Abdominoplasty can be the solution to achieve a toned, flat and defined abdomen. Having a flat stomach is the aesthetic dream of many people.
The current canon of beauty when referring to the state of the abdomen coincides with that of the classical Greek period. The “ideal abdomen” of Greek marble sculptures show us a harmonious belly, with defined contours and a toned appearance, revealing with precision and finesse the outline of the abdominal muscles.
Getting a dream abdomen is not easy. For many people it requires a lot of effort in strict diets, weight control and frequent and powerful toning exercises. However, many times these methods are not able to provide the expected result, either because there are lipid deposits that do not respond to diet or exercise, or because of factors of the constitution of each body.
The purpose of abdominoplasty is to restore firmness to the abdomen, eliminating excess skin and adipose tissue, as well as to repair the “diastasis” or separation of the rectus abdominis muscles weakened by pregnancy, and to restore the structure and function of this musculature.
The result is a smoother and firmer abdominal profile and a noticeable decrease in waist circumference. On the other hand, the curves in that area (waist, hips) are redefined.
Before undergoing abdominoplasty it is advisable that you know the factors that could have influenced the appearance of the belly.
What factors often influence the appearance of a belly?
There are several factors that can influence the appearance of a belly in our body.
– Hereditary factors
– Previous surgeries
– Massive weight loss after surgery to treat obesity
– Significant weight changes
– Aging
– Pregnancy
Let’s focus on pregnancy as a factor that any woman, despite having a worked, toned and strong abdomen, could suffer from.
Changes in the abdomen after childbearing.
Motherhood brings with it bodily changes that many women would like to correct. During pregnancy, the abdomen produces a stretching of the skin, an increase in flaccidity and an accumulation of fat in the waist and thighs due to the natural generation of space that the baby needs to grow.
On many occasions, this stretching also affects the abdominal musculature, by distension and separation of the midline of the rectus abdominis muscles. This natural phenomenon of separation of the muscles is known as “diastasis recti” and causes an abdominal protrusion, a kind of belly in the mid-abdominal area, which can occur in thin patients with good muscle tone.
In general there are many people with a normal weight who develop that “belly”, they may have that separation of the abdominal muscles, or have excess skin and / or fat at the abdominal level.
Abdominoplasty. What it is and what you should keep in mind.
Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure and as such is performed under general anesthesia, in an operating room equipped for this purpose and with the presence of a prepared medical team. The procedure consists of resecting the excess skin and fat in the abdominal area to make it look flat, smooth and defined. It is often combined with liposuction (abdomen, flanks, back…), depending on the needs of each patient. The scar is in the lower abdominal area, at pubic level, and is usually not noticeable as it is covered by underwear.
Surgical techniques for abdominoplasty
- Miniabdominoplasty
- Classic abdominoplasty
- Diastasis recti
- Abdominoplasty in “Fleur de Lis” shape
Before and after abdominoplasty surgery before and after pictures
Abdominoplasty. What it is and what you should take into account.
Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure and as such is performed under general anesthesia, in an operating room equipped for this purpose and with the presence of a prepared medical team. The procedure consists of resecting excess skin and fat in the abdominal area to make it look flat, smooth and defined. It is often combined with liposuction (abdomen, flanks, back…), depending on the needs of each patient. The scar is in the lower abdominal area, at pubic level, and is usually not noticeable as it is covered by underwear.
Surgical techniques for abdominoplasty
Miniabdominoplasty
This technique dries the skin of the lower abdomen, without modifying the position of the navel. It is the simplest and least aggressive surgery, which simply removes the excess tissue in the lower area, and restores smoothness to the abdomen. It is indicated only for cases of abdominal flaccidity or slight flaps. It is common to combine it with diastasis recti repair since many times this flaccidity of the abdominal skin, as well as diastasis recti, go hand in hand and appear secondary to the same process: pregnancy.
Classic abdominoplasty
This surgical technique removes a large spindle of skin and fat, the “tummy tuck”. It is usually necessary to reconstruct the navel, the patient’s own navel is preserved and the skin of the abdomen is ablated once the procedure is completed. If there is diastasis recti, it must also be repaired. The results are usually impressive and the patient is very grateful for the surgery, for several reasons:
o Subjectively and objectively a great decrease in abdominal contour, waist, etc. is noticed.
o Get back a smooth and defined abdomen.
o The abdominal musculature returns to alignment and functions as a restraining girdle, which often decreases appetite and improves the patients’ posture.
o They can resume activities that were previously difficult for them: physical exercise, sports, etc. And not to mention the change of wardrobe to smaller sizes.
Diastasis recti
It is produced by the effect of distension forces that end up separating from the midline of the rectus abdominis muscles. This phenomenon causes an abdominal protrusion, a kind of belly in the mid-abdominal area, which may occur in thin patients with good muscle tone. The correction of this alteration is based on repairing the junction between these two muscles and reconstructing the abdominal muscular system so that it regains its containment effect on the abdominal contents. When this defect is reconstructed, its biomechanical properties are restored to the abdominal wall.
Abdominoplasty in “fleur de lis” shape
When the excess skin and fat is severe and distributed globally throughout the abdomen, it is often necessary to remove fat from the lower abdomen as well as from the uppermost part of the abdomen, by means of a transverse incision in the abdomen and a vertical incision in the upper abdomen. This abdominoplasty is indicated in some patients with bariatric surgeries and large weight loss, or with mid laparotomy scars.
Recommendations when having an abdominoplasty.
- Discontinue smoking 2-3 weeks prior to surgery.
- Do not smoke during the first weeks after surgery. Smoking is associated with an increased rate of complications, such as scarring problems.
- Hospital admission usually lasts about 24 hours.
- During the postoperative period, use pressotherapy garments (girdle or body) to reduce the edema caused by the operation. It will also improve and accelerate healing and recovery.
- You will return to normal activity after 7-14 days.
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