Whether due to pregnancies, weight loss, or just the aging process, you have seen a dramatic change in the shape of your abdomen. You might be experiencing changes such as loose or hanging skin of the lower abdomen, rashes or hygiene problems developing under that fold of skin, protrusion of the abdominal muscles due to weakening or stretching of those muscles, or an accumulation of excess fat. If these issues are troubling you, a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty may be the answer.
How can a Tummy Tuck Help?
A plastic surgeon will perform a tummy tuck to remove the excess, loose skin and fat of the lower abdomen and to tighten the abdominal muscles. A tummy tuck (AKA abdominoplasty) offers the best chance to have as flat an abdomen and as narrow a waist as possible. A plastic surgeon can help you feel and look like your old self. Los Angeles plastic surgeon, Dr. Warren Lent, has extensive experience in abdominoplasty, having performed well over 1,500 tummy tucks.
A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is ideal for people with the following:
- Loose, hanging skin of the lower abdomen
- A protruding abdomen due to weakened muscles
- Chronic rashes or hygiene problems due to the fold of excess skin
- Deposit of excess fat in the lower abdomen with skin that has lost its elasticity
- After significant weight loss, pregnancy or abdominal surgery
The Tummy Tuck Procedure
A plastic surgeon will first carefully mark the patient while they are standing. Careful pre-operative marking is essential to guiding the surgery to success. A plastic surgeon will start the procedure just above the pubis, lifting the skin off the muscle from the pubic bone up to the bottom of the ribs. This releases the skin to allow the lower abdominal excess to be removed and the upper abdominal skin to be stretched downward to fill in the space from where the skin is removed. With this, Dr. Lent can easily visualize the stretched out, thinned, or separated muscles and tighten them. The procedure does require an incision. However, with Dr. Lent’s experience and intimate understanding of the patient’s anatomy and body contours, scars are well hidden in a bikini bathing suit or even skimpy underwear. Like all procedures, abdominoplasty (AKA tummy tuck) does carry risks. These risks include the risk of infection, bleeding and the risk from anesthetics. It is important to note that under the care of a board certified plastic surgeon like Dr Warren Lent great care will be taken to avoid or minimize these risks.
In addition to a tummy tuck, many patients also consider liposuction, either as an alternative or in addition to abdominoplasty. Combined with a tummy tuck, liposuction can give patients optimal results for the flattest possible abdomen. Many patients also undergo procedures on other parts of the body, which are designed to create an overall well-balanced shape. These include breast augmentation, breast lift, liposuction, thigh lift and arm lift.
One additional alternative to a tummy tuck is a “Mini”-tummy tuck. The procedure is for selected candidates who only need tightening of the lower section of the abdomen. Only the area below the belly button is treated by the use of a shorter horizontal incision to remove excess skin. The belly button remains unchanged.
To best understand all of your options, a full consultation with Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Warren M. Lent, MD is recommended. Dr. Lent invites you to see his Tummy Tuck: Before and After page to see actual patients who have had an abdominoplasty with Dr. Lent.
Here at Dr. Warren Lent’s office, we show care for each patient from the initial consultation to the final post-surgery call. We look forward to hearing from you. For more information about the tummy tuck procedure, costs, or questions, please contact us at:
150 North Robertson Blvd. Suite 140
Beverly Hills, Ca 90211