Thinking about a tummy tuck? Here’s your next step.
If you have been pregnant, or significantly overweight and then lost weight, you may have extra skin and fat that you can get rid of with a tummy tuck.
I see patients all the time that come in feeling guilty because they cannot diet and exercise away their tummy problems. They feel like they are admitting defeat by coming in for a tummy tuck consult. Don’t beat yourself up! Loose skin and the separation of the stomach muscles can not be fixed with diet and exercise. This is not a failure on your part. If your friend has two kids and her tummy still looks great, that is because she was blessed with phenomenal genetics, not because she was more diligent in diet and exercise after pregnancy.
So, now you have left the guilt behind, what is next? The first question is “Are you finished having children’? I would not recommend a tummy tuck if another pregnancy is planned. It would basically undo the tummy tuck. The skin would stretch again and the muscles would separate again. A tummy tuck involves significant expense and recovery. That is a lot to go through to be undone with another pregnancy. So if you are through having children, or you have lost a lot of weight and your weight is stable, you may be ready to proceed with exploring your options. So what is next?
Step 1
Find a board certified plastic surgeon. A properly trained plastic surgeon will be board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The Cosmetic Surgery Board or other similarly named boards are not the same. They are not part of the American Board of Medical Specialties and are not legitimate indications of training and experience.
Step 2
Make sure your surgeon does his or her surgery at an accredited facility. You don’t want to have your surgery in a facility where there is no oversight to make sure that proper safety procedures and standards are followed. It will cost more, but putting your health at risk is not worth the savings.
Step 3
Make an appointment for a consultation with one or more plastic surgeons. At your consultation you should expect to meet with the plastic surgeon and learn about the procedure. You will find out what to expect during your recovery, how much time you will need to be off of work, what kink of results you can expect, and what complications are possible. You should have plenty of time to ask any questions that you have . You will see before and after photos of tummy tucks that the surgeon has done. You will get a price quote for your procedure.
Step 4
Schedule your surgery. You will typically go back to the office for a pre-operative appointment before the day of surgery. You will get detailed instructions, prescriptions for your surgery, orders for any lab work that needs to be done, and photos will be done if they were not done at the consult appointment. This is a great time to ask any questions that have come up since your consult appointment as well.
Step 5
Have the tummy tuck done, recover, and then enjoy your new shape.! And remember, no guilt allowed. You did not take the easy way out. All the diets, aerobic exercise, weight lifting, yoga, and crunches in the world will not fix what a tummy tuck fixes!
Visit our photo gallery for before and after tummy tuck pictures.