Restore Your Youthful Physique With A Tummy Tuck
Do you keep losing the fight to a flatter, well-toned abdomen, despite the time you spend exercising and watching what you eat? Dr. Joseph Jensen may be able to help you win the battle of the bulge with his safe, state-of-the-art tummy tuck procedure, also known as abdominoplasty.
The tummy tuck is a surgical option perfect for removing excess skin and fat and restoring weakened or separated muscles affecting your abdominal profile. You can have a flatter, firmer abdominal contour in no time to match your body type and weight.*
Who is an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck?
Tummy tucks primarily target loose sagging abdominal skin and separated muscles in the center of the stomach area. These are the aftermath of the localized weight gained during pregnancy or from the gain and then the loss of a substantial amount of weight. If you primarily have pockets of fat that have accumulated and are very resistant to changes in diet and exercise, a tummy tuck is probably not your procedure — this is more a case for liposuction.
But if you have loose, inelastic skin, with some pockets of fat, a tummy tuck is a great procedure (probably combined with light liposuction to remove the fat). Pregnancy is especially hard on the abdominal muscles because of the way it focuses the weight gain in such a small area. This can permanently stretch and separate the abdominal muscles and they won’t return to their former degree of tautness without surgery.
Dr. Jensen does caution patients that they need to be sure they’re don’t plan on having any additional children to have this surgery. Why? The effects of pregnancy will negate the results of your tummy tuck. The weight gain can actually distort your incision scars. Also, people who plan on losing additional weight should delay their tummy tuck because the additional weight loss will create more loose skin. It’s important to remember that abdominoplasty is a body-contouring procedure, not a weight loss procedure.
Why Get A Tummy Tuck?
Anyone can encounter a sagging or loose abdomen from age, heredity, pregnancy, surgery, or significant fluctuations in weight. Abdominoplasty removes excess and loose abdominal skin. Abdominal muscles can be tightened if needed. If a patient has skin laxity, bulging or loose abdominal muscles, a tummy tuck is the only procedure which can treat those problems.
What are the benefits of having a tummy tuck?
We all can have some degree of a stomach pooch as the years accumulate. But that doesn’t mean you have to like it…or live with it. This loosening in the lower abdomen is exacerbated by the localized weight gain of pregnancy. Gaining and then losing a significant amount of weight does the same thing.
In many cases, the rectus abdominis muscles can actually become separated in the center due to pregnancy, and there isn’t an exercise out there or diet regimen that can bring them back to the center. Only this surgery with Dr. Jensen can do so.
This is a very satisfying for our patients from all across the Salt Lake area. It removes your loose, sagging lower stomach and flattens, firms, and provides new contour to the area. What’s not to love about that?
What Does A Tummy Tuck Involve?
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a major surgical procedure performed in an outpatient surgical facility under general anesthesia. Dr. Jensen is a board certified general surgeon with extensive training and experience as a practicing surgeon in Davis County for more than 13 years.
First, a bikini line incision is made and carried down to the muscles. The fat is then separated from the muscles up to the ribs so the skin and fat can be pulled down until appropriately tightened, at which point, the excess skin and fat is removed. If needed, the abdominal muscles can be tightened once they’re exposed. A small incision is made around the belly button, so that it can remain in its place. The belly button is then sutured in place through the now tightened skin. The bikini line incision is then closed. People go home about two hours after the procedure.
How is a tummy tuck performed?
Dr. Jensen provides different tummy tucks depending upon the patient’s unique combination of loose, sagging skin and fat accumulation. These procedures may involve one or two incisions. Their lengths vary depending on the patient. During your consultation, Dr. Jensen will examine your situation and will discuss with you the approach he feels will fit your needs. Here are the three basic approaches to a tummy tuck:
Standard abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
Also known as a full tummy tuck, in a standard tummy tuck, Dr. Jensen makes two incisions. The first incision runs from hipbone to hipbone, descending down toward the pubic area. The goal is to be able to cover the scar with a bathing suit. The second incision is made at the belly button. Once the skin is separated from the underlying muscle, the abdominal muscles are pulled together and stitched into place to make the abdomen firmer and to narrow the waist. This is to repair stomach muscles that have become separated. Next, the skin is pulled downward, excess skin is trimmed away, and the navel is reattached in a natural position.
These full tummy tucks are usually the best option for women who have had children, as the localized weight gain stretches the stomach skin and separates the support muscles.
A partial abdominoplasty (mini tummy tuck)
Also known as a mini tummy tuck, in this procedure, Dr. Jensen makes just a single incision along the pubic line. The length of this incision may vary depending on the degree of the patient’s sagging.
Mini tummy tucks can be good for patients who don’t have a lot of excess sagging skin, but simply want to remove their stomach pooch.
Circumferential abdominoplasty (extended tummy tuck)
This method involves the upper and lower incisions as with a standard tummy tuck, but the bottom incision is extended. Where it usually stops at the hipbone in a standard procedure, here it extends around the flanks. This allows Dr. Jensen to also address sagging, excess skin, and fat on the outer thighs and possibly the buttocks. Fat and skin that are hanging over the beltline will be removed to create a slimmer, smoother contour. Dr. Jensen will tighten the applicable muscle and will likely use some liposuction to remove unwanted pockets of fat.
If you’re familiar with an outer thigh lift, it is as if this procedure is added to a standard tummy tuck in these extended tummy tucks.
What results should I expect from my tummy tuck?
Tummy tucks deliver instant results, although you’ll have to wait for any residual swelling to resolve to totally experience them. The area will also be covered first by bandages and then compression garments after that. But you’ll see the difference immediately. Dr. Jensen will usually bring the rectus muscles back together in the middle of the stomach. This slims the patient’s waist contour. Otherwise, the procedure will give you a flat tummy, as you had in your younger days. Pockets of excess fat will have been removed, and you’ll love your new look. These changes are permanent, as well. There will be some sagging as you age, as you would expect, but that should be relatively minimal. If you maintain a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle, you should enjoy your new flat abdomen for the duration.
What To Expect During Recovery
You’ll spend about a week recovering at home. People usually return to sedentary jobs one to three weeks after the procedure. You’ll need to be careful with any strenuous activities for up to six weeks following the procedure. If you maintain your weight, your tummy will likely remain tight the rest of your life.
Will I have scarring after my tummy tuck?
Yes, you will have a lengthy scar after this surgery. Any time an incision is made in human skin, the collagen the body uses to repair the wound creates a scar. That’s simply a fact of how the skin works. As with any scar, it will fade with time. It’s helpful to keep all sun exposure off your scar.
Dr. Jensen drops the incision down where it can be hidden under a bathing suit bottom or a pair of underwear.
What are the risks involved with a tummy tuck?
This is major surgery, so all of the same risks that come with any surgery apply here: reaction to anesthesia, excessive bleeding, poor incision healing, infection, and the like. But these are rare.
The main risks involved with tummy tuck surgery are that the long incision will heal unevenly. That’s where the expertise of your surgeon comes into play. Dr. Jensen is a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience. His expertise ensures your results will be satisfying.
Why Wait?
If you’ve been suffering with a spare tire or muffin top, it’s time to take action so you can enjoy a firmer, flatter mid-section. Contact us today to find out if a tummy tuck procedure is right for you.
Turn Back The Clock Today!
Dr. Jensen and his fantastic team are anxious to get you on the road to a happier you. Call today, meet Dr. Jensen, and plan your procedure.
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