Tummy Tuck Procedure

What Is a Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, removes excess fat and skin, and in most cases, restores weakened or separated muscles in the abdominal area. This creates a smoother, firmer looking abdominal profile.

Enhancing Your Appearance With a Tummy Tuck

A flat, well-toned abdomen is something many women strive for through exercise, a healthy diet and weight control. If you’ve had babies and suffered irreversible changes to your midsection however, no amount of exercise, sit-ups or Pilates can correct the stretched skin and separated abdominal muscles.

Even women with otherwise normal body weight and proportion can develop an abdomen that protrudes or is loose and sagging. This can be caused by:

• Pregnancy
• Aging
• Significant fluctuations in weight
• Heredity
• Prior surgery

What a Tummy Tuck Won’t Do:

A tummy tuck is not a substitute for weight loss, a good diet or regular exercise routine.

Although the results of this procedure are technically permanent, the positive outcome you achieve can be greatly diminished if you have significant weight fluctuations. For this reason, individuals who are planning substantial weight loss or women who may be considering future pregnancies may be advised to postpone a tummy tuck.

A tummy tuck cannot correct stretch marks, although these may be removed or somewhat improved if they are located on the areas of excess skin that will be removed (generally those treated areas below the belly button).

Is a Tummy Tuck Right For Me?

Tummy tuck surgery is a highly individualized procedure, and you should do it for yourself – not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to fit any sort of ideal image. It may be a good option for you if:

• You are physically healthy and maintain a stable weight
• You have realistic expectations
• You are a non-smoker
• You are bothered by the feeling that your tummy is too large
• You are done having children

What To Expect During Your Consultation With Dr. Bruce Van Natta

A safe and successful tummy tuck depends very much on your being completely candid during your consultation. Be sure to address any problems, concerns and questions with Dr. Van Natta. He will ask you a number of questions about your health, desires and lifestyle.

Be Prepared To Discuss:

• Why you want a tummy tuck and your expectations and desired outcome
• Medical conditions, drug allergies and medical treatments
• Use of current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drugs
• Previous surgeries
• Family disease history

Dr. Van Natta May Also:

• Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
• Take photographs for your medical record  Discuss likely outcomes of tummy tuck surgery and any risks or potential complications 
• Discuss the use of anesthesia during your tummy tuck procedure

Preparing For a Tummy Tuck

• Prior To Tummy Tuck Surgery, You May Be Asked To:
• Get lab testing or a general medical evaluation
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
• Stop smoking well in advance of surgery
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding

Special Instructions You Receive Will Cover:

• What to do the day of surgery
• The use of anesthesia during your tummy tuck
• Post-operative care and follow-up

Your procedure will be performed at Meridian Plastic Surgery Center, an accredited office-based surgical center, utilizing seasoned, board certified anesthesiologists from St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Important Facts About Tummy Tuck Risks and Complications

The decision to have tummy tuck surgery is extremely personal. You’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable to your personal situation.

Dr. Van Natta and/or his staff will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo and any risks or potential complications.

Possible Abdominoplasty Risks May Include:

• Unfavorable scarring
• Bleeding (hematoma)
• Infection
• Fluid accumulation 
• Poor wound healing 
• Skin loss
• Blood clots
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Anesthesia risks
• Skin discoloration and/or prolonged swelling 
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
• Major wound separation
• Asymmetry
• Recurrent looseness of skin
• Pain, which may persist
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications (Rare)
• Persistent swelling in the legs
• Nerve damage
• Possibility of revision surgery
• Suboptimal aesthetic result

You’ll Need Help

Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night following surgery.

What Happens During Tummy Tuck Surgery?

Step 1 – Anesthesia

You will undergo a general anesthetic administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist. The procedure will take approximately 2-2 ½ hours, depending on your individual situation and the degree of correction necessary.

Step 2 – The Incision

A full tummy tuck requires a horizontally-oriented incision in the area between the pubic hairline and navel. The shape and length of the incision will be determined by the degree of correction necessary. Through this incision, weakened abdominal muscles are repaired and sutured. Excess fat, tissue and skin are also removed.

If you have excess skin in the upper abdomen, a second incision around the navel may be necessary.

