The initial examination will determine if you are a good candidate for liposuction, and what areas might be addressed. Commons areas are the flanks, lower abdomen, thighs, arms, and the neck. Any area with fat can be suctioned if done carefully. On the day of surgery, markings are performed with your input. After the administration of anesthesia (local for small areas, general anesthesia for larger), the areas are filled up with a solution that reduces pain and bleeding. Suctioning is performed with a series of tubes, or cannulae of different sizes. The procedure is continued until the excess has been removed. The incisions for the cannulae are about a quarter of an inch in size and usually heal well. They are hidden in inconspicuous areas. A compression garment is used afterward to reduce swelling.

Recovery is not significant. Discomfort may last a day or two. Bruising is variable. Some clear drainage may last a day or two. Normal activity can be resumed when comfortable. Final results take about two to three months, once the swelling is completely gone.

Irregularities can be seen under the skin, but being both well-trained and careful we rarely have this problem. Infection and bleeding are rare. Severe complications are uncommon and usually related to very large volume liposuctions, so we limit the areas treated to those which can be safely combined.

The best candidates have a lot of extra skin, have lost most of their extra weight, and may have a degree of bulging of their abdominal wall from the stretching of pregnancy or previous obesity. The doctor can advise you at the consultation about your specific situation, but if you have a lot of extra skin that won’t go away with exercise and diet, you are probably a candidate. Patients must have quit smoking at least two months before surgery.

The incision usually goes from hip to hip across the lower abdomen like a bikini line. The extra skin is lifted up off the muscles up to the rib cage and just below the breast bone. The loose muscles are sewn together, and then the extra skin is trimmed off. A new opening is created for the belly button.

Some people only need the skin from below the belly button removed, this is called a “mini-abdominoplasty” or “lower abdominoplasty”.  Some patients require skin removed from all around their body, called a “Belt lipectomy”, or “body lift.”  Your surgeon will advise you regarding the best procedure for you.

We use only fully accredited surgical facilities, whether it is our state-of-the-art operating room or the local surgery center. An overnight stay is available, although most procedures are outpatient same day visits. We use only board-certified MD anesthesiologists for your safety and comfort.

We use a medication called Exparel for pain control. With the addition of oral pain medications, pain control should be good. The first week, honestly, can be sore and tight. It is important to keep moving, and soon the benefit of your vastly improved tummy soothes the postoperative discomforts. You will have a drain under the incision for a few days, the output of which we ask you to record. Once the output is less than 30 cc per day we can remove it. We feel that wearing a girdle-like compression garment afterward provides support for the incision and reduces swelling. Return to work depends on lifting. If you have a desk job, 7-14 days may be enough. We ask you not to lift anything over 10 pounds for month, or twenty pounds for two months. We will work with you and your employer on activity restrictions.

Problems are unusual with abdominoplasty, and if they occur, tend to be easily treated. Occasionally bleeding will occur that will require a second operation to fix. Infections can result in redness or drainage that require antibiotics or minor surgery. Areas of slow healing might need to be treated with dressings. Major complications such as blood clots, pneumonia, severe infections, or death are exceedingly rare.

Scars are unpredictable. Typically they fade and patients don’t notice them. Usually they are concealed, even under a bikini. Some people get thick scars. Usually, after a year, they are thin and white. Most people find the trade-off between a tummy roll and a scar to be a good one.