Tummy Tuck Recovery

Tummy tuck is a surgical procedure which is used to remove loose sagging and soft skin and fat from the lower stomach. It may be performed in conjunction with repositioning of the umbilicus and tightening of the deeper muscles of the abdomen, called the rectus.

Dr Lanzer uses a technique called the lipo-tuck, which is based on various studies executed over the years. He trained in this technique in America and finds that combining the method of liposuction, which he has used for over 20 years, with the tuck improves the recovery.

The recovery of a tummy tuck is firstly determined by which method is used. A tuck may involve the suturing of the muscles and transposition of the umbilicus, in which case more elevation and invasion has occurred. At the other extreme, the tuck may just be the simple excision of skin. In the latter case, the recovery would be much quicker and there would be fewer risks of swelling and bruising.

During the recovery period, there may be some pain and therefore appropriate pain killers, including morphine derivatives, are given to the patients. Patients should take it easy during the recovery period and not run or do strenuous exercise for 2-3 weeks.

Discover Tummy Tuck Liposuction Advantages!

An increasingly large amount of patients now opt for Tummy Tuck Liposuction procedures. The other advantage of using this method is that often less skin needs to be lifted and on the upper stomach this means less risk to the blood supply of the skin. If your looking to remove fat from the face, get a free consultation at Melbourne Tummy Tuck Liposuction clinic with Dr Lanzer.

Can You Provide Me with Additional Tips for My Recovery?

Generally, it is advisable to avoid hot showers that may cause vasodilatation and enhance bruising. Sometimes, patients do take Arnica tablets which are supplied by Dr Lanzer to help reduce the swelling.

It is also important to wear a firm compression garment. Most surgeons perform the tummy tuck in the hospital, in which case patients do require an in-patient hospital stay following a tummy tuck. The lipo-tuck performed by Dr Lanzer is designed to be an outpatient procedure and can be done under local anaesthetic. Dr Lanzer would be happy to discuss alternatives with you at any time.

During the recovery period of tummy tuck, Dr Lanzer does give patients oral antibiotics to take. It is better to be on antibiotics as prophylaxis prevention, than to have to take it afterwards when infection may start. It is advisable to keep active and move one’s legs as well to prevent deep clot formation.

Dr Lanzer does apply a cuff stimulator to the legs to reduce the risk of clots. The majority of patients would take 2 weeks off from work and tend to take it easy and sit around. During this recovery period, Dr Lanzer does like to monitor and see his patients; this will be covered by the initial costs for the procedure.

How Has the Evolution of Liposuction Influenced Recovery?

Dr Lanzer has seen many major breakthroughs in cosmetic surgery. One of those is tumescent anaesthesia, which involves placing a very dilute local aesthetic fluid in the skin which seals blood vessels, numbs the skin and is probably antibacterial. It has improved procedures including liposculpture, Hi Definition liposuction, mega liposuction, lipo-tummy tuck, lipo face lifts and breast augmentation.

Liposuction remains the most common procedure performed. Dr Lanzer works on two aspects whilst performing liposuction. The first, is to remove the bulk of fat, so the person is slimmer. The second is to shape and refine the body shape of the patient, particularly on the stomach for an athletic shape, the neck, the silhouette and the pecs. A new interest is the Brazilian Buttock which is aimed at developing more curvature to the buttock.

In patients with very loose skin on the stomach, such as after pregnancy or with significant weight loss, Dr Lanzer performs the lipo-tummy tuck. He has found that performing a full liposuction and then immediately removing the loose skin offers the best result.

The aim is to achieve a flatter stomach but there will be a long scar below the bikini line. Often the deep abdominal muscle splits during pregnancy and this muscle is reinforced if needed.

View more Liposuction information here.