ABDOMINOPLASTY

The procedure

Abnormalities in the abdominal area are corrected with this operation.
Multiple pregnancies, repeated weights gains and losses, sedentary lifestyle, all contribute to the distension of the abdomen and the loss of the original form.
Via a low incision just above the pubis which increases in a thong shape, skin and fat that is in the way is surgically removed, up to the height of the belly button.
General anaesthetic is used and the operation lasts about 3 hours.
Admission at the clinic during 24 hours.

Post operation

The stitches are removed in 20 days.
Shouldn’t make any brusque movements or do any movements during the first days.
Back to work in 25 days.
No smoking 15 days prior or for 15 days after the operation.
The sensitivity in the operated area will start to return in six months.
Wear an abdominal binder for a month.

Know more about abdominoplasty
This is a basic surgical intervention which eliminates abnormalities in the abdominal area, those of which generally consist of a complex compound of problems. The plastic surgeon should target four areas for the correction of the abnormality:
  • Evaluate the level of redundancy and flaccidity of the skin.
  • Evaluate the quantity of excessive fatty tissue and its location.
  • Evaluar el estado de los músculos que forman la faja abdominal.
  • Evaluate the condition of scars, stretch marks and their location.

These four elements directs the surgical procedure to achieve an optimum correction of the anatomical problems.
The type of patient is someone with great abdominal redundancy, due to big weight losses or multiple pregnancies, in which the skin has remained lax and with stretch marks.
The relative counter-indications for the abdominoplasty are centred in those patients with previous surgical interventions in the abdominal area above the belly button.
And also for histories of smoking, cardiovascular disease, alterations in the coagulability of the blood and morbid obesity.
These are always discussed before the procedure and questions such as a future pregnancy and irrational expectations of the results.

The procedure

The incision can be above the pubic area, that is to say, a low transverse which lifts in a thong shape towards the sides finishing on the level of the bony area of the hip known as the iliac spine.
Or even, in the fleur- de -lis shape, that is to say vertical and horizontal. This moulds the abdomen and the flanks better. This is suitable in big weight losses.
From the pubis to the belly button or the xiphoid, all the fat and the skin disappears.
The dissection is lifted up to the lower part of the sternum.
If it proceeds, it treats the muscular area by suturing the muscles which are normally separated by their own sprains and strains after pregnancies or obesity.
The belly button (umbilicus) hole is preserved to focus it again to the exterior and all the remaining skin is stretched and seamed up.
The operation is done with general anaesthetic and it lasts about 3 hours.
One night is spent at the clinic and you return home the next morning.

The post operation

Must wear a binder for 24hours and keep 3-4 days for relative rest.
Should avoid brusque movements, bending, lifting, etc.
The stitches are removed in 15-20 days.
Back to work in 20-25 days.
Can do sport after one month.

Complications

The most common and in descending order of frequency are:
Infection of the wound, seroma, minor skin loss causing an opening of the margins. They occur together in 12% of all abdominoplasties
Others, such as big skin necrosis requires a re-operation, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonear embolism are more serious but they are very rare.