After the birth of their last (and final) child, a woman may elect to "gift" herself with a tummy tuck. Most women can recall each one of their pregnancies as being a wonderful, magical moment in time they felt blessed to have experienced during their life. But with each pregnancy their skin was stretched with elasticity to accommodate larger breasts and an expanding belly.
A taut,
flat tummy can seem to be a thing of the past after the birth of a child. After several children, a woman may become discouraged when no amount of exercise or even the most disciplined of diets has been able to restore her muscles and skin to the former tone they once displayed. Numerous mothers are turning to abdominoplasty, more commonly known as a tummy tuck, to regain their former figure.
A balanced diet and regular exercise are both vital ingredients while in pursuit of a strong, lean body and a healthy lifestyle. A plastic surgeon will only consider a patient a candidate for a tummy tuck who is healthy, exercises regularly and is a non-smoker.
A patient should realize this is major surgery and should approach it as such. Abdominoplasty involves an incision being made, in many cases from hip to hip, excess skin is removed, then the remaining skin and muscle is tightened, and liposuction may be done, as well. The patient's belly button may need to be repositioned if a large section of skin has been removed, and a scar will remain along the bikini line.
Because this is surgery, there are risks involved, and a surgeon will want to be certain any patient undergoing this procedure has an understanding of what those risks are: infection, bleeding, blood clots, difficulty healing are a few problems that can arise after surgery. But if a patient is healthy and follows the doctor's instructions, the risks can be reduced and recuperation can begin without incident.
Abdominoplasty can have the additional benefit of restoring weakened or separated muscles. A skilled plastic surgeon can perform a mini, formal or extended tummy tuck and give a patient the smooth, firm appearance they have worked so diligently to achieve.
Recovery time post-surgery is on average 2 weeks in length, during which time walking is recommended to help strengthen muscles and lessen the likelihood of a blood clot occurring. But the doctor will request a patient be cautious and they do not resume their full range of regular activities, like working out / running / lifting weights until they have been cleared to do so, usually around the 6 week point.
The cost of the procedure is approximately $6-9,000.00 which should include all pre-op and post-op appointments, in addition to the operation, but any prescriptions, bindings or girdle may be charged as an additional expense. Unless the procedure can be shown to be a medical necessity, insurance is unlikely to cover the cost, and may deny any medical issues or ailments that require treatment in relation to the surgery.
A tummy tuck can do more than restore a woman's figure to pre-pregnancy form and repair weakened muscles, it can help her to regain self-confidence and build self-esteem. A licensed, Board certified and well respected surgeon who is skilled in the field of plastic surgery will examine a patient's body and skin tone, advise about realistic expectations for post operation and instruct the patient about how to achieve the best results toward the body they aspire to have today.
