Have you recently lost weight and notice that you now have loose skin in your lower abdominal region? Perhaps you have had one or multiple pregnancies and have worked hard but still struggle to get your stomach back to a shape you desire. All of these questions and thoughts are typical for people searching for an answer to help make their stomach area look better. Unfortunately, many Long Island women and men find that a balanced diet and exercise simply isn’t enough. If you have loose skin or isolated pockets of fat (that frustrating “pooch” in your tummy) and are seeking ways to get toned, flat abs, then a tummy tuck may be your answer.
Our board-certified plastic surgeons at Romanelli Cosmetic Surgery in Long Island can provide you the answer to your abdominal woes and get you back to feeling great about your midsection so can enjoy all the great outdoor activities our area has to offer.
What is a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, is a cosmetic procedure that helps remove unnecessary fat and skin from the middle or lower stomach area. At the same time, the procedure tightens the muscles in the abdominal wall while contouring the “shape” of a person’s midsection. A tummy tuck is not meant to be a weight loss answer. It is a solution for individuals who have lost weight, are seeing the aging process take over, or those who have completed their pregnancies and find that no amount of sit-ups is going to take care of the extra skin that is hanging around...literally.
So let's take a look at the tummy tuck options.
Tummy Tuck Options--Is One For Me?
When it comes to a tummy tuck you have options to fit your needs. It is a customized procedure that a board-certified plastic surgeon will customize for you. Not all patients are the same, thus this is not a cookie cutter surgery.
Here’s a look at 3 tummy tuck options available and the differences between them:
- Mini: A mini tummy tuck also known as the “scarless tummy tuck” is a less invasive procedure and generally means a quicker recovery time with only a small incision that focuses on the lower stomach just under the belly button. In this procedure, the belly button is not repositioned and the same techniques are used in tightening the abdominal wall muscles and any loose skin but on a smaller scale. A mini tummy tuck is usually a good answer to target a small pooch or a small area of loose skin that just won’t go away.
- Full: A full (or traditional) tummy tuck is a more invasive procedure and generally takes a longer time to recover. It is the solution for individuals with a larger area of excess skin and fat needing to be removed usually covering the entire lower abdomen region. The incision is usually larger (from hip to hip) and in some cases, liposuction is used to remove excess fat cells in order to help achieve the best results for a flatter stomach. Also, the belly button may or may not need to be repositioned. A full tummy tuck is the most common one performed and can lead to tighter results in a dramatic way.
- Extended: An extended tummy tuck is the most invasive tummy tuck procedure. It is usually the solution for an abdominal area that has excessive amounts of loose or sagging skin due to extreme weight loss or being pregnant with multiples (twins, triplets, etc.). This incision is like a full tummy tuck but can also be extended to the lower back area (just around the flanks). As with a full tummy tuck, liposuction and repositioning the belly button may be required for best results.
Am I A Candidate?
As with all cosmetic procedures or treatments you should always do them for you and no one else. When making the decision to have a tummy tuck the following considerations should be made:
- You should be a healthy weight. To reiterate it is not a weight loss treatment. You should be at your normal or goal weight before considering this procedure to get rid of excess skin or fat.
- You are in relatively good health and a non-smoker.
- You are bothered by your abdominal area and need some extra help to get it looking flatter and toned so you feel more comfortable in a bathing suit or without your shirt when at the beach or pool.
- Going into the procedure you have realistic expectations--a tummy tuck is again not the solution for men or women trying to lose weight or fight cellulite. It is strictly a procedure that will tighten up loose skin and remove any unnecessary fat to contour your abdominal area.
The popularity of tummy tuck procedures continues to be on the rise each year. Usually, by the time summer rolls around many men and women are wishing they had done the procedure during the winter before. For Long Island men and women ready to get a toned and flat tummy, or are tired of trying to suck in that pesky stomach pooch, a tummy tuck can produce what hours at the gym simply cannot achieve.
We invite you to call our Long Island plastic surgery center to learn more about this cosmetic procedure and schedule your consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons.
