in the Boston plastic surgery center that places the utmost importance on results, safety, and patient satisfaction while serving patients in the New England area.
Our Boston tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure that tightens and removes excess skin from the front of the abdomen. As an outpatient procedure, a tummy tuck also tightens the abdominal muscles and repositions your belly button for a firmer and flatter appearance.
A tummy tuck is almost always combined with liposuction to remove extra fat from the upper abdomen and waist to optimize the results of the procedure. A tummy tuck can be combined with other procedures as well, such as breast augmentation or liposuction to other areas of the body.
When the sit-up muscles have separated after pregnancy, a tummy tuck will repair that separation—giving the abdomen a tighter and more toned feel. Stretch marks in the lower abdomen can also be removed during a tummy tuck.
A full tummy tuck generally removes all or most of the excess skin below the belly button and includes an incision around the belly button.
A mini tummy tuck removes less skin but does not have an incision around the belly button. The muscles can be repaired with either a full or mini tummy tuck.
Am I a candidate for a Tummy Tuck?
Any patient with excess skin hanging over their waist when they sit straight up are candidates for a tummy tuck. However, ideal patients are within ten to 15 pounds of their goal weight, overall good health, and non-smoker. Our surgeons, and most board-certified plastic surgeons, agree that it's best to be as close as possible to your ideal body weight before having abdominoplasty. This will ensure that your results are both rewarding and long-lasting. A stable and realistic weight is best.
It is important to have realistic expectations of your results. Your Clareo surgeon will be able to address your concerns and guide you through the procedure so you can understand the aesthetic process.
Benefits of a Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck is often done to improve the appearance of the stomach area. It can help you achieve a flatter, more toned stomach.
A tummy tuck can also:
An important consideration when choosing to have a tummy tuck or only liposuction is the skin of the abdomen; how much excess is present and how elastic it is. Liposuction does not remove the skin, so if there is too much skin or the skin does not have enough elasticity to "bounce back" then liposuction can leave patients with hanging skin. During your consultation for a tummy tuck Boston body sculpting experts at Clareo Plastic Surgery will review the options that would suit you, and discuss the pros and cons of each. These procedures can be combined. In fact, almost all patients have some type of liposuction with their tummy tuck.
Swipe To Next
Your results are permanent, but the aging process will happen gradually. Therefore, maintaining a healthy weight with a proper diet and exercise is vital for long-lasting optimal results.
Tummy tuck surgery is a customized procedure that our Clareo surgeons tailor to each patient's unique needs. Determining the right approach to your surgery will depend on your anatomy, cosmetic goals, and the level of correction needed. Your surgeon will discuss your abdominoplasty options and the price of your procedure with you during your initial consultation.
Tummy Tuck Procedure
Your tummy tuck surgery is an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia, so it is vital to have a friend or family member available to drive you home and attend to you for the first three to five days after your surgery. Depending on your unique treatment plan, your surgeon will perform the following techniques:
A mini tummy tuck addresses excess skin and fat below the belly button. Mini tummy tucks can be performed with or without muscle repair and include a small incision along the lower abdomen. Mini tummy tucks are best suited for men and women who need only minor improvements and do not require significant skin removal.
Traditional tummy tuck surgery is often called a full or standard tummy tuck. This procedure involves an incision on the lower abdomen and around the belly button. A full tummy tuck is ideal for those who require a moderate amount of skin and fat removal, as well as muscle tightening or repair. Traditional tummy tuck surgery differs from a mini tummy tuck in that it can improve the appearance of the abdomen both above and below the belly button.
A circumferential tummy tuck or body lift may be most beneficial for people who have lost a significant amount of weight. This technique addresses excess skin and fat around the entire abdomen, flanks, and back. Although this surgery is the most invasive, it provides the most dramatic results. It not only creates smoother body contours and a slimmer silhouette, but it also can improve physical issues like skin chafing - making it easier to exercise and live a healthy lifestyle.
