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Dr. Miller News & Press
New in Plasic Surgery: Radiesse and IPL - find out what they can do for you.
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Tummy Tuck Procedure Overview
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Tummy tuck surgery, known technically as abdominoplasty, is a procedure designed to minimize the appearance of a protruding abdomen. This procedure involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen. In addition, weakened muscles of the abdominal wall are often tightened as well.
Though sometimes combined with liposuction in order to provide improved contour and smoother edges, this procedure does differ from liposuction. The tummy tuck procedure deals with the removal of both fat and excess skin, whereas liposuction mostly addresses localized areas of fat. A mini-abdominoplasty can be performed on patients with only localized fullness of the lower abdomen, typically resulting in decreased scarring and shorter surgery and recovery times.
The best candidate is a person with a large fat deposit or loose abdominal skin that does not respond to exercise and diet. Patients should otherwise be in relatively good shape, physically healthy and psychologically stable. It's also important that patients have realistic expectations of what the procedure can offer. Tummy tuck surgery can be particularly effective when performed on patients following pregnancy or significant weight loss or on patients with weakened abdominal muscles or older patients with decreased skin elasticity. Patients anticipating future pregnancy or weight loss may want to wait until afterward for their tummy tuck surgery.
Tummy tuck surgery can successfully improve the appearance of the abdomen and, like many cosmetic procedures, it may improve one's self-confidence as well. Though the procedure can effectively remove stretch marks from the lower area of the abdomen, it may not remove all stretch marks. Further, tummy tuck surgery may not remove all skin folds or reduce the appearance of 'love handles' on the lower back, and it will leave a significant scar that extends from hipbone to hipbone just above the pubic area.
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Dr. Philip Miller, MD, FACS, New York City tummy tucks