ABDOMINOPLASTY (Tummy Tuck)
INTRODUCTION: An abdominoplasty is an operation in which excess skin and fat from the abdominal wall, particularly below the navel, is removed and the remaining skin tightened. This is accomplished by elevation of the skin and fat, pulling it inferiorly, and excising the excess. It is particularly effective in removing stretch marks from the lower abdomen, but it must be understood that not all stretch marks can be eliminated, and that some laxity, particularly noticeable when flexing the hips, will persist. The navel is reinserted into the skin after the tightening procedure.
Frequently, particularly after childbirth or weight loss, patients present with a weakness of the abdominal wall muscles and fascia; in such cases, the defect between the anterior muscles is repaired (fascial repair) before trimming the excess skin and fat.
 This procedure can be combined with other abdominal surgery; for example, the abdominoplasty may be performed at the same time that your gynecologist performs a hysterectomy or other procedure. It may also be combined with non-abdominal operations such as liposuction, facelifts or other procedures.
The operation is directed toward an improvement and does not in any way guarantee complete obliteration of all folds and stretch marks. You must accept the judgment of your plastic surgeon and realize that he will remove as much as is safe and suitable. Particularly in patients with thicker abdominal walls or marked skin excess, it may be desirable to return for a secondary liposuction of the abdominal wall or an additional skin excision to obtain an optimal result.
The type of skin and age of the patient are factors in the overall result to be obtained. The operation should not be undertaken if the patient intends pregnancies in the foreseeable future. While it is not necessary for the patient to reach a certain weight before surgery may be performed, it is desirable that the patient's weight be stable for at least six months prior to surgery and that the patient be at a weight he/she feels can be maintained after the procedure.
BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS
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40 year old African American with a prior vertical lower
abdominal GYN scar, before and after abdominoplasty
with liposuction
of the flank areas.
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Juris Bunkis, MD, FACS
email:bunkis@ocps.com
Orange County Plastic Surgery
30212 Tomas, Suite 275
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Phone: (866) 457-1293
Fax: (949) 888-9724
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