It won't remove stretch marks from your abdominal skin, but simply move them lower down.
If the layer of fat in your upper abdomen is very thick, a tummy tuck won't remove it all. Sometimes liposuction can remove some, but too much liposuction of this upper area, done at the same time as the tummy tuck, can affect blood circulation and cause complications.
Recovering from a tummy tuck
At first there'll be pain, swelling, and numbness, but not bruising. The plastic surgeon will have applied bandages and inserted drains.
Pain: Your surgeon will of course prescribe a pain medication and you'll probably take that for a week or two.
Swelling: The swelling should subside within 5 or 6 weeks, perhaps as soon as 2 weeks.
Numbness: The numbness may last several months but is normally not permanent.
Drains will be removed when drainage eases up, after a couple of days, or maybe after a week or two. Avoid taking any showers until they're removed; just take sponge baths.
Bandages are removed after 3 or 4 days.
You'll feel like resting, but don't rest all the time. To encourage good blood circulation, you should walk around every hour or so and perhaps do light household chores. But avoid anything that feels uncomfortable. Wiggle your feet periodically and keep your hips gently flexed forward, to avoid putting tension on the stitches.
You can take baths after about two weeks. There'll probably be surgical tape over the stitches and you should leave it on until it comes off by itself, or until your surgeon removes it. In the meantime, keep it dry.
If your work isn't physically active or strenuous, you can be back after a week or 10 days. Otherwise, it's wise to wait for a month or 6 weeks. You can drive again after you stop taking the pain medication. After a month, you can be back at the gym or jogging etc.
The final result won't be fully evident until the scar heals, in about a year's time.
Finding a good cosmetic surgeon
Since cosmetic surgery has become so popular in the last 10 years or so, some doctors have taken short cut training to take advantage of this at a disservice to the general public. You want a properly trained and experienced plastic surgeon, not one who might gain his basic experience on you! Choose a plastic surgeon who's certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), and one who's a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
While you should by all means listen to your friends and acquaintances who may have had cosmetic surgery and want to recommend their doctor to you you should do your homework too, and check the doctor's credentials.
Some questions to ask when interviewing plastic surgeons
· Do you have hospital privileges, and if so, which hospitals?
· Can you do the procedure in the hospital if I want to?
· If you do surgery in other facilities, are they accredited?
What a tummy tuck will not do
It won't remove stretch marks from your abdominal skin, but simply move them lower down.
If the layer of fat in your upper abdomen is very thick, a tummy tuck won't remove it all. Sometimes liposuction can remove some, but too much liposuction of this upper area, done at the same time as the tummy tuck, can affect blood circulation and cause complications.
Recovering from a tummy tuck
At first there'll be pain, swelling, and numbness, but not bruising. The plastic surgeon will have applied bandages and inserted drains.
Pain: Your surgeon will of course prescribe a pain medication and you'll probably take that for a week or two.
Swelling: The swelling should subside within 5 or 6 weeks, perhaps as soon as 2 weeks.
Numbness: The numbness may last several months but is normally not permanent.
Drains will be removed when drainage eases up, after a couple of days, or maybe after a week or two. Avoid taking any showers until they're removed; just take sponge baths.
Bandages are removed after 3 or 4 days.
You'll feel like resting, but don't rest all the time. To encourage good blood circulation, you should walk around every hour or so and perhaps do light household chores. But avoid anything that feels uncomfortable. Wiggle your feet periodically and keep your hips gently flexed forward, to avoid putting tension on the stitches.
You can take baths after about two weeks. There'll probably be surgical tape over the stitches and you should leave it on until it comes off by itself, or until your surgeon removes it. In the meantime, keep it dry.
If your work isn't physically active or strenuous, you can be back after a week or 10 days. Otherwise, it's wise to wait for a month or 6 weeks. You can drive again after you stop taking the pain medication. After a month, you can be back at the gym or jogging etc.
The final result won't be fully evident until the scar heals, in about a year's time.
Finding a good cosmetic surgeon
Since cosmetic surgery has become so popular in the last 10 years or so, some doctors have taken short cut training to take advantage of this at a disservice to the general public. You want a properly trained and experienced plastic surgeon, not one who might gain his basic experience on you! Choose a plastic surgeon who's certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), and one who's a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
While you should by all means listen to your friends and acquaintances who may have had cosmetic surgery and want to recommend their doctor to you you should do your homework too, and check the doctor's credentials.
Some questions to ask when interviewing plastic surgeons
· Do you have hospital privileges, and if so, which hospitals?
· Can you do the procedure in the hospital if I want to?
· If you do surgery in other facilities, are they accredited?
· How many breast reductions have you done?
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