Tummy tuck also known as abdominoplasty is one of the commonest cosmetic procedures widely practiced in Egypt that aims to get rid of excess fat and saggy skin, as well as restore strength of weak muscles in the abdominal area, which leads to a an improved beautified belly shape.
Many people can develop a belly that protrudes or is loose and sagging.
The most common causes of this include:
- Aging
- Heredity
- Pregnancy
- After massive weight loss (like in weight reduction surgeries; sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass)
- significant fluctuations in weight
Tummy tuck candidates
Women and men who are in good health, as well as women who have given birth several times and suffers from weakness in the abdominal muscles and want to restore their body shape, can undergo tummy tuck.
it is also suitable for men and women who got rid of obesity but are still suffering from some extra fat or skin sagging in the abdominal area.
Before the procedure
We ask our patients to;
- Stop smoking
- Control their diabetes
- Control Hypertension
Stop any medications not discussed with the doctor
Type of Anesthesia in a Tummy Tuck procedure
It can be performed under general anesthesia or epidural anesthesia upon the patient preference but should be discussed with the anaesthesiologist.
The procedure
- During the abdominoplasty procedure, the patient is placed under anesthesia.
- Liposuction is done to the abdomen and flanks to reduce the thickness of the skin and give the abdomen a nice contour
- The skin will be separated from the abdominal muscles.
- Once the muscles are exposed, The surgeon will sew the muscles in abdominal wall together if they have become stretched out.
- He will then pull tight the skin over the abdomen, trim off excess skin, and close the incision with sutures.
Types of Tummy tuck
-
Mini tummy tuck
Where only the skin of the lower belly is excised with a slightly smaller scar.
-
Full tummy-tuck
A scar extends from both hip bones in the bikini line, weak muscle is sewed tightly and excess skin from the above the level of umbilicus down to the lower incision line. The umbilicus is sewed in it’s new position.
-
Extended tummy tuck
Where the Incision (intended scar) partially extends to the back especially if the patient has saggy skin in the flanks area.
-
Belt-lipectomy
From it’s name it’s a 360 degrees where saggy skin and fat are removed from the front and the back of the patient in the same procedure.
Liposuction is combined in all techniques to give the abdomen a beautiful nice contour.
Procedure time
Abdominoplasty procedure time is usually from 2-3 hours, however a belt lipectomy might take 4 hours as we operate in both the abdomen and back of the patients which require positioning of the patient during the surgery.
After the procedure
- The patient should strictly follow our post-op instructions and visits.
- Antibiotic and pain killers are prescribed.
- The patients is asked to slightly lean forward in the first 10 days.
- Drains might be inserted to get rid of excess fluids which may last from 5-8 days.
- A compression garment provided by our practice should be worn for for 6-12 weeks (depending on the case).
Recovery Time for a tummy tuck
The patient stays overnight in the hospital and discharged the morning of the day following the surgery.
Scars usually heals from 10-15 days after surgery.
The patient may return to lightweight activities after 10 days, and return to normal physical activities after 6 weeks.
However final results may take 1-3 month.
Tummy Tuck Cost in Egypt
As there are different techniques and no one technique fits all patients the exact cost should be discussed with the Dr Mohamed Ashraf office, to determine which type of tummy tuck you’re a candidate for and the final cost.
Is it a risky procedure?
Absolutely not it is one of the most common procedures with a very safe outcome. Dr Mohamed Ashraf stirctly follows all the recommendations of the International society of Aesthetic plastic surgery (ISAPS) for safe practice.
Do Tummy tuck scars disappear by time?
Scars fade by time naturally, yet they never disappear. but post-operative scar medications, vitamin E and fractional laser sessions might be useful to make the scar less visible in a shorter period of time.
Are the results permanent?
Results should last as long as there are no weight fluctuations.
Pregnancy might affect the results so it is advised to postpone your surgery if you’re willing to get pregnant in order to avoid the need for another abdominoplasty procedure
Mommy Make-over
Isn’t typically one procedure, but when we combine a breast lift , breast augmentation and a tummy tuck it’s usually called a mommy make-over.
