Rely on the Experience of Dr. Luca Cravero for Abdominoplasty in Turin and Its Province
Abdominoplasty, (called lipoabdominoplasty when associated with liposuction) is a surgery performed to improve the abdominal region in patients with flaccidity of the skin, which is often associated with excess adipose tissue and loss of muscle tone or diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles.
These alterations, with varying degrees of severity, generally occur in women who have had one or more pregnancies, or in previously overweight or obese people who have had a strong reduction in body weight.
Abdominoplasty lasts from two and a half to five hours (if associated with liposuction) and requires general anesthesia.
In our opinion, abdominoplasty must respect, if performed correctly, the following criteria:
- The incision must be very low, starting at about seven centimeters from the vaginal fornix or the root of the penis, and must continue towards the hips so that it can always be masked by underwear. For this reason, to decide where we will cut, we ask the patient to wear the underwear she usually wears on the day of the surgery so that, as far as possible, the scar is perfectly hidden.
- The navel must not have a surgical appearance. In our opinion, navels with an unnatural, pulled appearance, or with the external signs of the points, stigmata attributable to surgery are not acceptable.
- The upper part of the abdomen, above the navel, must be in tension while the lower part must arrive “unloaded” at the suture so that the resulting scar is not in tension, which is at risk of widening over the months. This is possible thanks to a “high tension” technique that allows us to release tension in the upper abdomen.
At the end of the surgery two drains are placed which will generally be removed after 48 hours if the surgery is abdominoplasty, and a few more days if liposuction has also been performed.
The operation generally requires one day of hospitalization, but in selected cases, it can be performed in day surgery.
A week of absolute rest is required, after which you can gradually resume your activities.
Abdominoplasty is useful for correcting the signs of pregnancy
Many women after a cesarean section have difficulty recognizing themselves in their body again: the scar similar to a cord, the skin of the belly that tends to form a step, and is even more evident in the case of being overweight.
Gymnastics and even a strict diet do not solve these problems, while surgery can. Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that has the function of improving the abdominal region in patients with flaccidity of the skin, frequently associated with excess adipose tissue and loss of muscle tone.
We can reconstitute the abdominal wall thanks to internal points, draw and isolate the navel by repositioning it in the appropriate place with internal points so that it does not have a surgical appearance, while the excess skin is eliminated with a technique that allows releasing the tension in the upper part of the abdomen so that the navel scar can be avoided even in the most difficult cases.
Mini-abdominoplasty
Mini-abdominoplasty, possibly associated with liposuction, is an operation similar to the previous one, but of a lesser entity from the surgical point of view, allowing a faster functional recovery.
The elective indication is for patients with modest sagging skin, more represented below, possibly associated with an equally modest excess of adipose tissue. The resulting scar is similar to that of an abdominoplasty but shorter. There is also no umbilical scar. The operation lasts about two hours and can be performed in day surgery.
After Surgery and Recovery
At the end of the abdominoplasty, two drains are left which will generally be removed after 48 hours. The operation generally requires one or two days of hospitalization, but in selected cases, it can be performed in day surgery. At least two weeks of rest are required.
What are the main contraindications for abdominoplasty?
The main contraindication is smoking, which can compromise the vascularity of the lower abdomen.
The patient must therefore abstain from smoking at least 20 days before and 20 days after the operation. Another contraindication is the use of antiplatelet or anticoagulant substances that can cause prolonged postoperative bleeding.
Can you become pregnant after a tummy tuck surgery?
Yes, however, if you plan to have children in the short term, it is preferable to postpone the surgery.
Can liposuction be associated with abdominoplasty?
Yes as already stated, when there is an indication, we associate a lipoaspiration of the abdomen before making the incision and detachment of the flap, so that the tissues of the flap are thinned and there is no step at the level of the suture for the different thickness of the flaps.
What are the most important precautions to follow after surgery?
For a week, it is necessary to take care while walking in order to not put tension on the scar, also at night it is preferable, for the same reason, to place a pillow under the knees.
Dr. Cravero is a Leader in Abdominoplasty in Turin and Its Province
#Video
Female Abdominoplasty: Commented Video
This is an example of a post-pregnancy female abdomen. She is a middle-aged woman who had four children and wishes to return to the harmonious shapes and volumes she had before her pregnancies.
In this case, we have carried out the high superior tension technique, that is we have put in tension the part of the skin that is above the navel which, as you can see, is relaxed.
The relaxation is especially evident in lateral projection and in this photo, it actually highlights that the problem is mainly muscular, i.e. the (erect) muscles of the woman due to the numerous pregnancies have relaxed, have widened compared to the median line, allowing part of the intestine to escape.
In this case, therefore, it is essential to associate a correctly performed plastic surgery of the muscles with the technique (high tension abdominoplasty). To have a pleasant postoperative result, we have to emphasize to very critical things:
– it is always important that the scar is hidden by underwear and it must never be a smile scar, but it must be a substantially straight scar on the lower abdominal quadrants so that if a woman or a man wishes to wear low underwear, he or she is able to do so without showing the tails of the scars on the hips;
– another thing that is very important is to try to leave a small navel without the signs of external stitches.
In lateral projection, compared to the preparatory situation, the abdomen is flat and therefore there has been a correct restoration of shapes and volumes.
Male Abdominoplasty: Commented Video
This is another case of a relaxed abdomen of a middle-aged male following a major weight loss. The patient has a relaxation of the skin which is especially evident in this photo where the patient appears slightly bent forward.
In this case, it is a question of putting the tissues in tension to avoid the relaxation of the skin that often happens in these patients.
Also, the high superior tension technique was performed and as can be seen in the frontal projection of the postoperative photo one year later, the result is pleasant and there is still high tension, i.e. the tension in the upper quadrants that is seen above the navel.
Here, it is interesting to note how the navel does not have the surgical stigmata of intervention. It looks like a navel present from birth and not a reconstructed one. It is important that the scar is not to be seen, that is not a smile, but that it is a substantially horizontal scar made in such a way that it is always hidden beneath the underwear, even from low waist ones.
In this photo, you can see the detail of the navel which as mentioned above must be a navel reconstructed without surgical stigmata, that is, it must not have enlarged shapes, must be small and the surgical points must all be internal avoiding visible scars related to the reconstruction of the navel itself.
#Photo
Female Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty performed on a patient after a pregnancy
Male Abdominoplasty
Male abdominoplasty before and after:
The abdominoplasty technique performed by Dr. Cravero in Turin and its province can solve many problems. This type of procedure is aimed at patients who have a good state of health, who are not subject to particular cardiovascular diseases, more importantly, those who want to definitely improve their appearance. Contact us now for a preliminary visit!