Your Clareo surgeon will make the appropriate incisions and remove any extra skin during surgery. If muscle tightening is needed, the abdominal muscles will be pulled tight. This will help create a flatter, firmer midsection. Liposuction is also used to remove extra fat and slim the body. During a tummy tuck patients may have drains placed under their skin to help remove excess fluid and reduce swelling. If placed, they will be taken out a few days after the procedure.
Other essential approaches
For some patients, other aesthetic goals need to be addressed, which include the following:
Once your abdominolasty is completed, the doctor will apply a dressing to the area. Surgical drains are commonly inserted to keep from fluid building up and for optimal healing, but these will be removed in a couple of days. You must wear a compression garment 24 hours a day (except to shower) for the first week to reduce swelling.
Combine a Tummy Tuck With Other Procedures
You can often achieve better results by combining a tummy tuck with other procedures, such as liposuction or a body lift. This is because these procedures can help to target specific areas of your body that may not be addressed with abdominoplasty alone.
Some of the combo procedures are:
Liposuction can remove stubborn pockets of fat that diet and exercise cannot get rid of. This can help to improve your results from a tummy tuck by giving you a more sculpted appearance.
A body lift is a procedure that addresses the skin and tissue on the entire body. This can be a good option if you've lost a significant amount of weight and have excess skin all over your body.
If you're unhappy with the appearance of your breasts, you may want to consider combining a tummy tuck with breast surgery. This can help to create a more proportionate look. You can either opt for a breast lift or a breast augmentation. A breast lift is when the breasts are lifted and the excess skin is removed. Breast augmentation is when implants are inserted to increase the size of the breasts.
A thighplasty, or thigh lift, is a procedure that can help to improve the appearance of your thighs. This can be a good option if you have excess skin on your thighs and your stomach.
A Brazilian butt lift is a great combo with a tummy tuck. This is a procedure that can help to improve the appearance of your butt, giving it a firmer, fuller, and more lifted appearance. If you have excess skin on your butt and your stomach, this may be the perfect combination for you.
A mommy makeover is a specialized combination of procedures that are designed to help mothers improve their post-pregnancy bodies. This can include breast surgery, abdominoplasty, liposuction, and more. Some even desire a mommy makeover for belly fat removal.
While some patients are out of bed and walking the evening of surgery, it can take up to a week for other patients to stand up straight, up to three weeks to return to work, and six weeks before patients are using their core muscles for lifting or strenuous activity. Getting proper rest is essential to your recovery, which means having pillows in place that are easy to access, having help to manage small children if necessary, and assistance with getting up and down.
Once you have completely healed, your tummy will be flat with tighter muscles. Your tummy tuck scar will be placed low and can easily be covered by clothing and swimwear. With a full tummy tuck, there also is an incision around the belly button. Patients are encouraged to have completed their pregnancies prior to having abdominoplasty, as pregnancy can stretch the skin and separate the muscles even after a tummy tuck, reversing all the work the abdominoplasty did.
While individual results are unique, your abdomen will be flat without loose skin, your waistline will be improved, and your sit-up muscles will be tightened. It may take up to three months for swelling to subside, but most patients will notice an immediate difference in their physique with the excessive skin and fat now gone. It is important to maintain your results with proper diet and exercise (once you are cleared to do so.) As your body naturally ages, EmSculpt treatments can provide additional contouring maintenance.
Now's the perfect time to look and feel your best.
Serving the Greater Boston Area with Two Locations in Fenway and Chestnut Hill. Request a consultation today. At Clareo Plastic Surgery, our Boston plastic surgery specialists are ready to help you achieve your goals with the most advanced treatments the cosmetic industry has to offer. Contact us today to take your first step toward a more beautiful you.
Board-certified plastic surgeons recognize the increased risks, including blood clots and wound infections, associated with patients with a high BMI. While surgeons may vary slightly regarding the upper BMI limit, Dr. Tantillo does not offer tummy tuck to patients whose BMI is greater than 33. Patient safety is the most important consideration.
Our surgeons, and most board-certified plastic surgeons, agree that it's best to be as close as possible to your ideal body weight before having a tummy tuck. This will ensure that your results are both rewarding and long-lasting. A stable and realistic weight is best.
