Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty operations are among the treatment methods applied against problems such as extra weight, looseness, and skin sagging in the abdominal area. Abdominoplasty is a simple plastic surgery operation. Abdominoplasty is essentially not a weight-loss operation, but a body contouring surgery. It is mainly used in women and especially after pregnancy to eliminate the relaxation and skin sagging in the abdominal area.

People get a proper appearance with abdominoplasty. The skin sagging on the skin is eliminated and extra weights are removed. In this way, the abdominal area is flattened and the cracks, especially under the belly button, are eliminated. Men can also have an abdominoplasty operation.

Abdominoplasty Surgery

Abdominoplasty surgery is one of the plastic surgery operations. Abdominal stretching, also known as abdominoplasty, is among the most effective surgical methods in terms of abdominal and belly aesthetics. Especially in women and after childbirth, the skin and muscles in the abdominal region do not fully return to their old form. After childbirth, some deformations occur in the abdominal area of women and the skin sagging in the belly area does not create an aesthetically pleasing appearance. This deformation is quite common and at a high level in women who have had two or more children and have weight problems.

In women, the connective tissue in the abdominal wall loosens after pregnancy. As a result, the abdominal wall moves forward and a swollen appearance occurs. Looseness and cracks also cause an undesirable appearance in the abdominal area. Restoring this image and returning the abdominal area to its pre-pregnancy state does not give the desired result easily just with sports or diet methods. Since abdominoplasty is also an operation, the risks of complications such as bleeding and infection can be seen. Therefore, you should use the medications prescribed by your doctor after the surgery and you should have regular dressings avoiding sudden movements.

Abdominoplasty Surgery Process

You will be examined by the doctor before the abdominoplasty surgery. According to the results of this examination, points such as the method planned to be applied in abdominoplasty and from which area the skin will be removed are clarified in parallel with the examined radiological images. Especially in women who have given birth by cesarean section, in abdominoplasty surgeries, the skin sagging and cracked skin in the area up to the belly button is removed from the birthmark level, and the skin in the upper part of the belly button is stretched downwards. As the belly button is closed as a result of this operation, it is reconstructed.

If there is skin sagging, loosening and lipoidosis with cracks in the skin, these extra weight is  removed from the abdominal area by the liposuction method. The loosened and sagged abdominal muscles are compressed by the collecting stitches applied to the abdominal wall membrane and make the muscles stiffer. The surgery scars that occur after the operation are eliminated by aesthetic stitches. In case of pregnancy again after abdominoplasty surgery, similar problems may recur and another operation may be needed.

Duration of Abdominoplasty Surgery

The duration of abdominoplasty operations varies depending on the nature of the surgery performed. This depends on what kind of interventions the patient needs. In full or total abdominoplasty, this period can take approximately 3-3,5 hours. The width of the abdominal area may increase this period a little more.

Abdominal stretching operations take 1-1,5 hours in patients whose problems are relatively mild, looseness, cracks, and skin sagging relatively low in density and whose abdominal area is not large. Apart from these, the amount of extra skin in the abdominal area that needs to be removed, whether there is a need for liposuction or not, the width of the abdominal area, the condition of the abdominal muscles and the stitch technique to be applied by the physician are among the factors that affect the duration of abdominoplasty operations. General anesthesia is applied to the patient in abdominoplasty surgery.

After Abdominoplasty Surgery

• After abdominoplasty surgery, you will be discharged within 1-2 days if exceptional circumstances are set aside.
• After abdominoplasty operations, wearing a special corset is recommended. This corset, which contributes positively to the results of the surgery, helps your abdominal area to reach the form you want if you wear it for a period of 1 month.
• On the day of surgery, if 3-4 hours have passed, you can walk with a support or the help of a relative. The next day, you will be able to walk on your own.
• 2-3 days after the operation, you can take a bath and then return to your routine.
• In abdominoplasty surgery, it is common to have pain for a while because of the procedures and stitches placed in your abdominal area. Necessary applications are performed by your doctor to relieve your pain.
• Movements such as sneezing, straining, and coughing during the first week after abdominoplasty surgery may cause pain. The reason for this is that the stitches placed in your abdominal area have not fully healed yet. You should stay away from these sudden movements as they can both hurt you and cause your stitches to break.
• If your job is not a heavy one, you can go on with your career in 7-10 weeks. These periods, which are valid for after full abdominoplasty surgery, decrease even more in mini abdominoplasty surgeries. You can return to your daily life within 3-4 days after the mini abdominoplasty operation.

Pregnancy After Abdominoplasty Surgery

Abdominoplasty surgery does not affect pregnancy or the pregnancy process. Getting pregnant after abdominoplasty surgery does not cause any complications. Pregnancy is appropriate after the healing process is completed in women who have had abdominoplasty surgery. You can easily learn from your physician how long you will fully recover after abdominoplasty surgery. You can share your pediatric plan with your physician and it will be the most reliable method to plan yourself according to the time your doctor deems appropriate.

Mothers who want to have abdominoplasty after their pregnancy are also confused about how long they should wait after birth. The ideal time for abdominoplasty surgery is considered to be 1 year after birth. Spending this time paying attention to the mother's diet, getting rid of extra weight with breastfeeding and exercise helps to determine the degree of cracks and skin sagging in the abdominal area. Since there is a risk of problems such as skin sagging and cracks in the abdominal area after each birth, mothers who want to become pregnant once again are recommended to postpone the abdominoplasty surgery for a while.

Suitability for Patients

In general, anyone who does not have a health problem, whose youngest child is at least 1 year old and who does not think of a pregnancy recently, who has not undergone a major operation on the abdomen, and who is deemed appropriate by the physician can have abdominoplasty surgery.
It should not be forgotten that abdominoplasty is essentially an aesthetic surgery method, although it indirectly enables you to lose weight. If you also experience problems such as looseness, cracks and skin sagging in your abdominal area, you can plan for an abdominoplasty operation if your physician deems it appropriate.

You can contact Gotocure for more information about abdominoplasty.