Abdominoplasty

 

Tummy Tuck near Boston, Massachusetts in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Also called a "tummy tuck," abdominoplasty surgery removes excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and tightens the muscles of the abdominal wall. For the past four years, Dr. Gray has been performing the Brazilian Lipo-Abdominoplasty, or Brazilian Tummy Tuck, which reduces fat from the entire abdomen and does not require a second operation. It is a safer operation with better results than the typical tummy tuck procedure. Tummy tuck surgery can quite dramatically reduce a protruding abdomen, but it will leave a curved scar across the lower front of the abdomen, sometimes from hip to hip, depending on the extent of the original problem. Often, liposuction of the hips and/or thighs can be done at the same time for a better body contour.

With proper diet and exercise, tummy tuck results are long lasting. Dr. Gray will discuss the goals and expectations of your abdominoplasty surgery with you at your consultation at Atlantic Plastic Surgery Center's offices in southern New Hampshire, between Boston and Maine in Portsmouth. At Atlantic Plastic Surgery Center, we want you to have good results and are very happy with your outcome.

Tummy Tuck
	Before	After
	Before	After

This 42 year old mother of 3 lost a significant amount of weight which she had gained during the course of 3 pregnancies.  She also had been experiencing back pain from the pregnancies and the weight gain.  Due to the weight loss, her skin hung loose in large folds. She also had occasional rashes under the skin folds. Tummy tuck surgery could correct this.  With the Brazilian tummy tuck technique, Dr. Gray was able to think out her remaining fat to only one inch thick and tighten her muscles, which had been weakened by the pregnancies.  Dr. Gray removed a 9 inch width of loose skin, giving her a nice trim stomach area. 

 

She had gone to see another surgeon, but chose Dr. Gray because she decided she wanted  her tummy tuck to be done in a private setting and very much liked that she would not need to have a drain, as the Brazilian technique does not disrupt blood vessels or lymphatic vessels.  She returned to normal activities such as driving herself around after one week and was allowed to exercise again after one month.  Later, at a check up appointment, she reported that felt great and that her life had been changed for the better. 

 

Who is a good candidate for abdominoplasty surgery?

• Men and women who are in good health but who have fat deposits around the abdomen which are out of proportion to the rest of their body and are resistant to diet and exercise.
• Men or women who have lost a large amount of weight and are left with loose, hanging skin.
• Women who have had pregnancies in which the abdominal muscles have been badly stretched, weakened, or separated beyond that which can be returned to a normal contour.
• Older patients who have lost elasticity in their skin and have, perhaps, been somewhat overweight.

What happens after your abdominoplasty surgery?

It may take you a few weeks to a couple months to feel completely like your old self again. Some people return to work after two weeks, while others take three to four weeks. An exercise program, starting slowly at first, will help reduce swelling, lower your chance of blood clots, and tone your muscles. Weight is no longer a concern because lipo-adominoplasty has vastly increased the blood supply compared to the conventional tummy tuck.

Incision lines, placed so that they will easily be hidden by clothing, will diminish after your plastic surgery but will be permanently visible. They may even appear to worsen during the first three to six months. In six months to one year, they will flatten and lighten in color.

Abdominoplasty will make your abdomen remarkably flatter and firmer. Your clothing will fit better and your self-esteem will be boosted. It is important to remember that you will have a permanent scar, but it will heal and fade over time. The results of your tummy tuck will be permanent unless you gain or lose a significant amount of weight or become pregnant. Contact Atlantic Plastic Surgery Center to find out more about abdominoplasty and other types of plastic surgery. Boston, Massachusetts and Maine are near our southern New Hampshire offices, and we even have patients come to us from across the country. Visit us to find out why.