I know you’re tired of the pouch you have on your stomach that you just can’t seem to get rid of no matter how many crunches you do, and that you are considering a tummy tuck (if you weren’t you probably wouldn’t be reading this article) the next logical question is how long is the tummy tuck recovery period?

A tummy tuck, otherwise known as abdominoplasty, is a major surgery and you have to make sure you understand everything that’s involved before you make your decision to have it done. As with all surgeries there is a risk of complications so be darn careful when you pick out the plastic surgeon, as well as the surgery center, who will perform the procedure.

Also, make sure you have someone who can help you out with your daily activities for at least several days post surgery. You won’t be able to do much at all, even cooking, getting dressed and moving around your house will be a challenge. Of course, you won’t be able to drive for a while after your surgery so make sure you stock up on groceries around your home (or get one of your friends to help you out).

Make sure you have someone who can fill your prescriptions. The doctor will usually prescribe something for pain and usually some form of antibiotic as well to prevent infections.

Since some types of pain medications can make you constipated, which is the last thing you want after having abdominal surgery, many surgeons will prescribe a laxative to take after the surgery. Whatever your doctor prescribes, take it. Make sure you take your pills on time. You don’t want to have unnecessary pain or risk an infection, take your pills on time every time.

It’s also a good idea to have a thermometer on hand so you can check for an infection. Infections are a common complication of having surgery and one of the first signs of an infection will be a fever. By being able to check your temperature often, you can see any signs of an infection early on, which is good (so you can treat it early before it gets to serious) and something you want to watch for during your tummy tuck recovery.

Don’t think that you don’t have to listen to the doctor or follow his instructions either. A tummy tuck is major surgery, you don’t want to risk injuring yourself of ripping out your sutures, so follow his directions. These instructions will cover everything from when you can take a bath how often to change your bandages, how much you can lift and what activity levels you should restrict yourself to, all the way up to when you can have sex again. Listen to him.

Recovering from a major surgical procedure will take time, in order to make your tummy tuck recovery as painless and as quick as possible make sure that you fully understand and follow all your doctors advice, this is not the time to be a know it all.

Tags: Abdominal Surgery, Abdominoplasty, Antibiotic, Constipated, Crunches, Fever, First Signs, Groceries, infection, infections, Laxative, Logical Question, Major Surgery, Pain Medications, pain;, Plastic Surgeon, Prescriptions, Recovery Period, Signs Of An Infection, Surgeries, surgery, Surgery Center, Thermometer, Tummy Tuck, Unnecessary Pain —

Many woman, especially those of us who have had kids, don’t want to undergo surgery but would love to have a non surgical tummy tuck. Wouldn’t it be nice to able to go back to the days when we could bounce a quarter off of our abs, but without the pain, expense, and risk of complications of surgery? For those of us who want that there are tummy tuck alternatives that might be just what the doctor ordered.

Having a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is expensive. It costs thousands of dollars for the surgery. When you add to the expense the fact that you’ll be out of commission for up to six weeks and that you’ll have quite a bit of pain, as well as the risk of complications, many women just don’t want to put themselves through that for a tighter tummy.

The good news is that you don’t have to. Today there are several non surgical tummy tuck alternatives that can help you get the flat looking midsection you’re craving without having to go under the knife.

Here are some of the most promising:

1. For fat loss liposuction works just fine (if your problem is loose skin this won’t help). Liposuction is still a pretty involved procedure but it’s not major abdominal surgery. Often the doctor will perform liposuction in conjunction with a tummy tuck. If you want to just have some fat removed this procedure can work very well.

To put it simply: the doctor uses a vacuum like device and literally sucks fat out of your body. You will still have a recovery period but it’s not as long as with a tummy tuck. Ask your doctor if this is a good idea for you.

2. Titan. This is a process where a laser can tighten the skin from the surface. There are no incisions involved with this procedure. If you have just a little extra skin, this procedure would probably work really well for you, ask your doctor.

3. Thermage is a non surgical procedure where radio frequency energy is directed to the skin. This can help tighten and lift excess skin. It’s completely non invasive.

4. Injection Lipolysis is a procedure where a compound is injected directly into the skin. This compound has been shown to melt off fat deposits. Most people will need 2 or 3 injections to remove the total amount of fat that they want removed. It’s non surgical and works well on the face, jowls, neck, sides, thighs and abdomen. It hasn’t been FDA approved yet though so make sure to talk to your doctor about it, and any potential side effects, and get his opinion.

We’re lucky, today more than ever we don’t have to age gracefully, we can fight it every step of the way. We now know a lot about diet and exercise and the benefits both have on our overall health as well as our appearance. The problem is that sometimes diet and exercise just aren’t enough. To get rid of that flabby tummy without going under the knife you should look into
non surgical tummy tuck alternatives.

Tags: Abdominal Surgery, Abdominoplasty, Ask Doctor, Conjunction, Excess Skin, Extra Skin, FDA;, Healthy Diet, Incisions, Laser, Liposuction, Loose Skin, Midsection, radio frequency, Radio Frequency Energy, Recovery Period, Risk, Six Weeks, surgery, Thermage, Thousands Of Dollars, Titan, Tummy Tuck, Vacuum, Woman —

Before considering facial liposuction, or any kind of plastic surgery for that matter, make sure you thoroughly research and find a board-certified plastic surgeon that you are comfortable with. Ask for references and to be shown before and after photos of patients they have performed the surgery you are interested in having on. Your face is the first thing people see and you really do not want any mistakes to be made. Choose your doctor wisely.

