Liposuction Based Abdominoplasty After Weight Loss

Congratulations! You’ve won the battle against obesity. You have probably spent hours in the gym, changed your diet, or perhaps recovered from bariatric surgery. You deserve to be rewarded for your efforts and feel confident in your new body. However, excess skin can get in the way of that.

Losing weight can make you healthier, but it can have an unwanted side effect: Loose skin. Many patients develop lax skin on the abdomen after whittling down to a healthy weight on the scale. The skin folds can be a source of physical discomfort and also make it difficult to look good in clothes.

Saggy skin is a common consequence of massive weight loss. The abdomen is one of the main areas affected. The lax skin can cause discomfort, friction during exercise & chronic rashes. If you have these concerns, a specialist surgeon at Body Contouring Surgery Clinic may suggest a Lipo-abdominoplasty.

This guide to post-weight tummy tucks covers useful information such as:

• Causes of loose skin
• What is a Lipo-abdominoplasty?
• How does it differ from a standard tummy tuck?
• What is VASER liposuction?
• Who is a candidate?
• Are there any risks?
• What happens during the operation?
• Recovery and aftercare
• What kind of results to expect
• Choosing a Lipo-abdominoplasty surgeon
• Answers to FAQs

How Weight Loss Affects the Abdominal Skin

Spending years overweight puts wear and tear on the skin, specifically on the abdomen. The abdomen can store a lot of fat. As the belly expands, the elastin and collagen in the skin are damaged. These proteins give the skin firmness and elasticity. Without these structural components, the skin becomes weaker, thinner, and less pliable.

Usually, skin laxity isn’t apparent until an obese person loses weight. Without the underlying fat, the abdominal skin appears saggy and deflated.

As a general rule, the longer a person is obese, the looser the skin will become after weight loss. The amount of weight lost is another factor. Individuals who lose more than 37 kg typically have a greater amount of excess skin compared to those who shed just a few kilos. Age, genetics, diet, and smoking can also affect skin quality.

Many post-bariatric patients find themselves facing another problem once they reach a healthy weight. The sagging skin that’s left behind can detract from their physical appearance, erode self-esteem, and make it difficult to wear clothes. In severe cases, loose skin can even limit mobility as well as cause rashes, rubbing, and discomfort. Excess skin can feel truly demoralising—especially when you worked so hard to get fit.

Diet and exercise won’t tighten loose skin. In fact, the more kilos lost, the looser the abdominal skin may become.

How does a Lipo-abdominoplasty differ from a standard tummy tuck?

Here are some reasons why our surgeons prefer the Lipo-abdominoplasty instead of a regular tummy tuck with liposuction:

It has a safer and easier recovery

During the Lipo-abdominoplasty, our surgeons minimise the amount of dissection needed to free the loose skin. They only dissect down to the scarpa’s fascia. They also repair the abdominal muscle through a small tunnel instead of opening up the whole area. As you can imagine, less dissection has several advantages. It reduces tissue trauma and nerve damage, so many of our patients have a safer, faster, and easier recovery.

You won’t have to wear drains after surgery

Many tummy tuck surgeons place drains in the abdomen. Drains are hollow tubes that remove pus, blood, and fluid that collects in the tissues after surgery. Drainage is necessary to avoid complications such as infection, seroma, and haematoma. Unfortunately, drains can be inconvenient and uncomfortable to wear for the patient. Instead of drains, our surgeons use sprayable fibrin glue when closing the incision. The glue reduces empty spaces in the tissues where fluid can collect. By eliminating drains, our patients enjoy a more comfortable recovery.

It removes more fat than a traditional tummy tuck

VASER is a fat reduction technology. Many surgeons around the world consider it the gold standard of liposuction. Adding VASER liposuction to your tummy tuck allows for greater fat reduction compared to standard liposuction. Our surgeons can get within millimetres of the skin surface to eliminate fat cells. This creates a toned tummy that highlights your weight-loss efforts.

VASER vs Standard Liposuction: Which is better?

Our surgeons have noticed that VASER liposuction has key advantages during a tummy tuck, such as:

• Less bruising
• Removing more fat
• A lower chance skin irregularities
• Reducing blood loss during surgery
• Improving skin retraction around the abdomen

Who is a candidate for a Lipo-abdominoplasty?

If you have excess skin and fat on your abdomen after weight loss, a Lipo-abdominoplasty could be the key to a better body. You will need to be in good health, both mentally and physically. If you smoke, you should quit for several weeks before and after your surgery. It is not safe for pregnant or nursing women to have a tummy tuck.

