ABDOMINOPLASTY (TUMMY TUCK)
An abdominoplasty, better known as a tummy tuck, is designed to give you a firmer and flatter abdomen. Abdominoplasty surgery is performed to tighten abdominal muscles that have become overly stretched and to remove excess, loose skin from the abdominal region. These undesired features can result from factors such as pregnancy, weight loss or weight gain and personal genetics.
Unfortunately, when stretched beyond the capacity to return to their normal state, abdominal tissues don't always respond to proper exercise and healthy dieting.
In these common cases, abdominoplasty plastic surgery can usually provide an immediate solution and pleasing appearance in the treatment of stubborn fat deposits of the abdominal area.
A tummy tuck can create a firmer and flatter abdomen as well as a smaller waist. In addition to the extent of the abdominoplasty procedure, factors such as the patient’s skin tone, body build and the individual’s personal healing process contribute to the surgical outcome of the procedure. An abdominoplasty is performed by making an incision from hipbone to hipbone, just above the pubic area to minimize the visibility of scarring. Excess skin is removed and the underlying muscles of the abdominal wall are tightened, enhancing the patient’s figure and often their self-confidence.
For those not wishing to have a traditional abdominoplasty procedure, there is also the mini tummy tuck, where only a short horizontal incision above the pubic area the extent of which depends on the skin laxity and amount of skin removed. The placement of the scar is well concealed by most bikinis and heals very well in most patients. This lower-scaled procedure is often combined with liposuction and the tightening of the lower abdominal muscles. Another alternative to a complete abdominoplasty is having liposuction to remove fat from the abdominal region. Liposuction can be performed in conjunction with a tummy tuck. During your consultation, your doctor will discuss with you the best options for your personal health and cosmetic goals.
Ideal candidates for an abdominoplasty procedure are men and women in good health and relatively good shape, who have not been able to significantly diminish stubborn fat deposits and excess skin with proper exercise and dieting. For those planning to lose a significant amount of weight or women who plan to have further pregnancies, it may be best to postpone abdominoplasty surgery. It is important to start your plastic surgery process with a positive attitude and realistic expectations. While an abdominoplasty can dramatically improve your figure and reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen, it is not a solution for weight loss or a replacement for exercise and a healthy diet.
Be sure to view before and after abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) pictures in our photo gallery.
LIPOSUCTION
Every person’s body type and genetic make-up are different; therefore every person reacts differently to exercise and dieting. Liposuction, also known as Lipoplasty, is a plastic surgery procedure designed to remove LFD’s (localized fat deposits) that have proven resilient to proper exercise and healthy dieting. Liposuction is normally an out-patient procedure and local or general anesthesia is used, depending on the patient and the surgery. Common locations for liposuction include the chin, cheeks, neck, upper arms, above the breasts, abdomen, buttocks, hips, thighs, knees, calves and ankles.
Liposuction is performed using a tube and vacuum device. The surgeon may also choose to use the tumescent or ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL) techniques. Depending on your preference and the extent of your procedure, local or general anesthesia can be used and usually the surgery can be done on an out-patient basis. During your consultation appointment, your plastic surgeon will identify and mark the specific areas where fat deposits are to be removed. At the beginning of your surgery your plastic surgeon will make a tiny incision at the predetermined location and insert a small, thin tube, called a cannula, into the fatty area. Then the surgeon applies force and direction to the cannula to loosen the fat deposits, allowing the area to be sculpted into more desired proportions.
Ideal candidates for liposuction plastic surgery will be in good emotional and physical health and start their plastic surgery experience with a positive attitude and realistic expectations. Although liposuction can dramatically enhance your figure and help you trim down your personal “problem” areas, it is not meant to be a solution for weight loss or a healthy diet. Patients of any age can undergo this procedure, but those with greater skin elasticity will achieve the smoothest result from liposuction. Other common characteristics of liposuction patients are men and women of normal weight who are looking to improve their body shape and those hoping to trim down areas that haven proven resistant to exercise and healthy eating.
The majority of liposuction patients find that after their procedure, their clothes fit better, exercise is a more enjoyable and productive activity and they have a renewed sense of self-confidence about their appearances. Removing stubborn fat deposits with liposuction can also improve your overall health condition, providing a positive incentive to continue exercising and eating right to maintain your new figure and improved self-image. Liposuction offers individuals the incredible opportunity to restore their youthful looks, reshape and improve their figures and regain self-confidence in their appearances, helping men and women feel proud and attractive about the way they look.
View before and after liposuction pictures in our photo gallery.
BODY CONTOURING AFTER MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS
Patients with massive weight loss either from their own dieting, through gastric bypass or banding procedures are in need of major reconstruction regarding the excess skin tissue laxity that results.
Body contouring procedures are intended to help individuals who have experienced massive weight loss from gastric bypass surgery, a stomach stapling procedure, gastric banding surgery or personal dieting; remove loose, hanging skin from various parts of their bodies. Patients who have experienced massive weight loss are typically in need of major body reconstruction regarding the excess skin tissue laxity that results. Having body contouring plastic surgery after massive weight loss can dramatically improve one’s figure and help patients regain self-confidence in their appearances.
There are a variety of different body contouring procedures available to enhance one’s figure after undergoing massive weight loss. The most common of these procedures include abdominoplasty, thigh-buttock lift, breast lift and an upper arm lift. Facelift plastic surgery can also be done after massive weight loss, restoring patients’ youthful looks and helping them feel more attractive about themselves. Many of these procedures can be combined and done at one time or several performed shortly after the initial procedure to give the patient’s body a total rejuvenation. The majority of body contouring procedures performed after an individual undergoes massive weight loss are done using general anesthesia and on an outpatient basis with the option of spending the night in the hospital.
Body contouring helps give an overall effect of a smoother, flatter stomach and less baggy skin on the arms, chest, buttocks and legs. Depending on the targeted location(s), incisions are made, muscles may be tightened, fat deposits are removed with liposuction and excess skin is removed and redraped, giving the patient an enhanced and significantly more attractive appearance. Those who choose to have one or several body contouring procedures after experiencing massive weight loss should be in good emotional and physical health and start their plastic surgery experience with realistic expectations.
Emphasis is always placed on the patient’s safety and comfort and Dr. Gikas will fully explain what to expect from your surgery and what a body contouring procedure entails in your consultation appointment. It is important and essential to the success of the procedure however, that prospective patients research and fully understand the different issues related to body contouring plastic surgery. Such topics include what body contouring can and cannot treat, inherent risks, costs and various other factors. Body contouring, also referred to as body shaping or a body lift, can help patients improve their quality of life and regain self-confidence in their appearances after experiencing massive weight loss.
Feel free to contact our office with any questions you may have regarding any of our body contouring procedures.
|
|
