Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck

Who needs it?

In terms of abdominal wall, there is no one single technique to suit all cases.

In fact, the cosmetic surgeon must analyze the different factors that are adequate to the patient before advising with an operation that seems to be the most adequate. Among these factors, one must quote namely: the elastic feature of the skin, the more or less important infiltration of fat, the tonicity of the abdominal muscles, excess skin if ever, the presence or not of scars or vergetures.

Thus, the treatment will be markedly different if it is simply a small round stomach or on the contrary if it is the case of a forced non-stretched abdominal wall, notably due to pregnancy or important ponderal variations.

The analysis will also be essentially in light of the patient’s morphology and if necessary it will be useful, for instance, to treat and infiltration of fat that is associated with hips.

The different operations depend in fact on the quantity of fat in excess and on the quality of the skin.

We can thus define three distinct cases:

• The small round stomach with a skin and an abdominal tonic sangle: in this case, a mere liposuction of the belly will be enough to correct the imperfections.
• The round belly associated with a moderate excess of skin: we should then carry out an abdominal mini lift to correct the skin fat excess and the muscular slackening, and this will be through a short horizontal section, kind of a Caesarian.
• An abdominal apron with an important skin fat excess and a slackening of the abdominal sangle: in this case, an abdominopasty will be spectacular, for it will correct entirely both fat excess and skin excess … but such an improvement is achieved at a price of a fairly long and deep horizontal scar (though hidden into a slip) and a scar in the nombril.

Each of these techniques is obviously different and the consequences are equally specific to each case. The ultimate goal is to obtain a very flat belly.

Aims

This operation can resolve different problems:

• Remove excess skin.
• Heal possible scars situated in the lower part of the belly, under the umbilical navel.
• Take away excess fat situated also between the nombril and the pubis (via liposuction).
• Bring the muscles closer to the abdominal wall, muscles that are usually split following a number of pregnancies. This phenomenon improves the shape of the body and reduces the belly leaning towards the front.

Before the operation

Your medical examinations

Between one week and a month prior to the operation, you must make an appointment with a medical test laboratory in order to go through a full pre-surgical check-up. The test results must be sent to us (by fax, or e-mail), so that they can be examined by our anesthesist doctor. Depending on your test results, other tests may be requested. If you do not have the possibility to have the tests before your departure, it is always possible to take them on the spot, one day before your operation. You must also know that if there contra-indication, the anesthetist doctor will have the right to reschedule or cancel the operation. You should in no circumstances take a medication containing aspirin at least 10 days before the operation. You should also advise on any medication you may have taken. It is essential that you refrain from eating, drinking or smoking 8 hours before the operation.

Your luggage

As far as your luggage is concerned, you must remember to bring in sunglasses, one or two scarves (to hide the bruises), a hat or a cap, and total sun block cream.

Getting ready for the operation:

You will be taken to your clinic the night of the operation, the time to get settled in your room, to take a shower if needed and to meet with the medical team: your surgeon, the anesthetist doctor, and all the health care staff. The operation takes place the following morning. Very often, the night before the operation, the nurses will give you a kind of pre-medication in the form of a light tranquilizer to make sure that slightly anxious patients to face the operation with more fortitude. You will be given a hair wash the night before the operation and minute make-up removal the day of the operation.

Type of anesthesia

Full anesthesia

Duration of hospitalization

The duration of hospitalization for your plastic surgery in Tunisia is of 3 nights.

Total duration of your stay in Tunisia

8 nights/9 days

Operation

he incision is practiced in the lower area of the abdomen in a fold habitually covered with the slip. Afterwards, the abdominal skin is unglued upwards to the ribs. The abdominal musculature can then be retightened: That is what we call diastasis. We pull the abdominal skin downward and we remove any excess of skin and fat.

Duration of the operation

An abdominoplasty lasts about 2 hours.

After the operation

It is necessary to wear an abdominal jacket without any reinforcement day and night during one and a half months.

It is recommended to sleep on your back, with legs bent to avoid exercising any pressure on the stitches. An antibiotic course and pain killers will be systematically prescribed for one week. The threads are often absorbable and will not therefore be removed.

Post surgical consequences

After leaving the clinic, walking will still be difficult, but resuming a normal life with great caution is possible within days. At the end of a fortnight, all daily activities are feasible. You should expect to engage in moderate activities for a 15 days’ period.

The scar, like any other scars of the body, will go from a stage of redness, possibly drying up, causing some kind of itching then gradually getting softer, whiter, finer and ceasing to ache and that will occur from the ninth to the twelfth months; that can be fully disguised and hidden when wearing a swimming suit.

During all this period a feeling of numbness may be noticed at the lower part of the belly.

This is gradually reversible. Sports activities are strictly discarded for a six weeks’ duration. Exposure to direct sun rays at the belly level is strictly prohibited for two months. In a mono-kini, it is quite possible to bathe as early as the end of the first month.

Results

You will not have a slender shape very quickly, as the surgical operation causes some kind of swelling at the abdominal partition and the ecchymoses will take several weeks to fade away. Good results will be achieved six weeks following the operation, but the skin will continue to improve to reach a state of near perfection at the end of six months.

Complications

Like any surgical operation, abdominoplasty may be followed by a certain number of complications, mostly linked to anesthesia: Phlebitis, hematoma, infection, cheloidian scars … Preventive measures should be rigorously taken in any surgical operation to limit their occurrence: taking antibiotics, anti-coagulant treatment, wearing anti-arthritis stockings…

When choosing a competent, highly qualified and well trained surgeon for this type of operation, you will reduce the risks to a maximum level.

Work interruption

There is no need for interrupting the work: the recovery stay spent for your cosmetic surgery in Tunisia following the operation is very beneficial and enables most of our patients to resume their professional activities as soon as they return home.

Fees

The fees required for an abdominoplasty are: 2600 euros.