Abdominoplasty, commonly known as a Tummy Tuck, is the repair and tightening of the abdominal wall with elimination of excess skin, fatty tissue and stretch marks, creating an abdominal profile that is smoother and firmer. Most often associated with pregnancies, significant fluctuations of weight, and prior surgeries, even individuals of otherwise normal body weight and proportion can develop an abdomen that protrudes or is loose and sagging. Since a flat and well-toned abdomen is something many of us strive for through exercise and weight control, a tummy tuck is often necessary when these methods alone cannot achieve these goals. The surgery is designed to restore and flatten the natural abdominal contours, and is often combined with other body contouring procedures such as high definition liposculpture. The surgery is most often performed under general anesthesia in our Accredited Outpatient Surgical Facility.*
*Results May Vary
Dr. Calloway has extensive experience with a variety of tummy tuck procedures. A complete or “full” tummy tuck tightens the entire abdominal wall from breast bone to pubic bone and typically removes skin and fatty tissue from above the level of the navel, down into the pubic hair and from hip to hip. The incision is hidden in the natural creases above the groin and below the bikini line. The navel (known as the umbilicus) is transposed to maintain its ideal position and appearance. Some patients present with less fullness and therefore are often candidates for a more Limited Abdominoplasty surgery. Limited Abdominoplasty, Mini-Abdominoplasty, Infraumbilical panniculectomy, and Panniculectomy are all variations of the Abdominoplasty surgery, but are more limited in scope. Abdominoplasty surgery has significant flexibility on the available options for areas treated, final proportions and contours. Dr. Calloway will carefully review the patient’s desires and typically spends significant time discussing surgical options. In addition to thorough consultations regarding various options of Abdominoplasty, Dr. Calloway will review the patient’s overall goals and desired results to ensure optimum use of technologies and associated procedures.
Dr. Calloway also advocates the use of a postoperative pain management pump with Abdominoplasty surgery. This is an implantable device that infuses long acting local anesthesia into the surgical areas which eliminates postoperative pain with numbing medication rather than narcotics. Routine use of the device has revolutionized the recovery from abdominoplasty surgery, allowing the procedure to be performed on an outpatient basis with minimal to no postoperative discomfort. The device is painlessly removed in the office, usually within the first week of recovery. The tissues are all repaired with multiple layers of absorbable stitches, eliminating the need for suture removal.
The cost of the surgery will vary depending on the procedures utilized. The surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia in our Accredited Outpatient Surgical Facility with the assistance of a board certified Anesthesiologist. The usual recovery is approximately 3-4 weeks before exercise regimens are resumed. The stitches do not require removal as they slowly dissolve over time. Also included as part of the procedure, Dr. Calloway performs non invasive laser treatments on the small hidden incisions to help them fade more rapidly. Thorough individualized instructions are reviewed with the patient and caregiver prior to surgery, and frequent postoperative visits with Dr. Calloway and his staff ensure a smooth and straightforward recovery.
*Results may vary
