If you have loose and flabby skin around your abdomen, then a tummy tuck, which is also known as abdominoplasty, can help reduce its appearance by tightening your stomach muscles and strengthening the walls of your abdomen. Tummy tucks remove fat and tightens loose skin and is not meant to help you lose weight. It targets areas on the stomach that have not responded and will never respond to diet and exercise.

During your initial cosmetic plastic surgery consultation, your board certified plastic surgeon will guide you through the process of the abdominoplasty procedure and can give you an estimated recovery time so you can plan ahead. Knowing all about the tummy tuck procedure you are about to undertake will minimize anxiety and fear and can help you create a healing and recovery plan.

What should you expect after an abdominoplasty? The healing and recovery process can take weeks or even months and can be very painful. The most common symptoms to expect during this procedure include muscle soreness, muscle tenderness, fatigue, numbness in some areas, heavy scarring, bruising and redness.

It is important to take the medications that your doctor prescribes after surgery for an adequate recovery. You will probably be given prescription painkillers and antibiotics to help with the muscle soreness and any residual pain. You might have some bruising and swelling around the incision site, but it should heal within a few weeks. It may be difficult to stand or move for long periods of time, so have a comfortable area at home to spend your recovery period. Apply an ice pack to sore muscles and make sure the area is padded so that you can sleep comfortably. Expect to wear loose-fitting clothing that doesn’t constrict your waistline.

The possibility of infection and adverse reactions to anesthetics is always a possibility with any surgery; also with cheek implants, nose reshaping or breast augmentation surgery, for example. Complications like blood clots can pose life-threatening risks in rare cases. There are some other complications that you should think about before undertaking this particular tummy reduction procedure, such as hematoma, belly button death, skin death, excessive scarring, ruptured stitches and excessive bleeding.

As reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the national average cost of tummy tucks is $4,500 in 2008, but can go as high as $6,000 to $10,000 when facility and anesthesia fees are included. The ASPS website is a great place to learn more information. You can find it at www.plasticsurgery.org.

The most critical factor for recovery after an abdominoplasty is getting enough rest. You will need to skip workouts for awhile and do only light physical activity. Exercises like Pilates, yoga and sports that require extensive stretching or cardio will need to be avoided for up to two months after your tummy tuck procedure.

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