Scars are an unfortunate trade-off for the many benefits of a tummy tuck. The abdominoplasty scar in the lower abdomen will be such that it will be covered by most any clothing. The length of that scar depends on how much excess skin needs to be removed. Patients who have a full abdominoplasty also have a scar around the belly button; a mini tummy tuck does not require an incision around the belly button. Precision surgical techniques are used to minimize the appearance of the scar and we will give you recommendations for scar management after the surgery. Over time the scars are almost always inconspicuous and acceptable to patients.
Yes, abdominoplasty is an excellent procedure for removing C-section scars and other post-pregnancy-related issues, such as repairing muscle laxity and bringing your abdominal muscles back together.
Depending on the location of the tattoo and how much excess skin you have, the tattoo may be removed completely or altered. We will be able to plan for this ahead of time and sometimes alter the surgery a bit to accommodate a tattoo.
Typically abdominoplasty takes about three to four hours to complete. However, this depends on the number of additional procedures you have done. During your consultation, your surgeon will discuss with you how long your specific procedure will take and address any concerns.
Not necessarily. We often have abdominoplasty patients who also have young children at home. The key is asking for help and preparing for your recovery. Typically, you will need to avoid lifting anything over 5 pounds for 6 weeks. This can be very difficult for mothers who want to carry or hold their children, but it is only temporary and is necessary to ensure your results are not compromised. Engage the help of a friend, relative, or trusted loved one for some assistance during the weeks following your procedure.
Yes. A tummy tuck really can help you regain your pre-baby body. That's because a tummy tuck addresses excess skin and muscle separation that is caused by pregnancy. In fact, many of our patients even say that they look better after their abdominoplasty than they did before they had children.
It's important to note that tummy tuck surgery does not improve the quality of the surrounding skin or tissue that is not removed at the time of your operation. So, if there are stretch marks outside of your treatment area, they will remain.
A tummy tuck, like liposuction, is a body contouring procedure rather than a weight loss surgery. While excess tissue is removed in the operation, this weighs very little and a tummy tuck is not a substitute for a healthy diet and exercise.
An abdominoplasty does not affect a woman's ability to become pregnant. Because pregnancy will stretch the soft tissues on the abdominal wall, we recommend postponing a tummy tuck until you have completed your pregnancies.
A tummy tuck includes the removal of the skin from the lower abdomen, and any stretch marks included on this removed skin are removed as well. Stretch marks above or to the side of this area are not removed.
Yes. Some medications can help lighten scars and minimize their appearance. Different surgeons will recommend different things, but most agree that silicone, pressure, and antioxidants are effective. Our Clareo surgeons recommend BIOCORNEUM® and scar massage.
No. All surgery leaves a scar, but our surgeons use techniques to make scarring as inconspicuous as possible. Scars can be faint with proper wound closure and scar management. Genetics also affect how noticeable your scar is. Regardless, most of our patients find that their scar is a small price to pay for the transformative results they enjoy and that their scar can be easily concealed by clothing and swimwear.
Yes, other procedures besides liposuction can be combined with a tummy tuck. These include aesthetic breast surgery, circumferential torso surgery, thigh lift or liposuction, or an arm lift or liposuction. We will only perform surgery that is safe; if you are interested in more procedures that can be safely done as one procedure, we will devise a plan for staged surgery.
Nearly all tummy tuck procedures performed at Clareo will include postoperative drains to help achieve the best results during your recovery.
Doctors recommend sleeping in a reclined or elevated position and avoiding sleeping on your side or stomach for the first two to three weeks. Place plenty of pillows under your knees, and your head should give you the most comfortable position.
Abdominplasty is a cosmetic procedure and not covered by medical insurance. However, Clareo Plastic Surgery offers payment and financing options for your convenience.
Serving the Greater Boston Area with Two Locations in Fenway and Chestnut Hill. Request a consultation at our Chestnut Hill Location Today.
At Clareo Plastic Surgery, our cosmetic specialists are ready to help you achieve your goals with the most advanced treatments the cosmetic industry has to offer. Contact us today to take your first step toward a more beautiful you.
