Abdominoplasty Surgery

Abdominoplasty Surgery is a procedure to shape the tummy that is sagging and has lost muscle tone (firmness). A combination of liposuction and tummy tuck may be necessary for those with excessive fat with extra skin laxity. If you’re looking for abdominoplasty surgery in Bangalore, TODS is one of the best bariatric hospitals in Bangalore.

What do we assess during your consultation?

During the consultation, we would like to know your expectations from the surgery. After thorough history and examination, we can determine whether these goals can be achieved.

Does Abdominoplasty Surgery help to Overcome Tummy Sag?

The tummy sags due to many reasons. The commonest is after pregnancy. The next most common cause for sagging is obesity and significant weight loss. Another cause could be that the person has lax muscles due to dietary deficiencies and lack of exercise.

What is Abdominoplasty Surgery/Tummy Tuck?

Abdominoplasty involves taking care of all the layers under pressure, stretched, or weakened. These layers are the skin, muscles, and rectus sheath. The abdominoplasty can help give a flat tummy by cutting the excess skin and tightening the inner layers. An incision( cut) is taken over the skin crease in the bikini line ( to hide the hairline Scar). A flap is raised above and below, named upper and lower flaps.

The upper flap is to be raised to the costal margin, remembering to leave the umbilicus in place. When one cuts the excess skin, there is a high chance that the umbilicus ( navel) comes to a lower position making it look very awkward. Hence, the skin around the navel is cut, and the same( navel) is positioned in a new place, ensuring the umbilicus ( navel) is central in position, maintaining normal anatomy. Considering the laxity of the muscles and the sheath, depending on the degree of laxity, a decision is taken on whether a mesh is required, along with muscle tightening, to get a taut look of the tummy.

The muscles and sheath are tightened in one or two layers. The surgeon makes this decision during surgery, depending on the laxity and the requirement. In some cases, the muscles are weak and thinned out and get separated. This, in medical terms, is called divarication of recti. In these cases, just dealing with the muscles is not enough; a supporting mesh is required. The mesh is adequate to cover the entire tummy and is fixed to the underlying sheath with nonabsorbable sutures. 

This mesh acts as a shield giving strength to the abdominal wall, thus giving a flat tummy. Once this is done, the skin is stretched, and the excess skin is excised with necessary markings and calculation. After excising the excess skin, the umbilicus is placed correctly and fixed with absorbable sutures. The upper and lower flaps of the skin are stitched together using subcuticular stitches ( under the skin). Hence the scar is a fine line and is cosmetic.

It is preferable to place a drain under the abdominal wall so there is no collection of serosanguinous fluid, which can lead to infection. This drain can be removed as soon as the secretion decreases. The only care one needs to take is to wear an abdominal corset to give an additional touch to enhance the look and healing of the new flat tummy. One can return to work within a week, and the corset must be worn for 6 to 8 weeks.

In some who have excess fat around the hips ( love handles) or upper abdomen, it is wise to combine the procedure of abdominoplasty with liposuction of the excess fat in those areas. However, there could be a temporary loss of sensation over the flaps, which returns over a few months. To conclude, abdominoplasty surgery/ tummy tuck is a safe procedure that can give you the desired flat tummy.