A tummy tuck, or professionally known as abdominoplasty, is a procedure that consists of removing excess fat and loose skin in order to create a toned appearance. People think that tummy tucks only bring aesthetic benefits when they can actually be good for your health!
Want to know what the benefits of a tummy tuck are? Keep reading to find out!
Reduces Urinary Incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence is a health condition where you experience uncontrollable bladder leakage when you laugh, cough, or sneeze. This medical issue can affect all sorts of people but, it’s most commonly seen in women who have given vaginal birth.
Urinary incontinence can be very uncomfortable and can negatively impact a person’s lifestyle. However, the surgeon creates a bladder obstruction during the tummy tuck procedure using soft tissue near the pelvis. This, in turn, reduces the effects of urinary incontinence.
Hernia Correction
When your abdominal tissues or intestines break through your abdominal wall, it creates a sack or pouch, known as a hernia. Hernias form due to weak abdomens thanks to drastic weight loss, cesarean sections, and an appendectomy.
The intended goal of a tummy tuck is to flatten your abdomen, which can correct a hernia. It addresses the weak abdominal muscles, which also reduces the pressure on your skin. Read more information here.
Easier Weight Loss Maintenance
Patients who get a tummy tuck are able to keep off excess weight due to the higher tolerance for exercise they gain. This means that they’re able to exercise with much more ease than before.
Improves Posture
As mentioned above, a tummy tuck helps tone and tighten the abdominal muscles. A tighter abdomen equals an improved posture. It also lowers the risk of developing lordosis, a condition that causes your back to “swayback.”
Decreases Back Pain
Women who gave birth or who have lost a large amount of weight tend to suffer from back pain due to the weakened muscles. However, as mentioned above, a tummy tuck helps tone and tighten the abdominal muscles, which helps bring extra support for your back. That’s why many patients have reported feeling back pain relief after getting a tummy tuck.
Who’s a Good Candidate for Tummy Tucks?
Tummy tucks can be a great option if you’re looking for a fast way to remove any excess fat, especially if exercise and dieting haven’t worked. However, not everyone can be considered a candidate for abdominoplasty.
Loose Skin
If you have loose skin around your abdomen, then you might be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. If you simply want to remove excess fat, then perhaps getting a liposuction is a better alternative.
Overall Good Health
A tummy tuck is a low-risk procedure, which makes anyone pretty much eligible. However, even though it’s not considered dangerous, you do need to have good overall health.
Mainly because you need to be sedated in order to undergo a tummy tuck, and for that, you need to have a healthy set of lungs and heart. You should also be clear from certain medical diseases, such as autoimmune disorders and connective tissue disorders, as this can make recovery difficult.
Realistic Expectations
You’re also a good candidate if you’re realistic about the short-term and long-term results you’ll obtain. You shouldn’t think of abdominoplasty as a quick way to lose weight but rather as a procedure aimed to remove small sacks of fat.
Yet, the results of this procedure are permanent because once the fat cells are eliminated, new ones can’t grow and replace them. But if you want to maintain the results, you need to make sure you stay within approximately 10-30 pounds of your current weight. Gaining too much weight after getting a tummy tuck can cause the skin to stretch out again, making your skin sag.
Committed to a Healthy Lifestyle
Not only is staying at a healthy weight important for maintaining results but also leading an overall healthy lifestyle. This means that you want to look after your skin as well by avoiding tobacco and smoking in general, not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, and following a balanced diet.
You Don’t Have Diabetes
People who are diabetic are more prone to suffering complications if they decide to get a tummy tuck. The reason being is that diabetics have a higher chance of getting an infection. Plus, surgeons have a more difficult time managing the patient’s glucose levels.
How Long Do the Procedure and Recovery Take?
An abdominoplasty can take about 1-5 hours, depending on how much work needs to be done. Patients can usually go home right after the procedure, and recovery takes approximately 4-6 weeks.
What Are the Risks?
It’s very rare to suffer the risks of getting a tummy tuck. Yet, some risks include:
- Poor healing
- Unexpected scarring
- Accumulation of fluids underneath the skin, known as seroma
- Damage or death of tissues
- Strange changes in skin sensations
Very few people experience these effects. Yet, be sure to speak with your surgeon if you notice anything unexpected once the procedure is done.
The Benefits of a Tummy Tuck—Explained
Everyone wants to enjoy the benefits of a tummy tuck. However, before scheduling an appointment, speak with your doctor to get approval. You want to ensure your health is strong enough to undergo this procedure.
Just remember to lead a healthy lifestyle and commit to it as much as possible in order to qualify for a tummy tuck and to maintain the results! And if you’re itching to read more cosmetic-related posts, keep browsing through our blog!
