- Removes excess skin, fat and tightens muscles.
- Particularly helpful post childbirth.
- Does produce a permanent scar.
- Can dramatically reduce a protruding middle and
lower abdomen.
- Patients intending to lose weight or plan future pregnancies should postpone the procedure.
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James Green, MD | Plastic Surgery, Santa Fe | Phone (505) 988 2215