For those women whose abdomens refuse to return to their pre-baby form, a tummy tuck can be an appealing option. It is an increasingly popular procedure whereby muscles weakened and separated by pregnancy are tightened and stitched back into the right place, stubborn pockets of fat are removed, and any saggy excess skin is excised, leaving taut, shapely contours. A tummy tuck – or abdominoplasty – is a relatively straightforward procedure with predictable results, but it does involve invasive surgery, so preparing your body beforehand will help you recover and sooner enjoy the results.
How do I prepare for my abdominoplasty?
During your Essex tummy tuck consultation, Mr Maisam Fazel will talk you through the full process, from planning the surgery to a detailed description of the recovery period. He will advise you on any medications and supplements can cause complications with the anaesthetic and that you should therefore avoid.
He will also ask you to quit smoking (and all nicotine products, in fact) in the peri-operative period. Nicotine in the bloodstream can cause complications during surgery itself, but it also slows down the rate of recovery and compromises the healthy healing of scars.
What else will hinder a full and speedy recovery?
The fitter and healthier you are, the better your body will cope with the ordeal of surgery – and the sooner it will be ready to get back to normal life. Treat it well as the day of your tummy tuck approaches: eat well, avoid alcohol in excess, be active and try to avoid stress.
Furthermore, as Mr Maisam Fazel explains to his Essex patients, a tummy tuck is not designed to be weight loss surgery, and the results will be undermined by future fluctuations; the closer you are to your ideal weight at the time of surgery, the more effective the aesthetic results will be.