Monthly Archives: March 2009

Beverly Hills Tummy Tuck Recovery

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Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Discusses Tummy Tuck Recovery

 
What Can I Expect in Regard to Pain Management and Recovery?
 
 Pain pump is inserted into the abdominal wall during tummy tuck surgery which can reduce the pain substancially making the recovery much easier by gradually dispensing local anesthetic into the abdominal area. This is applicable for generally for full tummy tuck.
 
 Swelling and discomfort are normal in the first few days but can be managed with prescribed medication and use of a compression garment.
 
 Average recovery time for Full Tummy Tuck is 10-15 days.
 

When Is It Safe To Resume My Normal Exercise Routine?

 
  Light walking around house followed immediately after the first few days of surgery is
recommended to not only help the healing process but also to prevent blood clots.
 
 Tummy Tuck patients must avoid abdominal exercises for 6-8 weeks until the tightened muscles have completely healed.
 
Scar Minimization?
 
 The incision from a Tummy tuck will leave a horizintal scar across the lower abdomen but the length of the scar will be determined depending on the the extent of the looseness of the skin.
 
 There are several wonderful products available for scar management we recommend for our patients, silicone based gel and silicone sheets.
 
Stitch Removal?
 
  There is no longer a need for stitch removal now that all suturing is accomplished under the skin surface with absorbable sutures.
Most importantly….
*Be compliant with pre- and post-op instructions for optimal result and the smoothest recovery. 
 

Facts and Figures

According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2004:
*Abdominplasty was the 6th most performed cosmetic surgery procedure in the year 2004.
 
*Association of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Member surgeons performed a total of 107,019 Tummy Tuck Procedures, a 6% increase from the previous year.
 
* Of this total 24% of the patients were between the ages of 19-34, 53% of the patients were between the ages of 35-50 and 20% of patients were between the ages of 51-64. Patients ages 65 and above made up the remainding 3%.
 
* Out of the 107,019 Tummy Tuck procedures perfomred by ASPS member surgeons 96% of patients 102,738 were women and the remaining 4% of patients 4,281 were men.

Beverly Hills_Mini Tummy Tuck

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Body Shaper’s… girdles…these have been a woman’s secret to a perfect shape for centuries. Wear them under your dress or business suit from sun up to sun down; but even with today’s “comfort fit” why bother with the discomfort of this extra layer of skin tight material strapped to your body just to hide the little buldge lurking below your navel, especially if there may be other options?

Statistics show that women of today are ever more conscious of their aesthetic appearance and those with careers of any field show even more concern about their overall appearance in this competitive driven society since success equals living up to higher expectations, including overall appearance.

The battle of the buldge is a difficult feat and even the fittest of them all sometimes cannot get rid of the stubborn excess skin hanging from below the belly. Excess skin below the navel can either be caused from pregnancy or previous weight gain and loss. Following pregnancy the abdominal wall contracts back to normal position but the skin that had stretched has no way to shrink so it is now loose excess skin either hanging below the navel as well as the back and sides creating “Love Handles”. Previous cycles of weight gain and loss without pregnancy can cause the same result.

A Mini Tummy Tuck procedure can be a simple answer to many experiencing this problem. A Mini Tummy Tuck is ideal for patients who do not have a full budging abdomen or muscle laxity, but instead only have excess skin below the navel.

So, if you have been consistent in working out and notice that a small pooch remains and is not extremely noticeable but that maybe you just can’t quite fit into those jeans as comfortable as you’d like or that you find yourself reaching for a body shaper to hide those “Love Handles” or slight buldge, then a Mini Tummy Tuck may be the right answer for you.

Dr.Thomas is a highly skilled plastic surgeon, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who has been in practice for 27 years.  He has extensive experience in both Mini and Full Tummy Tuck. Mini Tummy Tuck is much less invasive, therefore requires much less recovery time. Absorbable sutures are used under the skin surface so there is no need for stitch removal. You can see the results immediately after surgery since the loose hanging skin is no longer there.
*It is recommended to have the surgery after achieving the personalized target weight for optimal result.