Am I a Candidate for a Tummy Tuck
If there was one area of your body that you could change the appearance of, what would it be? For many people, it is their abdomen. The middle part of our body is prone to getting larger or smaller if our weight fluctuates, as well as stretching phenomenally in females who become pregnant. Unfortunately, when our midsections get smaller, they rarely ‘snap back’ and give us a smooth, tight silhouette. Instead, overstretched skin and stubborn pockets of fat can cause overhanging, loose flab and excess skin that makes people feel embarrassed, self-conscious or even depressed. You may feel that you can’t wear the clothes that you would like to or avoid getting changed in public areas such as changing rooms in the gym. For some people, their dislike of their tummy area can even lead to relationship problems stemming from their lack of confidence and an unwillingness to let their partner see them without clothes.
Fortunately, there is a way of tightening and smoothing the entire abdomen area. It known as a tummy tuck.
What is a tummy tuck and what does it involve?
A tummy tuck is a type of cosmetic surgery that focuses on removing excess fat and skin from the abdomen area so that the patient can enjoy a flatter, smoother and tighter tummy. Also known as an abdominoplasty, tummy tuck surgery is one of the most commonly-sought over body procedures requested by patients in the United States.
The procedure itself involves making a long incision across the abdomen and separating the skin from the underlying muscles. These muscles can be tightened, or in the case of women who may have experienced stomach muscle separation during the course of their pregnancy, sewn back together. The skin can then be pulled tight across the stomach, secured and any excess removed.
Am I a candidate for tummy tuck surgery?
If you have excess stomach fat or hanging skin, you may automatically think that this makes you an ideal candidate for tummy tuck surgery. However, before your surgeon can approve you for this procedure, you will first need to attend a consultation. This is an opportunity to find out more about what a tummy tuck involves, as well as giving your surgeon chance to assess you and whether or not you are a suitable candidate for a tummy tuck. This assessment will look at various elements, including the following:
Your weight is stable
Many people who want a tummy tuck have lost a considerable amount of weight, leaving them with excess fat and skin. However, if you aren’t happy with your current weight and intend on losing more, we strongly recommend that you wait until your weight is stable before undergoing this surgery. Any further weight loss could cause the initial problems to return. Similarly, you will want to make sure that you don’t put weight on as this will stretch the stomach muscles and skin again, and could put you back to square one!
You are generally healthy
A tummy tuck is a serious surgery that is performed under general anesthetic. For this reason, your surgeon will need to be happy that your general health is good and that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t have either the anesthetic or the procedure. If you are a smoker, you should expect your surgeon to insist that you give up the nicotine, at the very least for a month or so either side of your procedure. This is because smoking inhibits the body’s ability and could cause potential problems with your recovery.
Your reasons for seeking a tummy tuck are good
Your surgeon needs to be satisfied that you are considering surgery for you, and not because you are being forced, coerced or persuaded by people around you. For example, if you think that a flatter stomach will save your relationship because your partner has indicated that he/she preferred you with a slimmer shape, your surgeon may not be happy that you are choosing a tummy tuck for the right reasons. You need to make sure that you are opting for surgery because you want it, not because someone else wants you to have it.
You aren’t intending on having any more children
Ok, so adding another little person to the family may not affect the physical shape of a man, but if you are female and considering a tummy tuck, you must make sure that your baby-making days are behind you. Another pregnancy and any weight gain will stretch your abdomen again, rendering the initial surgery completely pointless. Take precautions to make sure that pregnancy is definitely off the cards!
If you are interested in discussing your candidacy for a tummy tuck in McKinney, please contact us at 469-675-3659 for a plastic surgery consultation.
