Many men and women wish for a flatter
and firmer stomach, especially after their abdominal
muscles have been stretched to a point where the
elasticity has been lost. We most commonly see
the loss of abdominal elasticity in cases of significant
weight loss and pregnancy. Both men and women
come to our office complaining that their abdominal
“pooch” will not respond to diet or
exercise. An abdominoplasty or ‘tummy tuck’
is generally the recommended solution for removing
the excess skin and fat from the middle and lower
abdomen and tightening the muscles of the abdominal
wall, resulting in a flatter and more toned stomach.
Upon performing a physical examination
and reviewing your goals and medical history,
Dr. Mills will present your surgical options to
you. One available option may be liposuction alone.
This option is best for individuals with good
skin elasticity and only excess abdominal fat.
The next available option is a ‘mini
abdominoplasty.’ This procedure is best
if you have a “pooch” from the belly
button down and no laxity of skin above the belly
button. Dr. Mills performs this procedure most
often for women that have a hysterectomy or C-
section scar with a little “pooch”
above the scar.
The final option is a full abdominoplasty,
which is best for those who have so much extra
skin that they even have excess skin above the
belly button. With a full abdominoplasty, Dr.
Mills can also tighten lax abdominal muscles above
and below the belly button. Dr. Mills generally
places the incision in the panty line in a way
that is even hidden when wearing a french-style
bikini and/or low-rise jeans. We recommend that
our patients come with a touch of a tan line at
the panty line, so that Dr. Mills can more effectively
determine where to place your incision. Most patients
who undergo a ‘tummy tuck’ are so
happy with the way their clothes fit and the concealed
placement of the incision that the scar is of
minimal concern. A two-piece bathing suit can
generally be worn after surgery, discreetly hiding
the scar, but allowing the new flatter stomach
to be “shown off.”
• Learn about The Full Tummy Tuck Procedure in 3D
• Learn about The Mini Tummy Tuck Procedure in 3D
About two weeks prior to surgery,
you will meet with our pre-operative patient coordinator.
She will review all of your pre-operative instructions
with you and make sure that you complete all the
necessary lab tests and health screenings. If
you are a smoker, you will be advised to quit
smoking at least four weeks prior to surgery and
not to resume for at least four weeks post-operatively.
Additionally, there are certain medications, herbs
and potions that we will ask you to cease taking
for two weeks prior to surgery and up until two
weeks post-surgery. This appointment will also
be a time for you to ask any final questions,
so that you are ready for surgery and have an
optimal recovery period. On your day of surgery, you should
allow approximately 3 – 4 hours for your
surgery. From the moment that you enter our facility,
you will be cared for by Dr. Mills’ experienced
surgical team. This team includes Dr. Mills, a
nurse anesthetist, a registered nurse and surgical
technician. This group is committed to providing
you with the best care possible from the time
you are admitted to the moment you are discharged.
Dr. Mills has worked with some of these surgical
team members since the beginning of his practice
and all members share in his core values and patient
care standards.
You will likely be required to stay
at an overnight facility with a post-operative
care nurse after your surgery. The nurse will
closely monitor you, administering your medications
and assisting you with walking. In addition to
traditional pain medications, we offer a new device
called a pain
pump to decrease pain and discomfort
during your post-operative period. Since offering
this product in conjunction with an abdominoplasty,
we have seen a marked decrease in our patients’
post-operative pain levels and recovery time.
You will need to have a responsible
adult pick you up the morning following your surgery
and stay with you the next 1 – 2 days. Once
home, we encourage you to walk around the house
at frequent intervals to keep the blood circulating.
You will want to bend over a little as you are
up and walking to ease the tension on your flat
new abdomen. This process will become easier with
time and practice. Dr. Mills will also likely
recommend the use of an oxygen tank for the first
week following your surgery, as he has seen faster
healing and reduced scarring.
Within several weeks after your
surgery (after your final sutures have been removed),
you can increase your activity level. Recovery
time varies; we have seen some patients bounce
back quickly, returning to work after one week.
Others take about three weeks to resume normal
activities. Dr. Mills typically recommends mild
exercise after 2 weeks, as it will aid healing,
reduce swelling, lower the chance of blot clots,
and help tone muscles. You should avoid vigorous
exercise until Dr. Mills indicates that you are
ready.
Your incision site may appear to
become more red in the first 3 – 6 months
as it heals. This is normal and should fade with
time. You can expect your scars to flatten out
and lighten in color after about 9 months to a
year. While the scars will never disappear completely,
Dr. Mills tries to place your incisions so that
the scars are concealed by your clothing, including
most bathing suits and low-rise jeans.
If you are looking for a flatter
and firmer tummy, we are confident that we have
a solution for you. We look forward to meeting
you in consultation to further discuss your needs.
In the meantime, feel free to email any questions
to our patient coordinator from our contact
us page. Additionally, if you would like to talk
to one of our patients who has had an abdominoplasty,
we would be happy to connect you with a patient.
Let us know how we can best serve you, because
we want this to be a great experience for you.
| Abdominoplasty Post-Operative
Information |
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You can expect: |
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To drive after you are completely off your
pain medications, which is usually about
7 days. |
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To use oxygen for the first week post-operatively. |
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To use a pain pump for the first 5 days
after surgery. |
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To use a drain for about the first week
post-operatively. |
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To resume normal activities after 2 – 4
weeks, depending on how you heal. |
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To avoid strenuous workouts for the first
3 – 4 weeks after surgery. |
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To visit our office post-operatively at
2 days, 5 or 7 days, 2 weeks and 1 month.
(We also recommend annual follow-up visits.) |
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To see your abdominal scar fade after about
9 – 12 months. |
| Will Dr. Mills remove my belly
button? |
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Dr. Mills does not remove the belly
button. He circumscribes the existing belly button and pulls down the abdominal
skin, similar to pulling down on a window shade. He then pops the belly button
back through. Your belly button generally will not even look like it has been
operated on. |
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| Will I hurt after surgery? |
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| You will likely experience some discomfort
following your surgery, but we have seen
the pain pump markedly decrease a patient’s
pain level after surgery. We have seen patients
take less pain pills and get back to walking
and other normal activities much quicker
because of the pain pump. Most patients say
they feel pretty good after about a week. |
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| How much time do I need off of work? |
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This will depend on your type of work.
If you have a desk job, you will need to take about 2 weeks off. You will need
to take as much as a month off if your job has more strenuous physical requirements. |
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