Michael J. Will, MD, DDS, FACS
Maryland (301) 874-1707
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What to Expect After a Tummy Tuck Procedure
One of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures is the tummy tuck, a surgical procedure that makes the abdomen more smooth by removing excess fat and skin, which may result from weight loss or pregnancy. After the procedure, the new body contours are often dramatically improved and the procedure currently ranks at number one in patient satisfaction. When prospective patients are considering the procedure, many of the most frequently asked questions revolve around the recovery period.
A tummy tuck procedure, or abdominoplasty, is often performed on an out-patient basis, meaning that patients do not get admitted to the hospital and can frequently return home on the same day. Depending on the severity of the procedure, some patients may need to spend a night or two in the hospital on rare occasions. However, the intensity and scope of the procedure may certainly impact the recovery period and the length of the healing process.
After a tummy tuck, many patients spend a few hours in the hospital and then return home under the care of a friend or loved one. It is normal for there to be some swelling around the area, which may be addressed with special post-surgical garments, ice packs and prescriptions. There may also be some pain, which can be managed with medication. Some patients experience additional pain during coughing or deep breathing, which is normal and does not signify a problem.
It is important to take it easy for the first few days following your tummy tuck, and avoid activity for the first five to six days. Many patients are able to return to work or normal activity (without any heavy lifting) after 10-14 days. Vigorous exercise is often achievable in a month or so. The true results of the tummy tuck procedure are generally not visible for two to three months. Incision lines will continue to fade and flatten out for around 12 months.
Surgeons Combine Post-Pregnancy Tummy Tuck with Bladder Surgery
An ob-gyn and a plastic surgeon in San Francisco have teamed up for a surgical combination that can take care of two post-pregnancy problems — one medical and one cosmetic — at once.
ABC News in San Francisco reports on the combo where the ob-gyn performs a pelvic sling procedure to correct bladder issues arising from pregnancy, after which a plastic surgeon performs a tummy tuck to remove excess fat and skin from the abdomen, a common cosmetic issue for women after they have children.
ABC spoke with one mom who said her two pregnancies took an embarrassing toll on her body. “Every day you have to wear these thick pads so that you stay dry. Going down the steps, picking up your child from the car seat, a little bit of exertion you get wet,” she explained.
Instead of having her bladder issue fixed with conventional surgery, she decided on the combination procedure. “I know I’ll never be the same as before I had the children, but I think it will be spirit lifting,” she said.
“I like to call this the ultimate mommy makeover,” said surgeon Carolyn Chang, MD, who has performed tummy tucks after the pelvic sling procedure at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.
The bladder procedure takes about a half hour, after which Dr. Chang performs the abdominoplasty.
There are always risks to surgery, and one of the downsides of combining procedures is a longer time in the operating room and a potentially more complicated recovery if there are problems with either surgery.
However, there are some possible benefits to combining the procedures. The costs could be lower, because while the tummy tuck isn’t covered by insurance, some shared expenses – such as anesthesia and the recovery room — may be. Another possible advantage is that the patient will have a single recovery time for the two procedures.
Psychologically it could make going under the knife easier as well. “You’re doing a surgery that you want with a surgery that you medically need and that makes having surgery in general much more palatable,” said Dr. Chang.
Exercise Can Keep Off Unhealthy Belly Fat After Abdominal Liposuction
If you’re having abdominal liposuction, you should consider committing to an exercise routine after your procedure, according to a new study.
Patients in a Brazilian study who didn’t exercise after the surgery had an increase in visceral fat around their abdominal organs.
Visceral fat is more closely associated with diabetes and heart disease than superficial fat found just under the skin.
The study had 36 women who were at a normal weight and were sedentary before the procedure. All had liposuction to get rid of small amounts of abdominal fat. Two months later, half were assigned to an exercise program and half remained sedentary.
