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Doctor insights on: Tummy Tuck Swelling After 6 Months

It depends: I perform a significant number of tummy tucks (witch hazel) each year for my young mothers and feel that this is a great procedure when done by a qualified plastic surgeon with experience in this area. I generally recommend waiting a few months following a c-section so that soft tissue swelling has gone done and your hormones have returned to a more natural state.

Many Months: Although, for the right patient, the tummy tuck operation is a great one, it is associated with a significant recovery (physically and, often emotionally). Swelling may persist for several months and may be exacerbated by exercise/increased activity. It may take up to one year for full skin re-draping to occur and for patients to see the final outcome of the procedure performed. Best wishes.

It depends: If you had liposuction with your tummy tuck, the swelling will be more pronounced and take longer to resolve. Most patients are about 80%-90% resolved by 4 weeks post-op.

Tummy recovery: Expect 2 - 3 months before enough swelling has gone down before your feel comfortable at the beach. Make sure you discuss with your surgeon the placement of the scar. I encourage my patients to bring me what swimwear they want to wear after their surgery so I can mark it on their body to keep the scar hidden under that level.

Check for seroma: If the drain just came out, and your belly has been getting bigger, and jiggles like a water balloon...Then the first thought is that you have a fluid collection called a "seroma". Let your surgeon know - this is easy to fix.

Yes: Tummy tucks (witch hazel) or adominoplasty is great at rejuvenating the post oartum abdomen. This procedure will realign your rectis muscles in the midline limiting the diastasis typically created by your pregnancy as well as remove excess skin laxity and unsitely stretch marks. Remember, however, if you plan to having more children this will typically recur.

Yes: After pregnancy, particularly after twins, the skin and fascia of the abdomen have often been stretched beyond their ability to shrink back. Exercising the muscles will tighten them but won't remove the excess skin or separation that may exist between the muscles. A tummy tuck is a reliable way to get rid of the skin and tighten the fascia. See a board certified plastic surgeon for a consult.

Yes and no: The swelling will likely go down considerably and light exercise with core strengthening, compression garments and lymphatic massage may help if recommended by your physician. In regards to numbness, the amount of numbness will diminish, but it is quite normal to have an area of permanent numbness immediately below your umbilicus. Most patients find this acceptable and tolerable.

Absolutely: In a patient who is close to their ideal body weight and in good physical condition with a rectus muscle diastasis and pronounced skin laxity, the tummy tuck can produce outstanding results that are greatly appreciated by the patients undergoing these procedures. Surgery is not without risk and one must carefully consider the risks, alternatives and benefits of any procedure.

Skin Fat Muscle More: This is a complex combination of procedures which requires analysis of the problematic anatomic components of your skin laxity, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, muscle diastasis, postural condition, muscle tone, boney skeleton, and overall health as a surgical candidate. There.

Belt lipectomy: A belt lipectomy is particularly effective for those people who have had a lost of weight loss due to the extra skin. It can lift the outer thighs and buttocks in addition to tightening the belly.

Several things: Abdominoplasty is done to tighten the muscles of the abdomen, which have usually been stretched by pregnancy or massive weight gain, and to remove excess fat and skin from the abdominal wall. It is a big operation with a long incision just above the pubic hair that extends from hipbone to hipbone. You should make sure you are done having children before considering this operation.

No: It's a compression garment. It hides fat while you're wearing it. The minute you take it off everything is the same. It will not alter the appearance of your abdomen at all.

Can't determine...: ...without exam, but weight management thru varied exercise and lo-carb diet is always a good idea a.d suction-assisted lipectomy (liposuction) may have a place.

Very safe: In expert hands this is an hour and a half to two hour operation that gives a very long lasting improvement in the function and appearance of the abdomen. Studies show that many cases of low back pain are markedly improved after repositioning of the rectus abdominis muscles which are typically splayed after pregnancy or weight gain.

Not always: These are general two different procedures performed for different indications. A panniculectomy is often performed for massive weight loss or obesity and essentially consists of skin removal withnthe attached fat. This can require several hours snfd require hospitalization which may dramatically increase the costs. A tummy tuck is generally cosmetic and these prepay rates are generally lower.

Enhancing abdomen: A tummy tuck involves enhancing the appearance of the abdomen. In order to provide the best results there is skin resection, liposuction and muscle tightening performed in all cases.

Stretch marks: Have your kids first then, if you want tummy tuck the surgeon can target stretch marks when he plans where to cut.

high satisfaction: Most patients who undergo tummy tuck have a high degree of satisfaction postoperatively. The soreness from surgery generally resolves within 7 to 14 days and swelling generally resolves within three months. The incision will heal over the course of 2 to 3 weeks with maturation of the scar over the course of several months.

Good Candidate?: The “ideal” patient for tummy tuck surgery is one who has completed pregnancies, is medically/psycho socially/emotionally/financially stable,  has an excellent social support system surrounding him/her,  does not smoke, is capable of arranging enough recovery time and who has reached a long-term stable weight.