Should You Consider an Abdominoplasty?

There are very few women who do not have changes to their abdominal wall after having children. Most tell us that they have felt self-conscious about their stomachs for a long time.

Some have loose sagging abdominal skin. Others have abdomens that protrude because their muscles have been stretched by pregnancy. Some have lost weight and have excess tissue that won’t go away on its own. Almost all have tried dieting and exercising and are discouraged by the lack of results. In fact, patients often find that as they lose weight the skin becomes loose and looks even worse!

If you have loose sagging abdominal skin or a protruding belly, an abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck, can restore a flat and firm tummy.

Abdominoplasty is a procedure that improves the overall aesthetics of the belly by removing excess fat and skin from the lower abdomen.

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Are you a good candidate for abdominoplasty?

To be a suitable tummy tuck candidate, you should be in good overall health but have excess skin (that has lost its elasticity) throughout the abdominal area. You may also have severely weakened or separated stomach muscles. You should be at a stable weight that you feel you can maintain following tummy tuck surgery. You must not smoke, or be prepared to stop smoking for several weeks prior to and after surgery.

Are You A Candidate?

Our Body Contouring Cosmetic Self Evaluation can help you decide if a tummy tuck is the right procedure for you.

What are the procedure techniques and scars

Different types of abdominoplasties (tummy tucks) exist:

  1. Mini-abdominoplasty: this procedure generally combines liposuction of the abdomen with a horizontal suprapubic incision from the inner edge of the hip bone across to the other inner edge of the hip bone. This type of tummy tuck does not reposition the navel and therefore, there will be no scar around the belly button. This procedure is suitable for patients with a small amount of excess skin and fat in the lowest part of the abdomen.
  2. Abdominoplasty: with or without liposuction of the abdomen, abdominoplasty will remove all the skin under the navel and reposition the navel. The scars include a horizontal component above the pubic area rising laterally towards the hips and a periumbilical scar.
  3. Fleur-de-lis or inverted T abdominoplasty: similar to a traditional tummy tuck, this abdominoplasty uses a central vertical incision from the sternum to the pubic region to remove and tighten excess horizontal skin. This procedure is for patients with excess side-to-side skin after significant weight loss or bariatric surgery.

  • Anaesthesia:
    General
  • Duration:
    2 to 3 hours
  • Pain level:
    4 to 6/10
  • Recovery time:
    2 to 4 weeks
  • Resumption of physical activities:
    6 weeks

Why choose Dr. Boudana for your abdominoplasty?

With several hundred successful abdominoplasties (tummy tucks) under his belt, Dr. Boudana is highly experienced in this procedure. He is one a the few Canadian surgeon using a drainless “high tension” technique developed in Paris/France. This improves patient comfort and reduces the recovery time.

If you wish to improve your belly’s appearance after changes related to pregnancy, weight loss, and aging, Dr. Boudana offers a personalized approach that will meet your expectations.

Procedure details

In the consultation, Dr. Boudana will be attentive to your expectations.

The choice of technique will depend on various factors: the amount of excess skin and fat, relaxation of abdominal muscles, tolerance for scarring, and so on. However, your expectations (i.e. the desired result) is the most important factor, and paradoxically the hardest one to express. That is why a considerable part of the consultation is dedicated to listening to you.

Not all results are necessarily achievable and it is important to understand what surgery can and cannot accomplish. Dr. Boudana will examine your abdomen and consider all the factors that could influence the result. He may suggest complementary procedures such as extra liposuction in the hip roll area and across the back to achieve the desired result. If this is the case, he will have you turned over in the prone position during the procedure (360-degree liposuction).

The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia and lasts about 2.5 hours. Following the operation, you will need someone to take you home and help and monitor you for the first 24 hours. It is recommended that you have someone to help you with daily tasks for the first week.

Once you are under anaesthesia, the skin of your abdomen will be carefully cleaned with an antiseptic to prevent infection. This step is performed according to medical recommendations and standards.

If indicated, the procedure generally begins with Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL) on the sides of the abdomen, the top of the navel, and the flanks using the SAFELipo® (Separation, Aspiration, Fat Equalization) technique to flatten the belly and reshape your silhouette. Infiltration with a saline water, marcaine (a long-lasting anaesthetic) and epinephrine solution is performed beforehand. For women with muscle separation, the abdominal muscles will be repaired (diastasis recti surgery). This step will maximize the results. Excess skin is then trimmed before Dr. Boudana closes the incisions. This is done with progressive tension sutures, eliminating the need for postoperative drains. Last, the navel is repositioned.

After surgery, you will receive a personalized follow-up. Our nurses will also be available to you. You will be given a postoperative instruction sheet when you are discharged as well as a prescription for pain medication.

All our follow-up appointments are free of charge for the first year after your surgery.

With hundreds of successful abdominoplasties under his belt, Dr. Boudana will guide and advise you to achieve the desired results.

Results

A tummy tuck will help you obtain a flatter and firmer abdomen and will accomplish the following:

  • Removal of excessive lower abdominal skin and stretch marks
  • Tightening of the abdominal wall (assuming you do not have more children or a major weight gain after surgery
  • Create a flatter abdomen and narrower waist
  • Increase self confidence that comes with the enhanced abdominal shape

The end result is a flatter, firmer, and more sculpted abdomen and waistline.

Tummy tuck
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** The photos and/or videos are not presented as a guarantee of result. The results may vary.
** Patients gave their consent for the publication of photos and/or videos.

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During your consultation, Dr. Boudana will take the time to address your specific goals and to discuss your treatment options. He will determine if you are a good candidate for tummy tuck surgery and review the results that can be realistically achieved. He will also help you determine which complementary procedures may benefit you the most.