Tummy/ Abdomen Procedures
Abdominoplasty helps to flatten and shape the abdomen and waist by removing excess fat and skin and tightening muscles. The best candidates have pockets of fat or loose skin that havent responded well to diet and exercise. The procedure can also be useful for women with stretched skin and muscles from pregnancy.
Full Abdominoplasty The procedure takes approximately two to five hours, is performed under general anesthesia and is usually performed on an outpatient basis. Recovery time ranges from two weeks to a few months. With a balanced diet and regular exercise, results are long-lasting. Abdominoplasty will likely leave a permanent scar stretching between the hips, although it often is low enough for even a bikini to conceal it.
Limited Abdominoplasty A mini tummy tuck, may be appropriate for patients who have smaller pockets of fat and or loose skin. This procedure is less invasive, requires a smaller incision and can be done on an outpatient basis. Liposuction is sometimes employed and the fat is removed from below the navel, tightening muscles from the navel to the pubis.
Liposuction (Lipoplasty/Suction Lipectomy)
The most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the U.S., liposuction sculpts the body by removing undesirable fat that has not responded to diet and exercise from areas such as the abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, thighs, chin, cheeks and neck. Liposuction is performed under general anesthesia and the procedure can last anywhere from one to five hours depending on the amount of fat being removed. It is best used for areas of isolated fat deposits.
Dr. Fox uses suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL). In this approach, liposuction fluid is injected into the area to be treated. Then a tiny incision is made in as inconspicuous a place as possible, and a cannula (small tube) breaks up the fat layer and suctions it out.
For more information on Abdomen Procedures go to www.plasticsurgery.org.
