There are many overweight people who find it difficult to diet and sometimes look for an alternative in the form of pills or other aids, or resort to surgery. For those who have tried most other things or for specific types of problems there are surgical treatments that can help out, ranging from liposuction, to gastric banding, and a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty, to give it it's proper name.
The latter is a cosmetic procedure more for those who don’t necessarily have just an excess of belly fat but may have unsightly loose skin in the abdominal region after having a baby, or after having been on a successful diet and losing a lot of weight quite quickly. In these types of instances it can take the body time to catch up and meanwhile you can be left with an unattractive looking midriff.
The tummy tuck operation can however include fat removal by liposuction at the same time, and is geared towards an individual’s requirements involving removal of excess fatty tissue as well as folds of loose skin or stretch marks.
Tummy tuck surgery is not by itself the answer to keeping your weight down but it can enhance your appearance and help motivate you towards keeping to a healthy diet and lifestyle so that you can maintain the improved figure that you have. Simple liposuction can help liquefy excess fat and remove it but doesn’t by itself sculpt the figure adequately sometimes, so may need to be a part of an overall abdominoplasty operation or tummy tuck that is customised to your requirements.
The operation can take two or three hours depending on how much work needs to be done. It generally involves removing loose or unsightly skin in the lower abdomen, along with obvious excess fat, and sometimes also the tightening of the muscle fascial wall of the abdomen to give a smoother and more streamlined appearance. It may be necessary to repair torn muscles, or tighten muscles according to circumstances. There is likely to be a scar remaining afterwards around the belly button and a scar across the abdomen above the pubic region but this is usually able to be hidden by underwear or swimsuit.
A general anaesthetic is required for the procedure and you can expect to spend two or three days in hospital after such an operation and may need bladder catheterization temporarily. You might have to wear an elasticated garment for a couple of weeks to give support and help control swelling. Stitches may be removed after a week or two, or may be self-dissolving, depending on the surgeon. You must expect some soreness and pain for a day or so and tightness of the region for up to a fortnight. It may take up to six weeks for healing to be complete.
It’s said that there’s no gain without pain but in this case the discomfort is only temporary and the results achieved are generally excellent so that patients are more than satisfied. A satisfactory result will often dramatically improve a person’s self-esteem, enabling them to be less self-conscious about their appearance in swimwear and closely fitting clothing, and making them feel generally more attractive.
The tummy tuck is not considered a serious or risky operation in itself and is carried out regularly on many people, but you should be aware that there are always possible risks or side effects with any operation, but these should be explained by your surgeon. The degree of post-operative pain, swelling, or scarring is very variable. Complications are rare but could include temporary numbness, infection, excessive bleeding, a reaction to the anaesthetic, or a blood clot developing in a vein.
Cosmetic surgical techniques are increasingly sophisticated and are sometimes the only way to achieve a dramatic or rapid improvement to the way you look, so their popularity is understandable and well deserved.