Tummy tuck

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A tummy tuck in a 40-year-old patient

The tummy tuck (also abdominoplasty or abdominoplasty ) is a plastic surgery operation to tighten the abdominal wall , which also removes excess fat tissue ( liposuction ). The abdominal wall plasty is often used in people with a pot belly (for example after repeated pregnancies, as was scientifically recognized as early as the 19th century) and as a hernioplasty in cases of oversized hernial orifice (including diastasis recti ).

A tummy tuck is performed when there is excess skin in the abdominal area ("pendulous stomach"). This is often the result of major weight loss. The patients have already lost several kilograms. A tummy tuck adjusts the appearance of the stomach to the new weight. This procedure does not serve to reduce fat, the weight should be reduced beforehand through diet, but can be supplemented with liposuction if necessary.

Methods

Before the operation, the surgeon measures and draws in the excess skin and fat areas . The skin incisions should be made in such a way that they ensure inconspicuous scarring. Excess skin areas are removed along with the underlying fatty tissue. To do this, the surgeon makes a wave-shaped cut (W-cut) that begins above the pubic hairline and runs along the pelvic bones to the end.

Incision for a tummy tuck

The second skin incision is made around the navel to detach it from the skin of the abdomen. The opened abdominal flap can be raised up to the costal arch. If necessary, the relaxed abdominal muscles are also tightened. The loosened skin flap is folded back down and then tightened. The open wound edges are closed with precise sutures, and the navel is repositioned through an incision. The operation is ended by placing small drainage tubes through which excess tissue fluid and small amounts of blood can be drained to the outside. These tubes are removed after about one to two days. A compression bandage is applied in the operating room.

A sagging abdominal wall with superfluous skin can also be the result of diastasis recti. If this is the case or if it is only about tightening the abdominal muscles, the procedure can also be performed endoscopically. With this internal tummy tuck, the entire skin is not lifted and the navel can also remain in its original position.

Medical risks

The relatively large wound areas that are inevitable during this operation can be perceived as very stressful. Possible complications also include unsightly scarring, dents and asymmetries, circulatory disorders in the area of ​​the navel and the skin below it, as well as general surgical risks such as thrombosis with subsequent pulmonary embolism and bacterial infections . In any case, it is advisable to only have the operation performed by a trained plastic surgeon. As a rule, these are only "specialists in plastic surgery" or "specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery".

literature

  • Lemperle, von Heimburg (ed.): Aesthetic surgery . Ecomed-Verlag, 2003
  • Kümpel, Beutel (Ed.): Guide to cosmetic surgery, "Use opportunities, avoid risks" . Foitzik Verlag, 2006, ISBN 3-929338-18-1

Web links

Commons : Tummy Tuck  - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

Remarks

  1. Vincenz Czerny : For the prophylaxis of the pot belly of women. In: Centralblatt für Gynäkologie. Volume 10, No. 3, January 16, 1886, pp. 33 f .; E. Baelz: To prevent the pot belly. In: Centralblatt für Gynäkologie. Volume 10, No. 25, June 19, 1886, pp. 397 f .; J. Elischer: For prophylaxis of the pot belly in women. In: Centralbaltt for Gynecology. Volume 10, No. 11, March 13, 1886, pp. 165 f.