What is abdominoplasty?

Abdominoplasty, which is also known as abdominal cosmetic surgery, is a non-invasive and aesthetic surgical procedure that helps to smooth and shrink the abdomen by removing excess fat and skin, as well as stretching the abdominal muscles. This surgical procedure can improve Weakened abdominal muscles due to pregnancy, weight changes or hereditary factors help. A firm and well-shaped stomach is one of the fitness criteria and almost all women and men try to achieve this by exercising and controlling weight. But sometimes even by doing these methods, beauty and fitness cannot be achieved. In the meantime, even people with not much weight can have protruding or sagging stomachs.

Abdominal deformities can be caused by factors such as:

age increasing
Hereditary factors
Pregnancy experience
Surgeries in the abdomen
Sudden weight gain and loss and overall frequent weight fluctuations

Who is abdominoplasty suitable for?

Those women or men who have a body mass index greater than 30.
People with normal physical conditions and normal physical health.
People with weight balance or stable weight without any extreme fluctuations.
Those who do not have a severe chronic illness such as heart disease or diabetes.
People who avoid using tobacco, smoking and drinking alcohol.
People who are completely realistic about the results of the operation and do not have abnormal expectations.
People who are completely unsatisfied with the condition of their abdominal area and its muscles and suffer from problems such as excess tissue, excess skin and sagging abdomen.
The group that could not remove the excess fat and skin in the abdominal area with methods such as diet and exercise program.

Does abdominoplasty surgery lead to weight loss?

One of the most important and repeated questions that has ever been raised in this case is whether this surgery can also cause weight loss.
Therefore, it can be clearly said that this surgery is not a suitable method for weight loss and it is necessary for people who are overweight to lose their weight first and then go for such surgery; Because abdominoplasty surgery means the removal of excess skin of the abdomen and its lower areas and ultimately leads to the fit and beauty of the abdominal area.

How is abdominoplasty performed?

Abdominoplasty is performed invasively in specialized clinics. For this, a specialist and skilled doctor should be taken for help in this field so that all the work steps can be followed successfully. In the following, we have introduced and reviewed each step of performing abdominoplasty:

Applying anesthesia: Since abdominoplasty involves making incisions and sutures, applying anesthesia before starting the work is required. Of course, the method of anesthesia can be different according to the doctor’s preference and discretion.

Making an incision in the desired area of the body: After anesthesia, the specialist doctor makes a horizontal incision between the hair growth line of the pubic area and below the navel. The size of this incision will be different according to the physical condition of the person and the discretion of the doctor. In addition, another incision is made around the navel; The purpose of this incision is to provide access to the fat under the skin of the abdomen.

Removal of fats: After the patient’s body is prepared for the operation, the expert doctor extracts excess body fat from the incisions made and cuts the excess skin that was created due to the removal of fats.

Suturing the wounds: The last step of abdominoplasty is the sutures of the incisions that are placed on the skin after the fat is removed. This step must be done with great precision and skill so that even after the patient’s complete recovery, there are no cuts or stitches left on the body. After all this process, the person regains consciousness and must go through a series of necessary precautions and tips with great care; Finally, after the completion of the recovery period, we can witness the final positive and satisfactory results.

Advantages of abdominoplasty

Between 2000 and 2014, according to the report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, performing abdominoplasty surgery has increased by 87%, which is a very impressive statistic. Almost all of these operations have been performed for cosmetic and not medical reasons, but performing abdominoplasty in addition to cosmetic purposes also has therapeutic benefits, including:

Reduction of urinary incontinence: After normal delivery, some women experience urinary incontinence when coughing, sneezing, exercising or even laughing. In most cases, this problem can be treated without surgery. But for people who need more care, several studies have shown that abdominoplasty can help them recover.
During this operation, a partial blockage is created in the bladder by using a soft tissue near the pelvic area, and in this way urinary incontinence is reduced.

Improving and correcting the shape of the abdomen: after severe weight loss or multiple pregnancies, the stomach muscles are irritated and swollen, and diet or exercise alone cannot help improve this situation. Abdominoplasty tightens weak muscles and removes excess skin and fat, flattens the abdomen and reduces swelling.
Abdominal muscle weakness is often associated with forward or backward curvature of the spine. After abdominoplasty surgery, thanks to the tightened muscles of the spine, it can return to its original state. This item also plays a role in relieving certain types of back pain and improving physical condition.

Abdominal hernia repair: Abdominal hernia occurs when the intestine or abdominal tissue protrudes from the abdominal wall. Many factors are involved in the occurrence of this condition, including abdominal weakness caused by losing a lot of weight or some surgeries.
Once an abdominal hernia develops, it is common for it to reoccur. Often, the surgeon uses abdominoplasty techniques to repair the hernia and strengthen the abdominal wall to prevent it from reoccurring.
In this case, combining different methods during a surgery is not only safe, but also very practical because it can reduce medical costs and recovery time.

Care after abdominoplasty:

Like other surgeries, abdominoplasty also requires special post-operative care.

After the operation, special tubes for tissue fluid exit from the abdominal area will remain in the body for several days. The doctor will show you how to take care of them and how to drain them.
The specialist surgeon may prescribe you antibiotics and anticoagulants.
For about six weeks, you will wear a girdle to help prevent excess fluid and support the operated area.
Although the recovery period for a partial abdominoplasty is usually shorter, you should still avoid vigorous activity, including any strenuous exercise or heavy lifting, for at least six weeks.
The first few days after the operation, your abdomen will probably be swollen and you will feel pain and discomfort, which can be controlled by using painkillers. Depending on the type of surgery, you may be discharged after a few hours or stay in the hospital for a day or two.

Although you cannot stand at first, you must walk as fast as possible. Superficial stitches are removed in five to seven days, and deeper stitches are removed in two to three weeks. Some people resume normal activities two weeks after surgery, while others need three or four weeks of rest.
Exercise will help you recover better and faster. Even people who have never exercised before should start a regular exercise program to reduce swelling and reduce the chance of blood clots in the muscles. But note that you should avoid vigorous exercise for six weeks.
Surgical scars may look worse during the first three to six months, which is completely normal. Although they do not disappear completely, they gradually lighten and fade after nine months to a year.

Abdominoplasty surgery is performed in Lian specialized and subspecialized clinic by Dr. Behzad Ghafari after consultation sessions.