Keep in mind a Lipo-abdominoplasty is not a weight loss procedure. You should wait until you are within 7 kg of your ideal weight. You will need to maintain a steady weight for at least six months before your operation.

If you’re considering a tummy tuck after weight loss, our highly experienced tummy tuck surgeons can let you know if you are a candidate during your consultation. Call Body Contouring Surgery Clinic today to schedule your appointment.

Possible Risks and Complications

Although the surgery is considered safe for healthy patients who do not smoke, no surgeon can eliminate all risks. Serious medical conditions and smoking greatly raise the risk of complications. At Body Contouring Surgery Clinic, our surgeons will review your medical history and discuss relevant lifestyle factors to ensure you can safely undergo surgery. They will also disclose all possible risks of elective surgery, such as:

• Seroma
• Infection
• Necrosis
• Blood clots
• Asymmetry
• Haematoma
• Raised scars
• Haemorrhage
• Wound dehiscence
• Pulmonary embolism
• Prolonged numbness
• Dissatisfaction with results
• Complications from anaesthesia

Our specialist surgeons provide exceptional patient care before and after your surgery. We are trained to handle nearly any complication that may arise. While choosing a highly qualified tummy tuck surgeon ensures the safest surgery possible, you can minimise your risk of complications by following aftercare instructions and coming in for routine check-ups with our surgeons. Most importantly, avoid smoking as nicotine impedes healing.

Lipo-abdominoplasty Recovery

Expect to feel groggy when you wake up from anaesthesia. Most patients feel sore and tired the first day. Your surgeon will advise you to take short walks to prevent blood clots. You will probably feel more comfortable walking bent at the waist for the first ten days. The first day usually isn’t too bad. Post-operative discomfort tends to peak in the first 24 to 72 hours. While the early stage of healing can be uncomfortable, remember the pain is temporary and your results will be worth it!

Hospital Stay

The length of your hospital stay depends on how much loose skin your surgeon removes. Some patients are discharged from the hospital the next day. Others spend up to ten days in the hospital. You won’t be able to drive, so someone must be present to take you home.

Showering

When you wake up from surgery, your incision will be bandaged with a PICO wound dressing. This is an advanced battery-powered dressing that applies negative pressure to speed wound healing. The PICO dressing can’t get wet, so you won’t be able to take a full shower until your surgeon removes the PICO dressing a week later. In the meantime, you can take quick bird baths, taking care to avoid getting the PICO dressing and battery wet.

Swelling

Your abdomen will appear swollen after your tummy tuck. Most of the swelling resolves in the first few weeks to months. It can take 12 months for all the swelling to resolve.

Compression Garment

Your surgeon may ask you to wear a compression garment. The garment should be worn for 24 hours a day for several weeks. Then you will need to wear the garment 12 hours a day for a few more weeks. The purpose of a compression garment is to minimise swelling and help your skin retract around your new body shape.

Time Off Work, Driving, and Exercise

Our patients take two to four weeks off work and two to three weeks off driving after a Full Lipo-abdominoplasty. Our Extended Lipo-abdominoplasty patients usually take two to three weeks off work and driving. You can resume light exercise in two to three weeks. Avoid heavy lifting and vigorous exercise for six to eight weeks after your surgery.

Tummy Tuck Scars

The tummy tuck scar is permanent. Our surgeons will place the scar low on your abdomen so it is not visible when you wear undergarments or bikinis. Your incision should heal nicely by the time our surgeons remove your PICO dressing a week to ten days after your surgery. The surgical scar will be dark at first. Scar redness generally starts to fade at six months post-op. It takes 12 to 18 months for scars to fully mature. In most cases, the scar fades to a fine line that blends well with the surrounding skin.

Numbness

Your abdomen may feel numb for the first 12 weeks. As the nerves heal, you may have brief, shooting pains. Do not be alarmed; This is normal.

Tummy Tuck Recovery Tips

• Do not smoke
• Stay hydrated
• Avoid heavy lifting
• Wear loose clothes
• Take short walks daily
• Keep the wound clean
• Take medications as prescribed
• Attend all follow-up appointments
• Avoid getting the PICO dressing wet
• Wear your compression garment as instructed
• Call your surgeon if you have signs of infection
• Stop vitamin E supplements and blood-thinning medications

Lipo-abdominoplasty Results

A Lipo-abdominoplasty leaves the abdomen smooth, firm, and free of loose skin. However, it takes time to appreciate the final results. Most patients see drastic improvement within the first three months. The results only get better as the swelling subsides. The full results are visible 12 to 18 months when the swelling has resolved and the scars have faded. Our surgeons will follow up with you regularly to monitor your progress. Once your lax skin is gone, it won’t come back as long as you maintain your weight.