Six months after surgery, the women still had flatter abdomens, but the sedentary group showed a significant 10 percent increase in visceral fat compared to before the surgery. The group who exercised after liposuction did not see an increase in visceral fat.
The researchers concluded that abdominal liposuction doesn’t cause a regrowth of fat, but it does “trigger a compensatory increase of visceral fat.” However, the fat can be “effectively counteracted by physical activity.”
Researchers said it was unclear why there was an increase in visceral fat, “but we believe it may be because this particular fat depot is more metabolically active than the other fat depots,” study leader Fabiana Benatti told Reuters.
Exercise after Abdominal Liposuction
The results of this small study suggest that staying or becoming active after abdominal liposuction will stop the increase in visceral fat in the area.
“If one should choose to undergo liposuction, it is very important, if not essential, that this person exercises after the surgery,” according to Benatti.
Before the procedure, talk to your cosmetic surgeon about your expectations for liposuction and about what kind of exercise regimen he or she recommends afterward.
BMI, the current standard for determining if you are at a healthy weight, may be on its way out.
According to researchers, a more accurate way to measure whether you are at risk for obesity-related diseases is your waist-to-height ratio.
Your BMI, which stands for body mass index, calculates a number based on your height and weight that shows if you are a normal weight, overweight, obese or underweight. However, it doesn’t take muscle mass or the distribution of fat around the body into consideration.
A review of 31 studies that included more than 300,000 men and women found that waist-to-height ratio was better than BMI at predicting certain health risks associated with obesity, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
“Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height can help increase life expectancy for every person in the world,” according to study leader Dr. Margaret Ashwell.
Dr. Ashwell calls the waist-to-height ratio a “one-size-fits-all approach,” and says it should replace BMI and waist circumference alone as a way to assess body fat and health risks.
Calculating Your Waist-to-Height Ratio
Waist-to-height ratio is easy to determine—all you need is a tape measure. Measure your waist at belly-button level, and then measure your height if you don’t know it. Divide your waist measurement by your height to get your percentage.
Another advantage of waist-to-height ratio is its simplicity: keep your waist circumference to less than half your height. BMI is harder to calculate, and you have to remember or look up whether your BMI number falls into a healthy range.
Cosmetic Surgery & Weight Loss
For those who have lost a significant amount of weight, body contouring procedures can remove excess skin from areas such as the arms, abdomen and thighs.
Liposuction is also popular for removing stubborn areas of fat that don’t go away with diet or exercise. Patients should already be at a healthy weight for this procedure, as it is not meant for weight loss.
GET YOUR PERFECT SUMMER BODY WITH A TUMMY TUCK IN MARYLAND
If the idea of wearing a bathing suit is making you cringe, plastic surgery may be the best way to get the body of your dreams. Undergoing surgery now means you can enjoy results right around summertime and show off that new figure at the beach, on vacation, and at any special events this season!
The best way to learn if you are a good candidate for liposuction is to visit Dr. Michael Will for an in-person consultation. Call Will Surgical Arts today at 301-874-1707 to schedule your initial consultation.
The best candidates for liposuction are those who:
Are at or near their goal weight
Are confident in their ability to maintain a stable, healthy weight
Have stubborn areas of fat that haven’t responded to diet and exercise
Have sufficient skin elasticity
Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure, so the closer you are to your goal weight, the better your results will be. You will not lose a significant amount of weight after having liposuction, but you can drop a pant size or two.
Liposuction results can be permanent if you maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, if you gain a significant amount of weight, you risk losing your results. This is why it’s so important to be able to maintain a healthy, stable weight.
You may not be a good liposuction candidate if:
You are looking for a quick and easy way to lose weight
You are a heavy smoker
You are considered technically obese, with a BMI of over 30
While overweight men and women can benefit from liposuction, if you are obese, Dr. Will may suggest that you lose some weight on your own before undergoing liposuction. Liposuction can help to create a better body contour that in some cases can motivate significantly overweight patients to eat healthier and do more exercise. However, elective surgery can be dangerous if your BMI is too high.
