Tummy Tuck
How the Tummy Tuck Procedure Is Performed
One type of cosmetic surgery that you may be interested in having done is a tummy tuck, which is a way to get rid of loose, flabby skin in your abdomen area. You may be wondering how the tummy tuck procedure is performed and what you can expect from it.
The surgery itself takes anywhere from two to four hours long to complete. Most of the time the tummy tuck procedure is done on an out-patient basis where you will go home the same day. Rarely does it require an overnight stay unless there are extensive full abdominoplasties being performed.
Before going into surgery, your plastic surgeon will make markings with a pen on your abdomen to indicate where the tummy tuck incisions will be. If you are having any other type of cosmetic surgery done, such as liposuction, those areas will also be marked.
The markings can be done the same day as your surgery; however, some surgeons prefer to do them the day before. The markings can be made while you are lying down or standing up, depending on the surgeon’s preferences.
You will usually receive a sedative before being hooked up to an intravenous line. Once you are in the operating room you are injected with a solution of lidocaine, a local anesthetic, and epinephrine, medication which controls bleeding.
Surgical incisions are usually made right above the pubic mound from one hipbone to another. If you are having full abdominoplasty then another incision will be made around your navel. The incision for this type of tummy tuck is longer. With a mini-tummy tuck the incisions are shorter. The surgeon will remove pockets of fat below your navel and then stretch your skin down past the incision line. The excess skin is removed and the incision is then sutured.