A tummy tuck, known as an abdominoplasty, is a surgery to improve the look of your stomach. During the abdominoplasty operation your plastic surgeon will take away excess fat and skin from your abdominal wall and may also stiffens your abdominal muscles. This operation usually produces a smoother, flatter stomach and may improve the appearance of stretch marks.

Advantages of a tuck This type of surgery is generally sought by women (who are not considering having any more children) and individuals who have abdominal fat deposits which do not respond well to diet and exercise. Abdominoplasty is also used after gastric banding surgery.

The best candidates for a mini tummy tuck are men or women who are in comparatively good shape but are bothered by a large fat deposit or loose abdominal skin that won't respond to diet or exercise.

Depending on your desired results, this surgery can take anywhere from three to five hours. You will receive general anesthesia, which will put you to sleep during the surgery. In this process your plastic surgeon will cut your abdomen from hipbone to hipbone, the option for those patients who require the most correction. The incision will be made low, your surgeon will then manipulate and contour the skin, tissue and muscle as required. Your naval will have a new opening if you undergo this process, since it's essential to free your navel from surrounding tissue. An abdominoplasty can also be combined with a liposuction treatment.

Cost A tummy tuck costs between 5,000 and 8,000.

Postoperative care Most people require one to three weeks before getting back to work and a normal schedule. Your plastic surgeon can recommend pain medication as needed. Drains will be placed at the time of surgery to prevent postoperative fluid collections. A special abdominal support garment is often essential for several weeks.

You might be wearing anti- thrombosis compression stockings for about a month after your tummy tuck surgery to help the circulation in your legs and help prevent forming blood clots. You might also be wearing an elastic garment after taking away the stitches. Though there may be deep stitches they are removed after three weeks.

A tummytuck has a prolonged process of recovery and one can expect its convalescence time considering the amount of skin and fat removed. Normally the patient has to put on dressings for numerous weeks. Also the patient is recommended to avoid heavy exercise for about a month after surgery.

You can be back to your work after two to four weeks but for scars to go away it takes at least a year.

What can go wrong? Problems that can happen after Tummy tuck surgery involve infection and poor healing of the skin. You can reduce these hazards by following your plastic surgeon suggestion.

One more complication is an irregular scar; a good scar will run from hip to hip and will be sited under your bikini line. Scar tissue can blush or get puffed-up in few of the cases. You need not to be bothered as you can easily get relief from it later. Few patients feel loss of sensation on or around scar.

One more risk is DVT, the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. But your cosmetic surgeon will be well aware of this hazard, which is why youll be advised to gently walk around after the surgery and wear compression stockings.

How long does it persist? Tummy tuck is normally long- lasting if the patient follows a healthy diet and habitually exercises.