Smoking is also a contraindication to elective plastic surgery. Smoking significantly increases your risk of serious complications from surgery. You may still be a candidate if you are able to quit smoking for two weeks before and after surgery, though.
Do You Need Liposuction or a Tummy Tuck?
People are often confused about the difference between liposuction and a tummy tuck. A tummy tuck is a much more invasive procedure than liposuction, but it also nets much more dramatic results. You are probably a good candidate for a tummy tuck if you:
Have loose, separated abdominal muscles (this is common after childbirth)
Have a significant amount of excess skin (common after childbirth or massive weight loss)
A tummy tuck addresses loose abdominal muscles and excess skin, while liposuction does not. A tummy tuck can also get rid of much more fat in the abdominal area than is possible with liposuction (although, again, it is not a tool for weight loss).
Liposuction can be combined with a tummy tuck for more comprehensive results than a tummy tuck alone can accomplish. The tummy tuck flattens the stomach, while liposuction addresses other areas such as the flanks, bra bulge, thighs, or back.
Dr. Will can help determine which procedure is best for you during your consultation.
If you are interested in liposuction, call Dr. Will today at 301-874-1707 to schedule your consultation. We serve patients in Urbana and surrounding areas.
Liposuction Risks Decrease with Use of Local Anesthesia, Study Finds
The review study found that cosmetic surgery that used general anesthesia, such as liposuction, and combining surgical procedures significantly increased the risk for complications in office-based surgery.
Published in Dermatologic Surgery, the study found that more than three-quarters of hospital transfers and two-thirds of deaths were associated with cosmetic surgery performed under general anesthesia. On the other hand, the researchers wrote, “Cosmetic procedures performed in offices by dermatologists under local and dilute local anesthesia yielded no reported complications.”
Researchers reviewed data of the statewide mandatory reporting of adverse events in office-based surgery in Florida (10 years of reporting) and Alabama (six years).
Local vs. General Anesthesia for Liposuction
The authors were most critical of liposuction performed under general anesthesia because when this common cosmetic procedure was performed with local anesthesia no deaths occurred.
“Liposuction under general anesthesia accounted for 32% of cosmetic procedure-related deaths and 22% of all cosmetic procedure-related complications,” the researchers wrote.
Local anesthesia is often used for liposuction because of its safety record and because it allows the patient to stay awake during the procedure and get back to a normal routine quicker.
However, the anesthesia that is used for liposuction often depends on the scope of the procedure. For instance, your cosmetic surgeon may use general anesthesia for liposuction when large volumes of fat are going to be removed. Local anesthesia is often used for a small amount of fat removal.
Understanding Liposuction Risks
Possible complications of liposuction include infection, irregular skin contour, delayed healing, excessive fluid loss, clots and damage to surrounding tissues. Most localized liposuction treatments have a relatively low risk for complications, but risks increase when large volumes of fat are removed.
A new survey examined surgeons’ preferences for liposuction techniques and found that suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL), which is considered traditional liposuction, was the preferred method of fat removal for over half of respondents.
“In a field that is so rapidly advancing, it is essential to continually evaluate new technologies and methods to ensure that we maintain the safety of our patients,” said Jamil Ahmad, MD, lead author of the survey, which was published in the February issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal.
The preferred method of fat removal for the 492 survey respondents from most to least popular was:
Suction-assisted lipo (SAL) (51.4 percent)
Power-assisted lipo (PAL) (23.0 percent)
Ultrasound-assisted lipo (UAL) (20.9 percent)
Laser-assisted lipo (LAL) (3.9 percent)
Most of the surgeons who responded perform between 51 and 100 liposuctions per year, and those surveyed have the most experience with SAL, UAL and PAL.
The surgeons had less experience with laser-assisted liposuction (12.8 percent), mesotherapy (5.7 percent), and noninvasive devices (12.8 percent).
