If a healthy diet and exercise don’t seem to be giving you the stomach you’ve always dreamed of, you could be considering tummy tuck surgery to help get rid of that excess skin and flab. Not only does this procedure involve removing excess fat and skin but the muscles beneath are tightened to create a more toned appearance. Liposuction and tummy tucks are two different things, although you might have liposuction along with a tummy tuck. It’s important that you’re well informed before going ahead with tummy tuck surgery, so we’ve put together a guide to preparing for this procedure.
Preparing for Tummy Tuck Surgery
The first step in preparing for tummy tuck surgery is having a consultation with a good surgeon. In your consultation, you’ll discuss your goals and the different options you have. It’s important that you are open to suggestions and that you keep your goals realistic. If you’re a smoker, you should quit at least 2 weeks before your procedure and for 2 weeks after. Simply cutting down isn’t good enough, as it’ll affect your healing and could cause complications. Your options are as follows:
- Complete abdominoplasty – in the complete procedure your abdomen will be cut from hip bone to hip bone, where your skin will be contoured as well as the tissue and muscle as you need it. Your belly button will need to be moved, and you could possible need drainage tubes under your skin for a couple of days.
- Mini abdominoplasty – this kind of procedure is usually performed on a person who’s fat deposits are located below the belly button. This usually takes around 2 hours, and your belly button won’t need to be moved.
It’s important to bear a few things in mind before you have your surgery. You should never start a drastic diet, as a healthy diet with complete meals will help you to heal better. You’ll need to tell your doctor about any prescription drugs, herbal medicines, and supplements that you take.
To prepare for your return home, you should make sure you have the following items ready:
- Ice packs.
- Loose, comfortable clothing. E.g, button up shirts.
- Vaseline.
- A chair in the bathroom and a shower head or jug.
- Somebody to drive you home after your procedure.
- Somebody to stay with you for at least 1 day.
You should prepare yourself for being in surgery anywhere from 1-5 hours. You’ll also be put under a general anesthesia, which will knock you out for the operation.
There are complications that could arise as with any procedure, so make sure you’ll be able to handle them. You could experience:
- Pain and swelling after surgery.
- Numbness, bruising, fatigue.
- Infection.
- Blood clots.
- Possible second surgery if you struggle to heal.
- Scarring.
Regardless of the kind of tummy tuck you have, you’ll be stitched and bandaged. You need to take your surgeon’s advice to make sure you can properly care for yourself after the surgery. You’ll also be told how you should position yourself for minimal pain when sitting or lying down, as well as given other helpful advice. People love the way they look after having this procedure, although it will take time to heal. Be patient and well prepared and you’ll love the results!