An abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck or tummy surgery is a common body contouring procedure to tighten and tone the abdominal wall muscles.
Dr Carmen Munteanu is a female Specialist plastic surgeon having performed hundreds of these procedures for mothers and post weight loss patients.
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Abdominoplasty
Who is an Ideal Candidate for a Tummy Tuck/ Abdominoplasty?
A tummy tuck – abdominoplasty is generally performed on both men and women who have a healthy weight range wishing to remove excess skin and fat, that no amount of diet or exercise can correct. By removing the loose skin and fat and increasing the strength of the abdominal wall, this procedure can achieve a tighter, flatter abdomen and tummy.
This improved shape can result in long-term positive effects on your lifestyle, exercise, and overall well-being. Patients often say how much easier daily activities become, such as walking, running and exercising.
Liposuction is often paired with an abdominoplasty as a lipoabdominoplasty procedure to enhance the contouring results and speed up the recovery.
Your plastic surgeon, Dr Carmen, will assess your candidacy during your initial consultation and compassionately address your concerns.
What are the Benefits of a Tummy Tuck/ Abdominoplasty?
Your surgery will result in a flatter, firmer abdominal contour that is more proportionate with your body type and weight. The final results may be initially obscured by swelling and your inability to stand fully upright until internal healing is complete. Within a week or two, you should be standing tall and confident in your new slimmer profile.
Tummy Tuck/ Abdominoplasty Before and After Photos
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The Abdominoplasty Surgical Procedure
1. Anaesthesia
Medications will be provided for your comfort during the surgical procedures. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anaesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice suited for you.
2. The incision
A full abdominoplasty will require a horizontal-oriented incision in the area of the lower torso. The shape and size of the incision will be influenced by the amount of excess skin. Once the abdominal skin is lifted, the underlying weakened abdominal muscles will be repaired.
A second incision around the navel may be necessary to remove excess skin in the upper abdomen. The upper abdominal skin is pulled down, the excess skin is trimmed and the remaining skin is sutured together. A new opening for the belly button is created. The belly button is popped through to the surface and sutured into position.
3. Closing the incisions
Sutures, skin adhesives, tapes or clips will close the skin incisions.
All surgery has risks – for detailed information about the risks and potential complications of tummy tuck-abdominoplasty surgery please visit the risks of surgery page.
Post-operative care and follow-up
Following the operation, your torso will feel extremely tight and you may have a considerably unusual posture for a few weeks. You may feel you are bent over and cannot stand completely upright, this is normal. Most patients will have a hospital stay of 2 – 4 days. Recovery times vary, with most people returning to work in 2 – 4 weeks. However, we recommend no sport or heavy lifting activities for 6 – 8 weeks.
Longer-Term Results of a Tummy Tuck/ Abdominoplasty
This is a fairly common question. Generally yes, as everyone is usually toward the end of a journey, with multiple pregnancies, weight variation, and aging.
Quite frequently, the person requiring the operation has got a defined lifestyle and diet-exercise habits that will only change for the better. Needless to say, a significant weight variation or another pregnancy will obviously change the balance.
How much is a Tummy Tuck in Melbourne? Abdominoplasty Surgery Costs & fees
At your initial consultation, you will be given a detailed quote for your chosen procedure. This will include a Surgeon’s fee, Anaesthetist fee, Surgical Assistant fee and the hospital fees.
Dr Carmen’s team will provide you a customised fee for your surgery depending on the type of procedure, hospital and how long you want to stay in hospital. An approximate fee range for your Tummy tuck – abdominoplasty surgery can be provided over the phone when you speak to a Patient Care Advisor. We also provide information on different methods of payment.
Find out more about Tummy Tuck – abdominoplasty Prices and Consultation Fees
Further Reading – Medical References
Preparing for an Abdominoplasty
During your initial consultation, Dr Carmen Munteanu will carefully listen to your concerns and expectations, discuss your age, health history, and risk factors.
Ideally, you should be as close to your target weight or health goals. This reduces complications and optimises your final result. If you are considering future pregnancies or have plans for significant weight loss, it will be best to postpone the surgery. This procedure is intended to last, remove excess tissue-fat, and tighten the stretched abdominal muscles
Find out more about your patient journey.
If you have any questions or concerns about the procedure, please don’t hesitate to ask Dr Carmen at this time.
How painful is the Tummy Tuck/ abdominoplasty procedure?
A myth that is associated with abdominoplasty is that it is painful and difficult to recover from. This operation is designed to reposition and reinforce what has been weakened and displaced, to restore and enhance natural features. From Dr Carmen’s experience, her patients common feedback is that it was not as painful or incapacitating as they thought.
Dr Carmen will advise you about your best options, discuss the expected results, and recommend an individualised plan of treatment, from the preparation phase to long-term care. You will proceed to surgery with a clear plan, expectations, and pictured postoperative progress.
Planning your Abdominoplasty surgery with Dr Carmen
Dr Carmen truly understands that a tummy tuck – abdominoplasty surgery is an emotional journey, and takes the time to address any questions and concerns you might have. During your consultation, Dr Carmen will assess your suitability for this procedure, and create a personalised plan to help you achieve your desires.
At your pre-operative consultation, Dr Carmen Munteanu will listen carefully to your expected outcomes, and discuss factors including your age, health history and any risks. She will conduct an examination into your general health, the size, shape and skin elasticity of your tummy, as well as the position of your belly button. Based on this examination, Dr Carmen will then provide you with personalised recommendations for your treatment.
