ABDOMINOPLASTY
 
  INTRODUCTION

Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that eliminates the excess of skin and fat of the abdomen, and that reinforces the muscles of the abdominal wall.

Abdominoplasty is not intended as treatment for obesity, although it can help by removing the apron of skin and fat of these patients.The obese individuals who intend to lose weight must pospone any kind of surgery until they are able to maintain the lost weight. There are several techniques different from abdominoplasty, which can be either combined with other kinds of surgery including liposuction, or can be performed at the same time that other elective surgeries.

The objectives of the surgery are:

- To eliminate the leftover skin and fat

- To reinforce the musculature (tummy tuck)

- To contour the waist, making it more youthful.

ANAESTHESIA

It is habitually performed under general anaesthesia.

TECHNIQUE

The chosen technique depends on the type of patient. The main combinations are:

- In young patients with good skin tone and without diastasis of the muscles
(without separation between the muscles): abdominal liposuction.

- Patient with good skin tone and diastasis: miniabdominoplastia and
liposuction. The abdominal muscles are reinforced and the abdominal fat is
extirpated with liposuction.

- If excess of skin and severe fat with muscular separation occurs: classic abdominoplasty.

The operation consists of raising the skin and fat of the abdomen, getting rid of the excess and reinforcing the muscles by suturing each other (plicature). This suture also allows remodelling the waist line, i.e. the flanks. We always design the incision so that the scar is hidden by the underclothes used by the patient. Only in those patients with a great "cutaneous apron", the scar is placed on the lower abdomen. More often we are combining both liposuction and abdominoplasty so that we improve the postoperative result by removing any additional excess of fat (mainly on flanks).

RISKS

After the operation it is normal to refer to a sensation of tenseness because the abdominal musculature has been reinforced, but it disappears in a few days. When raising the skin, the small nerves are cut, producing a temporal reduction of sensation. In smokers and obese patients delayed healing and even necrosis on the suprapubic area may occur.

The operation requires two nights of admission and we recommend home rest during 7-10 days after.