What Are My Options of Removing Excess and Hanging Skin from my Abs?
Sometimes, no matter how much an Omaha man or woman exercises, he or she still has extra skin that hangs from his or her abdominal muscles. The reasons are varied. Some people have this excess skin because they recently lost a dramatic amount of weight and, despite their best exercise efforts, this skin just won’t “snap back” into place. Other times, local moms have this excess skin after having children. Some patients never had an issue with excess abdominal skin until they got older, and gravity started to take its toll. And some people are just “blessed” with genes that cause their skin to lack laxity.
Whatever your reason for having excess abdominal skin hanging from your abs, Omaha plastic surgeon Dr. Ayoub of Westfield Plastic Surgery Center can help. By performing a tummy tuck, also called an abdominoplasty, he can remove extra skin that hangs from your abdomen, reposition your belly button, and if you have an abdominal bulge that just won’t go away, stitch up your separated abdominal muscles.
What is a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck is an elective plastic surgery that aims at resculpting the abdomen on patients who are at or very near their goal weight. It’s not weight loss surgery, and shouldn’t be performed until a patient has maintained a stable, ideal weight for at least 6 months, and should also only be performed on women who are done having children so that future pregnancies don’t negate their results.
While there are 5 different types of incisions that can be performed, the most common one that is performed today involves Dr. Ayoub making a low, horizontal, hip to hip incision below your bikini line. From this incision, Omaha plastic surgeon Dr. Ayoub can excise hanging abdominal skin, tighten up loose skin, sitch up separated abdominal muscles in a corset-like manner, and reposition your belly button if needed.
The Downtime from a Tummy Tuck
Patients who have abdominoplasty surgery are instructed to take 2 weeks off work, school, or their everyday activities to rest and recover. During this time, they aren’t allowed to carry or lift anything heavy (including small children), though they are instructed to take slow, brief walks around their home to promote healthy blood flow.
About 2 weeks post-op, depending on how you’re healing, Dr. Ayoub will clear you to lift and carry heavy objects, like your toddler. And depending on how quickly you’re recovering, Dr. Ayoub will allow you to resume your favorite sports and strenuous activities about 4-6 weeks post-op.
Am I a Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?
Abdominoplasty patients should:
-
- Be in good general health and be able to pass a pre-op appointment from their general physician
- Be in good psychological health
- Accept realistic expectations for their procedure, which will be explained by Dr. Ayoub during their initial consultation
- If diabetic, have their disease well managed so they can heal on a normal timeline
- Refrain from using nicotine products – including smoking cigarettes, vaping, or using chewing tobacco – for at least 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after their procedure to allow for the best surgical and healing conditions
- Be willing to follow Dr. Ayoub’s post-op instructions exactly
Scheduling a Consultation With Omaha’s Dr. Ayoub
If you think you’re ready for an abdominoplasty surgery, there’s no better way to find out than to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ayoub himself.
To do so, call Omaha’s Westfield Plastic Surgery Center today at (402) 829-6384.