Tummy Tuck

If your abdominal muscles are already tight and you just need to smooth out some of the skin, you may be a candidate for a mini-abdominoplasty (mini-tummy tuck). This is often the case for women who have had abdominal wall liposuction (liposculpture) earlier in life and now have a “lumpy” appearing abdomen because the skin did not retract well. In this procedure, just a small amount of skin is removed from the lower abdomen and the resulting incision is shorter. This procedure is associated with considerably less downtime than a full tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). Schedule a consultation at Suzanne A. Trott, MD, FACS in Beverly Hills to learn more about full and mini tummy tuck surgery.

The best candidates for tummy tuck surgery are those in good health and who at or near their desired weight. Tummy tuck surgery should not be used as a form of weight loss, but as a means to tone the midsection after having already met your weight loss goals. Good candidates for tummy tucks are men or women who experience:

• Excessive skin around the belly button.
• A weakened abdominal wall.
• Sagging or loosened skin on the abdomen.

The incision is hidden by a bikini (which you might actually start wearing again!) or underwear. Double board-certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Suzanne Trott makes a special effort to keep the incision low enough to be concealed by today’s low-cut jeans. Dr. Trott can combine this procedure with liposculpture (liposuction) of the hips ("back fat" or "muffin top") when necessary for total circumferential body contouring. In the abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) procedure, Dr. Trott will tighten the deep abdominal wall muscles with permanent stitches and remove all of the skin from below the belly button down to the hair-bearing area. The belly button will be in the same place that it was before—just much more aesthetically pleasing in appearance and not all stretched out. Dr. Trott performs the Lockwood "High Lateral Tension" Abdominoplasty on all of her patients. This technique, developed by the late Ted Lockwood, the father of body contouring surgery, incorporates a special deep layer of stitches which will give the patient an upper thigh lift at the same time. Nearly all of the stitches that Dr. Trott places are absorbable so that patients will not have to endure suture removal post-operatively in with an extra trip to the plastic surgery office of Suzanne A. Trott, MD, FACS in Beverly Hills, CA. Dr. Trott also uses an On Q™ pain pump which stays in place for 3 days postoperatively, bathing the tissues in local anesthetic to help give patients the easiest, most comfortable recovery possible.

Following abdominoplasty, there will be some swelling and bruising around the abdomen and belly button. For the first few days following the procedure, tubes may be used to drain the incision site of any blood and fluid. Some patients may be issued an antibiotic to help prevent infection. Patients will experience some abdominal pain, which is normal, and the swelling can take 6 weeks or more to subside. It is very important that patients are careful moving around following the first few months of surgery and they will need to schedule follow up appointments at our office periodically for progress checks.

If you want to attain a flatter, more attractive stomach and have tried a healthy diet and exercise, a tummy tuck may help get you to your desired results. Tummy tuck surgery can help you with the confidence you need to walk the beach without a cover-up and show off the body that you’ve worked so hard to attain. Schedule a consultation with our office today and learn how a tummy tuck can transform you.