Body Contouring

Body Contouring Surgery

Abdominoplasty – Tummy Tuck

Abdominoplasty, more commonly known as a “tummy tuck”, is a major surgical procedure. Abdominoplasty is designed to firm and smooth the abdomen. This cosmetic procedure removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen and may also tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. The result is a flatter, tighter abdominal profile.

Is an abdominoplasty right for me?

Abdominoplasty is best suited to women and men who are in relatively good shape, but have loose abdominal skin and/or a significant amount of abdominal fat that won’t respond to dieting or exercise.

You may be a good candidate for abdominoplasty if you have one or more of the following conditions:

• Excess or loose, sagging abdominal skin
• An abdomen that protrudes and is out of proportion to the rest of the body
• Abdominal muscles that have been weakened by pregnancy or aging
• Excess fat that is concentrated beneath the abdominal skin

If you plan to become pregnant or to lose a significant amount of weight, you should discuss these plans with your surgeon.

How is abdominoplasty performed?

Generally, a horizontal incision is placed just within or above the pubic area. The length of the incision, which extends outward toward the hip bones, depends largely on the amount of the skin to be removed. For women, plastic surgeons keep the incision within swimsuit lines, when it is possible. Working through this incision, your surgeon may tighten the underlying muscles by pulling them together and stitching them in place. Any excess skin from the lower abdomen is trimmed away. Skin that contains stretch marks may be removed as well; however, it may not be possible to remove them all.

In patients with larger amounts of loose skin, a second incision may be made around the navel. This way, the excess skin above the navel is separated from the deeper tissues so it can be pulled downward and removed. Although the navel’s position remains unchanged, its appearance may be slightly altered.

Are there other options for me?

Traditional abdominoplasty isn’t the best choice for everyone. Your surgeon will advise you if either of these other options will work well with your anatomy and meet your surgical goals.

The “mini” abdominoplasty – This procedure may benefit you if you are primarily dissatisfied with the appearance of the abdominal area below the navel. A mini abdominoplasty requires only a short horizontal incision and no navel incision. It’s important to realize, however, that the mini abdominoplasty will not correct loose skin above the navel.

Liposuction alone – If you have good skin elasticity and muscle tone, liposuction alone may be used to remove abdominal fat and fat in adjoining areas. This alternative may appeal to patients who are planning to become pregnant in the future.

Extended & Circumferential Abdominoplasty

This is an option for those who have loose skin that extends into the side and back. This procedure is often the best choice for those who have major weight loss. It includes an abdominoplasty with a tightening of the back, outer thighs, and a buttock lift.

Liposuction

Liposuction, also called lipoplasty, is a surgical procedure that removes deposits of excess fat from specific areas of the body, face or neck. Liposuction can be used to slim the hips and thighs, flatten the abdomen, shape the calves and ankles or eliminate a double chin.

Heartland Plastic Surgery is the ONLY central Iowa practice with internal ultrasound technology.

Is liposuction right for me?

Liposuction is most commonly recommended for men and women of normal weight who simply want to improve their body contour. The procedure can produce excellent results for people who have deposits of excess fat that make certain body areas appear disproportionately large. Although liposuction is not a treatment for obesity, it can permanently alter body proportion and is sometimes the only way to eliminate fat deposits that do not respond to diet and exercise.

People of almost any age may undergo liposuction; however, patients with good skin elasticity will achieve the smoothest contour after fat is removed. You may be a good candidate for liposuction if you desire fat removal or contouring in any of the flowing areas:

• Cheeks, chin and neck
• Upper arms
• Breast or chest area
• Back
• Abdomen and waist
• Hips and buttocks
• Thighs
• Inner knee
• Calves and ankle

It’s important to be clear about a few “cans and can’ts” related to liposuction.

Liposuction can…

• Be performed on several areas of the body at the same time or be done in conjunction with other cosmetic surgery procedures, as long as you understand that there is increased risk and your surgeon feels that having multiple procedures is a safe option for you. There is a limit of the amount of fat that can be removed at one time for this surgery for patient safety.
• Be used to treat some cases of gynecomastia, or male breast enlargement, which occurs in both teenagers and adult me.

Liposuction can’t…

• Serve as a substitute for dieting and exercise.
• Effectively treat cellulite (a condition that gives the skin a dimpled appearance

How is liposuction performed?

To perform liposuction, one or more small incisions are made near the area to be suctioned. Whenever possible, incisions are placed within the natural folds or contour line of the skin so that they are inconspicuous. The surgeon then places a slim, hollow tube called a cannula through the incision so that its tip penetrates the underlying fat. After the cannula is connected by flexible tubing to a suction pump, the surgeon moves the cannula back and forth through the fat, which is vacuumed into the tube.

Several variations to the basic liposuction technique have been introduced. The fat-removal technique that best meets your needs depends on a number of individual factors that your surgeon will discuss with you.

• Your surgeon may use the tumescent technique, in which fat is pre-injected with a salt-water solution containing small amounts of adrenaline and sometimes local anesthetic
• Your surgeon may also use Laser-assisted lipoplasty, a technique that uses a laser to liquefy the fat before it is suctioned. This is very beneficial for men and for certain areas in women where the fat is dense and fibrous.