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 Depending on your body, the plastic surgeon may suggest a full or mini tummy tuck. (Comstock) |
“Plastic surgery is most popular in the spring,” says Dr. Lista, medical director and founder of The Plastic Surgery Clinic in Mississauga, Ont. “Most patients say, ‘if I’m going to do it, do it in the spring.”
One of the most popular procedures Dr. Lista performs at his clinic is abdominoplasty, also known as the tummy tuck.
“This is typically one of the most popular procedures we do,” he says. “Usually women have tummies as a result of child birth. Whether they have their babies by caesarean section or regular delivery, no matter how much they exercise they can’t make that bulge better.” Dr. Lista says this is because often during child birth the woman’s stomach muscles are permanently separated.
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Depending on your body, the plastic surgeon may suggest a full or mini tummy tuck. If your bulge is below the navel, you may only need a mini-tummy tuck, which is a less complicated procedure. A complete tummy tuck usually takes between 2-3 hours while a partial one may take an hour or two.
Dr. Lista’s website describes the process:
“Most commonly, the surgeon will make a long incision from hipbone to hipbone, just above the pubic area. A second incision is made to free the navel from surrounding tissue. With partial tummy tuck, the incision is much shorter and the navel may not be moved. Next, the surgeon separates the skin from the abdominal wall all the way up to your ribs and lifts a large skin flap to reveal the vertical muscles in your abdomen. These muscles are tightened by pulling them close together and stitching them into their new position. This provides a firmer abdominal wall and narrows the waistline.
The skin flap is then stretched down and the extra skin is removed. A new hole is cut for your navel, which is then stitched in place. Finally, the incisions will be stitched, dressings will be applied, and a temporary tube may be inserted to drain excess fluid from the surgical site.
Abdominal skin is drawn down and excess is removed. With abdominoplasty, a new opening is cut for the navel. Both incisions are stitched closed.”
Since the procedure involves getting rid of loose skin, fat and sewing the muscles back together, the recovery period is longer than most other procedures. “It’s the muscle tissue that takes a little longer to heal,” he says. “Most people are back to work in 2-3 weeks.”
Before booking any patient for surgery, Dr. Lista ensures a cooling period first and then a realistic expectation. “There are a few things to discuss whenever you decide on any plastic surgery. Does the patient have a condition we can make better with surgery, if we don’t think we can get a better result, this is not a good candidate.” Next, “Do you have a realistic expectation? If the patient is 40 years old, had four kids, she can’t expect to look 18 again. It’s got to be a realistic expectation,” he says. “We don’t let anyone decide in one visit. We ask them to go home, think about it, talk to their family about it. Then call us back.”
Dr. Lista says it usually takes about 6 weeks to get an appointment once you’ve decided to go ahead with the surgery.
The cost, depending on the complexity of the surgery can range between $5,000-$10,000.
When exercise and diet have not proven successful, many women are willing to take the next painful step. One, which Dr. Lista says, has proven to be joyful in the end for many of his patients. “People are universally delighted. Most say it was easier than they thought it would be.”