Tummy Tuck

A once-taut tummy can change as you age, have children, lose a great deal of weight or experience weight fluctuations. A healthy diet and exercise can’t fix loose skin and you may still have a stubborn layer of fat on your belly. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, removes extra skin and fat and tightens the abdominal muscles to create a flatter, firmer midsection.

Dr. David Dellinger of Elysian Plastic Surgery maintains board certifications in both general and  plastic/reconstructive surgery, and has extensive experience performing body contouring plastic surgery procedures over his two decades in practice. Dr. Dellinger works with men and women in Austin and throughout Texas who are interested in improving their appearance with body contouring surgery.

Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512-229-1978 to learn more your options for body contouring.

Why Choose Elysian Plastic Surgery?

• We offer a full range of body contouring procedures, so you can be sure to find the one that’s right for you. Depending on your needs, turning your tummy tuck into a mommy makeover or trying minimally invasive BodyTite may be right for you.
• During your initial consultation, Dr. Dellinger and his staff use their expertise to put you at ease, understand your concerns and recommend the best treatment for you.
• A recognized leader in his field, Dr. Dellinger is a frequent lecturer and regularly attends local and national medical education conferences to keep up with new body contouring techniques.

Best Candidates for a Tummy Tuck

Healthy men and women who have realistic expectations, have reached a stable weight and have hanging skin and loose abdominal muscles that bulge when relaxed can be the best candidates for a tummy tuck. A tummy tuck may not be right if you are severely overweight or plan to have children in the next few years. Although a tummy tuck won’t affect a pregnancy, having a baby or experiencing a drastic change in your weight may affect your results by stretching your skin and abdominal muscles. Dr. Dellinger may recommend postponing your tummy tuck if you’re planning to have a baby in less than five years.

There are three different types of tummy tucks that can be right for different people:

• A full tummy tuck is the most common technique and may be best for people who have more excess skin and fat.
• A mini tummy tuck may be right for people who mostly have loose abdominal muscles and a smaller amount of excess skin and fat.
• A tummy tuck with liposuction is a combination procedure may work best for heavier people who need less muscle tightening and includes liposuction to eliminate extra fat.

What to Expect

During your consultation, be open and honest with Dr. Dellinger about your concerns and hopes. Once Dr. Dellinger understands your needs, he can design the right type of tummy tuck for you and suggest any additional procedures that may help create the look you hope to achieve. A tummy tuck can be combined with liposuction, breast enhancement or even facial surgery.

On the day of your abdominoplasty, you’ll be sedated with a local anesthesia or under general anesthesia during the procedure, which takes about an hour or two. Dr. Dellinger starts by making an incision on your lower abdomen that may stretch from hip to hip. The incision should be positioned where it’s easily covered by a swimsuit or underwear and can be incorporated into a Cesarean section scar. Dr. Dellinger then repairs and tightens the abdominal muscles, trims away excess skin and performs liposuction.

Right after your tummy tuck, there will be a small drain to remove fluids and you’ll be wearing a compression garment to hold your tissues together to minimize swelling and improve healing. The drain should be taken out after 7 to 10 days.

Your Tummy Tuck Recovery & Results

You should plan on resting at home for the first few days and arrange to have someone available to help you, especially with applying new bandages and measure the drained fluid. Be sure to get up regularly and gently move around to get the blood flowing. Wear your compression garment around the clock for the first 2 weeks, then during waking hours for another 4 weeks. You can begin some light exercise after 2 weeks and gradually increase the intensity over the next several weeks. You should avoid heavy lifting and straining your abdominal muscles for 2 to 3 months.

While you will notice improvement right after surgery, the initial swelling may hide the full impact of your tummy tuck. Your results should become increasingly noticeable in a week or two and improve as the swelling completely subsides and your body heals.

To schedule your tummy tuck consultation, please call our Austin plastic surgery practice at 512-229-1978 or request a consultation online.