Abdominoplasty is designed to remove the excess sagging skin of the abdomen and at the same time, tightness the abdominal wall muscles to restore the tone lost during pregnancy. This operation is helpful in women who have relaxed loose abdominal skin following pregnancies or after losing excessive amount of weight by dieting.

If a patient has excessive fat deposits in the abdomen, then it can be suctioned out by lipolysis. If some one has a combination of excessive fat and loose skin, lipolysis and skin resection can be done at the same time. But, cosmetic surgery cannot help everyone with bulging abdomen- especially those with relatively thin, snug skin but large abdominal contents.

SURGICAL PROCEDURE:

It takes approximately 2 to 4 hours for this surgery and it requires general anaesthesia. The usual hospital stay is 1 to 2 days depending upon the individual's response to the surgery.

There are some varieties of incisions that can be used for this operation. A right incision will be selected after careful examination and after considering the requirements of the patient. In most instances, a long horizontal incision just above the pubic bone from one hip to the other hip is used. The umbilicus is repositioned so that there is no loose fold of skin above the umbilicus. In the other common way, in addition to a short horizontal incision, a vertical incision upto the umbilicus is added. In both types, the skin is separated and lifted from the abdominal muscles all the way upto just below the lower part of the breasts. The skin is pulled down, the excess resected and sutured. During this process of lifting the abdominal skin from the muscles, the umbilicus is separated from the surrounding skin and is left in its original place. After lifting the skin and pulling it down, the upper abdominal skin now lies over the umbilicus. A small hole is made in the skin overlying the umbilicus, which is then brought out through the hole and sutured all around. Many a time, during abdominoplasty fat suctioning or lipolysis is done form the upper abdomen and the sides of the abdomen to recontour these areas.

Before suturing, drains are placed under the skin and brought out on the sides and left under the dressings. These drains are removed in 24 to 48 hours. After surgery, the patient when on bed is required to keep the head elevated and the hips folded to some extent. This is done for 2 to 3 weeks, to avoid any tension on the suture line. Also, for the same reason, the patient should walk slightly bent forwards during the first 1 to 2 weeks. Sutures are removed in 2 to 3 stages starting from the 7th day of the surgery.

AFTER SURGERY:

The patient is restricted to sponge baths for about 10 days, and requested to wear snug panty hose or girdle for a few weeks to apply pressure over the abdomen. Social activity are limited for about 4 weeks following the surgery and strenuous activities including sports and games are to be limited for about 8 weeks following the surgery.