(Illustrations courtesy of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons)

Step 3 – Closing the Incisions

Sutures, skin adhesives, tapes or clips are used to close the skin incisions.

Step 4 – Enjoy the Results

Your tummy tuck will result in a flatter, firmer abdominal profile that brings overall proportion to your body. The final results may be initially obscured by swelling and your inability to stand fully upright until internal healing is complete.
Within a week or two, you should be enjoying the new, slimmer you and feeling more confident in your clothing.

Tummy Tuck Recovery Time

Following Dr. Van Natta’s instructions is key to the success of your surgery. It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, swelling, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing. Dr. Van Natta will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself.

Following your surgery, dressings or bandages may be applied to your incisions, and you may be wrapped in an elastic bandage or a compression garment to minimize swelling and to support your abdomen as it heals. A small, thin tube will also be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid collection.

Specific Instructions May Include:

• How to care for the surgical site(s)
• Medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection
• Specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your general health
• When to follow up with Dr. Van Natta

Tummy Tuck Costs

As an elective surgery, the cost of tummy tuck is always a consideration. Prices for tummy tucks can vary widely. A surgeon’s cost for a tummy tuck may vary based on his or her experience and the type of procedure being performed – and whether additional surgery (i.e., liposuction) is also being considered. Remember, cost is not everything. It is extremely important to have a board-certified plastic surgeon perform your procedure. There are an increasing number of non-plastic surgeons offering plastic surgery, and the outcomes can be absolutely disastrous. 

Typically, health insurance does not cover the cost of tummy tuck. Our practice offers patient financing plans, so be sure to ask us about this option.

Tummy Tuck Costs May Include:

• Surgeon’s fee
• Surgical facility costs
• Anesthesia fees
• Prescriptions for medication 
• Post-surgery garments, and
• Medical tests

Your satisfaction involves more than a fee

When choosing a plastic surgeon for tummy tuck, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery. Just like everything else in life, you get what you pay for.

Tummy Tuck Glossary

Abdominoplasty: A surgical procedure to correct the apron of excess skin hanging over your abdomen.
Diastasis: Condition in which abdominal muscles have separated.
General anesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.
Hematoma: Blood pooling beneath the skin.
Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.
Liposuction: Also called lipoplasty or suction lipectomy, this procedure vacuums out fat from beneath the skin’s surface to reduce fullness.
Local anesthesia: A drug is injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.
Sutures: Stitches used by surgeons to hold skin and tissue together.
Tummy tuck: A surgical procedure to correct the apron of excess skin hanging over your abdomen.

Questions to Ask Your Plastic Surgeon

• Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
• Were you specifically trained in the field of plastic surgery?
• How many years of plastic surgery training have you had?
• Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure?
• If so, at which hospitals?
• Is the office-based surgical facility where you perform surgery accredited by a nationally- or state-recognized accrediting agency, or is it state-licensed or Medicare-certified?
• Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
• What will be expected of me in order to get the best results?
• Where and how will you perform my procedure?
• Is there a specific surgical technique recommended for me?
• How long of a recovery period can I expect, and what kind of help will I need during my recovery?
• What are the risks and complications associated with my procedure?
• How are complications handled?
• How can I expect my tummy to look over time?
• What are my options if I am dissatisfied with the cosmetic outcome of my tummy tuck?
• Do you have before-and-after photos I can look at for this procedure and what results are reasonable for me?

Use This Checklist As a Guide During Your Consultation

Things You Should Know About Dr. Van Natta:

• He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
• He was trained specifically in the field of plastic surgery and had 5 years of general surgery training as well as 2 ½ years of plastic surgery training.
• He has been in practice more than 20 years.
• His surgical facility, Meridian Plastic Surgery Center, is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, and it is state-licensed and Medicare-certified.
• He also has hospital privileges to perform this procedure at St. Vincent Hospital.

How are complications handled? If you experience a rare complication requiring reoperation, Dr. Van Natta often won’t charge for his services, but you may well have additional expenses for the operating room as well as anesthesia.

If you are in Indiana, please visit our tummy tuck surgery in Indianapolis page.