For most of us, as we age we put on weight. Some would say it is inevitable. Whether your weight gain is due to overeating, a slower metabolism, menopause, or what have you, it doesn’t matter, fat is fat. You know you should eat healthier and get some exercise but truthfully, in the real world, it is very difficult to stick to a routine because life always gets in the way.

So who do you turn to? How do you get the look you want without killing yourself in a gym? Why not consider the option of facial liposuction?

The use of lasers has become the procedure of choice for many due to the fact that it is much less invasive and there is a shorter recovery time associated with it. Find a surgeon skilled in the use of lasers to fix those saggy jowls, double chins and fat rolls on your neck.

Called SmartLipo, laser-assisted liposuction is a great way to refine the look of your face. No big incisions and no stitches to close them mean way less scarring, bruising, swelling and pain. The laser gets passed over the loose skin, shrinks the fat cells and tightens the targeted areas.

Traditional liposuction for those saggy jowls or double chins is performed by making a tiny incision either under the chin or inside the mouth and then removing the excess fat by inserting a tube, called a cannula, into the incision and suctioning out the fat. The excess skin is then stretched tight, trimmed, and the incision stitched closed.

If liposuction is performed on the face, you may choose to combine it with some neck work, too. Called cervicoplasty, this part of the surgery will take care of that double chin you have.

When the surgery is complete your head will be wrapped in a compression dressing that will need to be worn throughout the recovery process to help keep the healing tissue supported. Your doctor will tell you that you may return to work in about a week but expect a full six weeks to fully recover. Avoid looking at yourself in mirrors during this time. Wait until you are completely healed, no sense in scaring yourself half to death.

Plastic surgery is not for everyone but if you have done all you can by way of diet and exercise and still have areas that need work, like your face, by all means, talk to a board-certified plastic surgeon about facial liposuction. It may just be the self-confidence booster you need.

Tags: board-certified plastic surgeon, Cannula, Double Chins, Excess Skin, Facial Liposuction, Fat Cells, Incision, Incisions, Jowls, Laser, Laser Assisted Liposuction, Lasers, Liposuction, Loose Skin, Menopause, Plastic Surgeon, Plastic Surgery, Recovery Time, Stitches, Suctioning, surgeon, surgery, Tiny Incision, Traditional Liposuction, Weight Gain —

A friend of ours wants to have an abdominoplasty procedure done. When she first told us about this, all we could do was look at each other. Afterwards, when we were by ourselves and were able to discuss it more, I made the comment that I thought she was nuts to want to have anything done.

Why? Because she weighs about 100 lbs soaking wet and works out like a fiend every single day. How could she possibly need to have a tummy tuck? Well, I was wrong to jump to any conclusion like that. She explained at a later date that even though she works out like a fiend, she is still getting older and the skin around her middle is starting to get saggy. It is because she works out so diligently that she wants to continue to look her best.

Can’t blame a woman for that now can you?

The procedure she will have is called a mini-tuck where an incision is made, minimal liposuction performed if any is needed, and the skin tightened, then stitched closed. The belly button does not require relocation with a mini-tuck. A drain tube is inserted into the incision to drain excess fluid. The lower abdomen is then wrapped with a compression dressing. Pain control using a prescribed narcotic or, if the pain is minimal, then over the counter pain relievers may be used. Recovery time is 2-3 weeks with a mini-tuck.

So, I learned my lesson. I learned that even someone who is in great shape and has incredible muscle tone can still be in need of firmer skin in certain areas of her body.

I have another friend who had an abdominoplasty procedure after having two pregnancies which resulted in two very big babies, 10 lbs and 11 lbs, respectively. She lost all the baby weight but since both the babies had to be taken Cesarean and were so big to begin with she ended up with a lot of excess skin in that area and she was told the muscles of her abdomen would never recover.

Obviously, the procedure she had done was a full tummy tuck which involved “baseball stitching” the damaged muscles, removing any fat remaining with liposuction, stretching the skin taut, trimming off the excess, relocating the belly button and closing the incision. Drain tubes were inserted to help keep fluid from accumulating and aid recovery. The area is then wrapped tightly with a compression dressing to help support the muscles. A narcotic analgesic will be prescribed to control the pain and discomfort associated with the procedure. Recovery time is approximately six weeks with a full tummy tuck.

So, if you are looking for a toned, flat belly, check out board-certified plastic surgeons in your area and call for a consult. Ask what your options are and if they think you are a good candidate for surgery. You may find that you are making one of the smartest decisions you have ever made in your life. Just think, no more battle of the bulge!

Although not recommended as a substitute for a weight loss or diet regimen, an abdominoplasty procedure can help correct the problem areas left behind when all is said and done.

Tags: Abdominoplasty, Baby Weight, Baseball Stitching, Belly Button, candidate for surgery, Damag, Drain Tube, Excess Fluid, Excess Skin, Fiend, Firmer Skin, Great Shape, Healthy Diet, Incision, Incredible Muscle, Liposuction, Losing Weight, Lower Abdomen, Muscle Tone, Pain Relievers, Pregnancies, Recovery Time, Single Day, surgery, Tummy Tuck —