How long does tummy tuck surgery take?

In almost all cases, it takes me about an hour and half; at most 2 hours.

Is anesthesia used during the tummy tuck procedure?

Yes, a general anesthetic is used for this procedure.

Who is an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck?

The ideal candidate is someone that is not significantly overweight, but, yet has excess skin and/or fat in the lower abdomen. Also, someone that has stretch-marks predominantly in the lower abdominal region.

Are there risks and complications to a tummy tuck?

There are always surgical risks. The most common are bleeding, infection, scarring, and pain. There are other more rare risks of heart attacks, strokes, fat emboli, and death. I usually explain it to my clients that they are more likely to be involved in a deadly car accident to/from my office than they are to have any of these major complications during the surgical procedure.

What is a tummy tuck?

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the abdominal region. It is most beneficial when there is more excess skin than excess fat. A football-shaped incision is made along the lower abdomen and up to the belly button. In most cases, stretch marks below the belly-button can be removed, stretch-marks above the belly-button cannot be removed with this procedure. In most cases, as well, the abdominal muscles can be tightened to decrease the lower abdominal pooch that is common in women that have had children.

Will a person have a scar after the tummy tuck?

Yes, there will be a scar. That is the trade-off. For the vast majority of women, the scar is very unobtrusive, it is very low on the abdomen, hidden nicely even with low-cut clothing, it is narrow and fades nicely with time.

What are the benefits of a tummy tuck?

Generally, the benefits are to remove excess skin and fat of the lower abdomen, including stretch marks and a moderate amount of fat. It is not a weight loss procedure, but, rather, a contouring procedure to decrease waist size and contour of the abdomen.

How is a tummy tuck performed?

In my hands, the tummy tuck procedure takes about an hour and a half. It is done under a general anesthetic in a fully-equipped and certified surgical facility.