“Our survey found that ASAPS members tend to more frequently employ the fat removal methods that have the longest track records and the most data to support their efficacy and safety,” said Ahmad. “In the future, we may notice preferences shift as we see additional prospective data comparing techniques, and as we gain more experience with newer methods. These factors will also help us continue to improve safety-related standards of care.”
More women are embracing a curvy look, a trend that is visible in the cosmetic surgery industry.
For instance, RealSelf, a social media website for sharing information about cosmetic procedures, reported that in 2011 searches for butt augmentations on the site rose 39 percent, making it the “fastest moving topic on the site in terms of overall consumer interest.”
With the rise of procedures like the Brazilian butt lift, in which a patient’s own fat is transferred to enhance the shape and size of the buttocks, women are looking to enhance other areas as well.
Next Trend for Curves: Thigh Augmentation?
A study published recently in the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery examined thigh augmentation, which uses a custom implant. The authors report that: “Breasts are getting bigger, buttocks are getting fuller, and there is increasing demand for a fuller, more curvaceous look to the thighs.”
According to the study, 18 women received the implants to achieve a fuller appearance in the thighs. During the procedure, a custom-made lateral thigh prosthesis is surgically inserted to give more curve to the lateral thigh area.
The authors reported that all patients were satisfied with the procedure. There were no major complications during the study, and they concluded that the implants helped women achieve a fuller look in the thigh without significant risk.
Traditional Cosmetic Surgery for Adding Curves
Some of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures have always been about giving women more curves. For instance, many women who are dissatisfied with the size, shape and fullness of their breasts often turn to breast augmentation.
A tummy tuck is a popular way for a woman to get a flatter stomach. It creates a smaller waistline, which accentuates curves above and below the waist.
Cosmetic Surgeries Give Mom Her Pre-baby Body Back
Fatma Rice, mother of a five year old, recently shared with the Today Show how she got her pre-pregnancy body back with cosmetic surgery. Many new moms struggle with areas like their breasts and stomach that they can’t get back to their pre-pregnancy look even with diet and exercise.
Rice had a “mommy makeover,” which refers to undergoing multiple cosmetic surgery procedures to restore or improve your post-pregnancy body.
Rice said that before pregnancy she was fit and happy with her body. “I worked out a lot … Obviously I had more time on my hands,” she said.
Rice gained about 48 pounds while she was pregnant, and even after she lost the weight she said her breasts and stomach were saggy. She tried to get rid of the stubborn fat by varying her workout routine, but nothing helped her trouble spots.
“My confidence level went down,” she said.
To get back to what she used to look like and how she used to feel about herself, she decided to get a mommy makeover.
Rice had three procedures, liposuction, a tummy tuck and a breast lift, and she appeared on the Today Show two weeks after the surgeries to show off the results. “I’m ready to start 2011 in a new beautiful body,” she said.
Dr. Loren Schechter, her surgeon, emphasized that Rice was a great candidate for a mommy makeover because she works out and she has a healthy lifestyle. “Not everyone is a candidate to combine surgeries,” he said.
How long should moms wait before getting cosmetic surgery? “We do advise women to wait until the changes associated with pregnancy have resolved. Usually at least six months, if not a bit longer so that swelling from pregnancy can go down,” said Dr. Schechter.
“Patient care was incredible! We are so very happy our child was referred to Dr. Will. We appreciate the attentiveness given to his medical condition. Will highly recommend to others.”
One of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures is the tummy tuck, a surgical procedure that makes the abdomen more smooth by removing excess fat and skin, which may result from weight loss or pregnancy. After the procedure, the new body contours are often dramatically improved and the procedure currently ranks at number one in patient satisfaction. When prospective patients are considering the procedure, many of the most frequently asked questions revolve around the recovery period.
If you’re having abdominal 
BMI, the current standard for determining if you are at a healthy weight, may be on its way out.
A new study shows that 
More women are embracing a curvy look, a trend that is visible in the 
