Newcastle Herald

Thinking about a tummy tuck? What you need to know

Get your right shape back: After abdominoplasty, most patients are pretty much back to full normal activities by 12 weeks.
Get your right shape back: After abdominoplasty, most patients are pretty much back to full normal activities by 12 weeks.

This is sponsored content for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.

We asked Cosmetic Plastic Surgery's highly experienced Dr John Newton, who has been providing excellent cosmetic and plastic surgery care for over 30 years, about abdominoplasty (commonly known as tummy tuck).

Q: What is the difference between a tummy tuck and abdominoplasty or are they the same thing?

In general people think of them as the same thing. However, "tummy tuck" as a name tends to trivialise what is often a major operation, so abdominoplasty is a better term to use.

They range from the relatively simple excision of excess skin and fat through to a major operation involving lifting up a very large layer of fat and skin from the anterior abdomen, extensive tightening of the abdominal muscles, excision of a large amount of the lifted skin and fat, returning the remaining fat to position and relocating the "belly button" (umbilicus).

Q: Is abdominoplasty surgery dangerous?

As described above, abdominoplasty can be, (and in most cases is), a major operation. It is performed under general anaesthetic and can take over two hours to perform. It involves surgery to a large area of the body. As such it can be a dangerous operation.

Whilst all risks cannot be eliminated, they must be minimised so a lot of care needs to be taken.

First, you have to be fit enough to have the operation. I have declined to operate on people who are not fit enough. One such patient actually went ahead with surgery in Sydney and did not survive.

Second, you should have your operation by a specialist trained plastic surgeon. They are trained to do the operation safely.

It should be done in a fully accredited hospital and you should have a fully qualified and experienced anaesthetist.

Q: What can I expect from the surgery in terms of inches and weight lost and dress sizes dropped?

Abdominoplasty is all about function and shape.

Many women have separation of their abdominal muscles as a result of pregnancy. Repairing these muscles will improve your core strength. This can improve low back pain and stress incontinence of urine. It can also allow you to be more active.

Your shape will improve significantly too. The removal of a large flap of redundant fat and skin from your lower tummy, the "stretching out of your stretch marks" and the tightening of your abdominal muscles all contribute to improving the tightness of your tummy and the narrowness of your waist.

Your overall weight may only drop by one or two kilos. The focus is on removing excess tissue and reshaping your figure. Change in dress size is not easily predictable but clothing will fit you much better.

Q: What should I expect after the operation?

The day after your operation, you will be in bed in the hospital. The bed will be bent in the middle to take the tension off your tummy. You will have a support binder around your tummy or a surgical garment on. You will have one or two drains in your tummy and a catheter in your bladder so you don't have to struggle to go to the toilet.

You will be uncomfortable and should expect a reasonable amount of pain. This will be managed with good pain relief and anti-nausea medication as needed. You will also have injections to prevent you developing clots.

Over two to four days, depending on you as an individual, the drains and the catheter will be removed, you will get up, be mobile and the pain medication will reduce.

Once you are comfortable you can go home, usually after about three nights in hospital.

On your return visit, we take the surgical garment off and the dressings down. There are no sutures to remove. By then you will probably be needing very little pain relief. It is time to begin your recovery.

Q: How long is recovery from the procedure?

I generally split recovery into two phases, the first four weeks and the subsequent eight weeks.

The first four weeks you will need to be gentle on yourself and will benefit from having someone around to care for you. Be circumspect about what you do.

After four weeks you start to build your activities up. Go carefully and if doing something is uncomfortable, put that activity off for a day or two.

Driving may be OK by week three if you are up to it. Getting back to work will take from four to eight weeks, depending on how physical it is.

Your tummy will need some support over this time. We will provide you with a surgical garment initially. After one week you can change to a supportive, non-surgical garment. It will help with swelling and support you and I like you to wear it for 12 weeks.

Most patients are pretty much back to full normal activities by 12 weeks. Some women have however told me they have been unable to do housework for up to 11 years!

Q: What scarring from the abdominoplasty should I expect?

The major scar from an abdominoplasty runs across the lower abdomen. Think of a very long Caesarian scar. This scar will be red at first, but will mature and improve over time.

If your umbilicus is relocated, there will be a scar around it too. This will be small and probably slightly boomerang shaped to make it a little more cosmetically acceptable.

Q: Will the weight I lose be permanent?

Weight loss will depend on eating habits and exercise so its permanence depends on you. You will be able to exercise more easily so that will help.

Q: Will my tummy be flat after abdominoplasty?

Yes, your tummy will be much flatter, especially if you have a muscle repair. Your waist will also be narrower. You probably won't have a six pack. This needs a very thin fat layer over very well developed abdominal muscles. After 12 weeks you can start to work on it.

Q: How will weight gain affect the results of a tummy tuck?

Weight gain will be bad for your tummy tuck. You will not have the redundant skin and the amount of fat on your tummy which you had before but you can still fatten up the remaining fat cells under your skin and the fat cells inside your tummy - this will make you look round.

Q: What do you think are the top five requirements people should consider before getting a tummy tuck?

  1. Your weight. A slimmer person will get a better result with less risk.
  2. Stop Smoking. I won't do an abdominoplasty on a smoker. The risks are too high.
  3. Your general fitness. The fitter a person is, the better they will tolerate surgery and the lower the risk rate.
  4. Time off work. Don't feel pressure to rush back to work. Allow time to recover.
  5. Home support. It is important to be able to go home to a supportive, non-stressful environment.

This is sponsored content for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.