Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty operations vary in scope and are frequently subdivided into categories. Depending on the extent of the surgery, a complete abdominoplasty can take from 1 to 5 hours. A partial abdominoplasty (mini-tuck abdominoplasty) can be completed between 1 and 2 hours.

• Depends on the problem to be treated, surgical technique(s), and other factors. Can take one to four weeks and patients are advised to take at least a portion of this recovery time off from work.
• Heavy lifting is best avoided during this time.
• Initially there may be bruising and discomfort.
• A supportive abdominal binder or compression garment can minimize swelling / bruising, and support the repaired tissues. This compression garment is also effective in helping the skin in the treated area conform to its new shape.
• Patients are advised to avoid all forms of nicotine for a month or longer prior to surgery and also during the recovery period.
• Full recovery takes 3–6 months, with further fading of scars thereafter. Scars may appear red and prominent at first, but with proper care, they heal into a thin, silvery line.

Abdominoplasty carries certain risks that may be serious or life-threatening. When making the decision to undergo such a procedure it is recommended to compare the benefits with the potential risks and complications. Hence, all patients must be informed on all the risks they are exposing themselves to. Severe complications occur however in rare cases and these include blood clots, thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications or infection.

Infection and blood clots are a serious potential risk after abdominoplasty, but which occur rarely. Infection is usually treated with antibiotics and drainage. Patients are recommended to move around as soon as possible after surgery to minimize their risks of developing blood clots. Pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke are very rare complications that may result after any type of surgery due to immobility after surgery which results in blood clots that may travel to the heart, lung or brain. Thus, pulmonary embolism is a serious risk after "tummy tuck" procedure and if they occur, they commonly happen within three weeks of the surgery, but more commonly within the first 72 hours after the procedure has been performed.

If complications occur, they usually delay the healing process. In rare cases, another surgery is needed to fix a potential complication. Skin necrosis is one of the complications that may require another procedure as the dead skin must be replaced by a skin graft. Although necrosis is extremely rare, smokers have an increased risk to develop skin necrosis. Stopping nicotine use and smoking several weeks before and several weeks after surgery cleans the body and improves the chance of an uneventful recovery.

One of the more common problems after an abdominoplasty is collection of fluid under the skin after the drains have been removed. A surgeon can aspirate the fluid with a needle. The drainage stops within a month and does not affect the final results.

The scars resulting from abdominoplasty are long, large in appearance, and permanent. The size of the scar depends on the amount of skin that has been cut off, the techniques used for the surgery, the surgeon's skills, and the body's ability to recover. Although this scar will never become invisible, it is usually placed under the swimsuit line so it is covered by clothes. It normally takes nine months to a year before scars flatten out and lighten in color.

Possible risks of abdominoplasty include:

• Bleeding
• Fluid accumulation
• Poor wound healing
• Skin loss
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Anesthesia complications
• Skin discoloration and/or prolonged swelling
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
• Major wound separation
• Asymmetry
• Recurrent looseness of skin
• Pain, which may persist
• Persistent swelling in the legs
• Nerve damage
• Possibility of revisional surgery
• Hematoma (may occur in 3–4% of cases)
• Keloid (heavy scar)
• Seroma
• Suture rupture
• Swelling
• Visible scar
• Death

Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty, is a type of surgery that removes fat from the human body in an attempt to change its shape.[1] Evidence does not support an effect on weight beyond a couple of months and it does not appear to affect obesity related problems.[2] Serious complications include but are not limited to death, deep vein thrombosis, organ perforation, bleeding, and infection.[3] While the suctioned fat cells are permanently gone, after a few months overall body fat generally returned to the same level as before treatment.[4] This is despite maintaining the previous diet and exercise regimen. While the fat returned somewhat to the treated area, most of the increased fat occurred in the abdominal area. Visceral fat – the fat surrounding the internal organs – increased, and this condition has been linked to life-shortening diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack.[4]

Body contouring is plastic surgery performed to different parts of the body with the aim of improving the shape and tone of the underlying tissue that supports fat. It is a common procedure performed for people who have undergone major weight loss. It may be performed in both men and women.

Breast reduction, or reduction mammoplasty, is the cosmetic surgery used in resizing the breast, in women with oversized breasts and men with gynecomastia. This type of surgery is performed to treat a breast condition known as hypertrophy, which refers to oversized breasts. This condition usually occurs in both breasts and commonly develops at puberty or immediately after.

Breast lift, also referred to as mastopexy, is the surgical procedure that removes the excess skin and tightens the surrounding tissue of the breast, resulting in raising and firming the breast. Mastopexies carry a certain degree of risks as any other type of surgery does.

Hysterectomies are sometimes performed with abdominoplasty. A hysterectomy consists in removing the uterus and it may be complete (when the body, fundus and cervix are removed) or partial (when only the uterine body is surgically removed). This procedure is normally performed by gynecologists and it is one of the most common gynecological surgeries. This type of surgery is used to treat some benign tumors, cancers of the ovaries, uterus or cervix, Adenomyosis but not endometriosis and are also performed in trans men.

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  Making the initial incision across the lower abdomen. The incision is placed in the bikini line and runs from hip to hip.
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  The final sutures securing the umbilicus (also known as "belly button") into its new position after an abdominoplasty
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  The removal of nearly 100 square centimeters of skin from the abdomen of a 40-year-old woman during an abdominoplasty surgery (also known as a "tummy tuck")
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  Placing the final sutures following an abdominoplasty procedure

• Abdominal etching